Naval battle on Lake Erie during War of 1812
The Naval Battle on Lake Erie, fought on September 10, 1813, was a pivotal engagement during the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. Following the U.S. defeat at Detroit, American officials aimed to regain control of the Old Northwest by establishing naval dominance on Lake Erie. Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry was tasked with constructing a squadron at Erie, Pennsylvania, which ultimately outmatched the British forces in both manpower and firepower. The British, under Commander Robert H. Barclay, were based in the isolated port of Amherstburg and could not compete with Perry's rapid shipbuilding efforts.
During the battle, a shift in wind conditions provided Perry with a tactical advantage, allowing him to engage the British more effectively. Although his flagship, the USS Lawrence, took heavy damage, Perry famously transferred his command to the USS Niagara and launched a counterattack that decisively crossed the British line. The battle resulted in significant casualties, with 41 British sailors killed and numerous wounded, while Perry's forces suffered losses as well. The American victory at Lake Erie was critical, as it enabled U.S. ground forces to reclaim Detroit and pushed British and allied forces out of parts of present-day Michigan and southwestern Ontario. This battle is considered the bloodiest naval engagement of the War of 1812, marking a turning point in the conflict.
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Naval battle on Lake Erie during War of 1812
Type of action: Naval battle in the War of 1812
Date: September 10, 1813
Location: Lake Erie, west of Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Combatants: 562 British vs. about 500 Americans
Principal commanders:British, Commander Robert H. Barclay (1785–1837); American, Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819)
Result: Surrender of the British squadron to the Americans
Following the surrender of Detroit in 1812, U.S. officials sought to reclaim their control of the Old Northwest by first gaining naval dominance of Lake Erie. The U.S. Navy ordered Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he supervised the construction of an American squadron. By August, 1813, his efforts provided the U.S. Navy superiority in vessels and firepower over its foe. Commander Robert H. Barclay, operating out of the small, isolated Detroit River port of Amherstburg, Ontario, could not match the American shipbuilding effort.
A shift in the wind gave Perry the advantage and allowed him to close with the British and bring his short-range carronades to bear. His squadron lagged behind the flagship, the Lawrence, and the British concentrated their fire on that vessel, rendering her useless. Perry transferred his flag to the advancing brig Niagara and ordered its commander to bring up the other vessels. Niagara crossed the British line, and the trailing vessels raked the six Royal Navy ships. This bloodiest naval engagement of the war saw 41 British killed and 94 wounded. Perry lost 27 dead and 96 wounded.
Significance
Perry’s victory opened the way for American ground forces to reclaim Detroit and drive the British and their Indian allies out of Michigan’s lower peninsula and southwestern Ontario.
Bibliography
Skaggs, David Curtis, and Gerard T. Altoff. A Signal Victory: The Lake Erie Campaign, 1812–1813. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1997.
Welsh, William Jeffrey, and David Curtis Skaggs, eds. War on the Great Lakes. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1991.