Stephen Champlin-- Part 7: Fired First and Last Shots at Battle of Lake Erie

Champlin's force marched from Sackets Harbor  that evening.  At Schlosser, he chartered a two masted boat and  went up the river by rowing with barge poles to Buffalo.  There the group took on arms before continuing on to Oliver Hazard Perry at Erie, Pennsylvania, arriving there on July 24, 1813.  This was a full ten days earlier than another group which had left Sackets Harbor two hours before Champlin.

On July 25, he was ordered to fit out and take command of the USS Scorpion.

As second in command to Perry at Erie, Champlin participated in expeditions against Fort George and Fort York (Toronto) aboard the USS Asp.  Later in command of the two gun schooner USS Scorpion, Champlin led the attack on the British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie on September 13, 1813.

He is credited with firing the first shot of the battle which effectively ended British control of the Great Lakes.  And, in capturing the HMS Little Belt he also fired the last shots.

--Brock-Perry