Stephen Champlin-- Part 8: His Account of Oliver Hazard Perry

In 1840, the Rhode Island Historical Society asked Champlin to write about Oliver Hazard Perry's building of his Lake Erie fleet and his victory at the Battle of Lake Erie.  He replied that he could and based his recollections on a journal that he kept at the time.

"Persuant to orders,  I arrived at Erie, Pennsylvania, the station of the United States fleet on Lake Erie, July 24, 1813, with a draft of 70 men and boys of the most ordinary kind and nearly all new hands.  By the almost incredible exertions of the few officers and men upon that station, the vessels composing our little fleet were nearly ready for service.

"Upon my arrival with recruits, Commodore Perry commenced operations for crossing the bar upon which there was  only four feet of water (*).  The enemy's fleet at the same time, lay off the harbor, with the intention to cut off all supplies from our squadron.

"A small battery with two or three 12-pounders was therefore erected so as to command the entrance to the harbor as well as to command the entrance the entrance to the harbor as well as to give protection to the vessels that should first cross the bar."

--Brock-Perry