CHAPTER XVII.VICTORY.
To men who had come from such a scene of ruin as had we, theNiagaraappeared to be in perfect condition. But few of her crew were wounded, and she was in as perfect order for the conflict as if having just come from the navy-yard.
Before I could clamber up on her deck, being, as a matter of course, some distance behind Alec and his brother, the commodore’s pennant had been displayed, and with it was run up the blue banner which bore the letters in white, and I venture to say that the death of the gallant Lawrence was fresh in the mind of every American on Lake Erie this 10th day of September in the year of grace 1813.
It was some such signal as this which our brave fellows aboard the other vessels needed to assure them that the commander in whom they trusted was still directing the course of events, and as the two bits of bunting were run up we heard a volley of cheers from every craft in the line, telling that the courage of all was strengthened.
“Now we shall win the day,” Alec said confidently, as for a moment I came to his side, although, strictly speaking, my place was forward of the quarter, while he, released from duty as a member of the gun’s crew under old Silas, had liberty to remain by the side of the commodore. “Now we shall win the day, for it is as if we were come into action with a fresh vessel, thanks to the timorousness of Captain Elliott.”
Even as he spoke, and as if to check the exultation which had come upon us all when the commodore’s flag was safely transferred, we saw the stars and stripes drop slowly down from the masthead of theLawrence, in token that she had surrendered.
Dr. Parsons has since told me that when Lieutenant Yarnall, after consulting with Lieutenant Forrest and Sailing-Master Taylor, decided to show signs of submission, those poor wounded wretches in the cockpit, mangled and hacked until some of them no longer had the semblance of humanity, begged that the ship be sunk rather than surrendered, and refused to allow the surgeon to attend to their wounds, hoping they might die before the Britishers could take possession of the craft which had been fought so gallantly, yet so vainly.
However, it was not long that they were forced to remain thus hopeless.
Once our young commander had beneath him a craft which could be manœuvred, he changed his plan of action so far as the situation seemed to require, hoisting a signal once more for close action as theNiagarawas steered straight toward the British line of battle, half a mile away.
As he had fought theLawrence, so did he count on fighting her sister ship, and, inspirited by what they had seen, every man aboard our fleet was ready to follow at his beck wherever he might lead.
We had seen sharp fighting before; but now was come the time, as it seemed to me, when we were to take part in such an action as would dim all previous efforts, and even amid the noise and confusion of the conflict I found myself wishing that Silas Boyd might be with us, to have a share in the glorious dash which I knew was near at hand.
Now, indeed, was gone from my mind all sensations of fear. I ceased to have any thought of self, but lived only with those around me, making their fate as much a part of mine as if we were linked together in body, as in purpose.
Having come on board a vessel which had suffered comparatively small loss during the two hours of conflict, and, as has been said, was the best manned in the fleet, there was little Alec and I could do save tojump here or there, wherever a spare hand was needed, and set our shoulders to whatsoever portion of the wheel needed uplifting.
Therefore it was we had more of an opportunity to observe the battle. We could see, when the clouds of smoke were not too dense, each particular vessel, and knew, almost as well as did the commodore himself, what was taking place on the bosom of that lake whose waters, it seemed to me, should by this time have been stained crimson by the blood of brave men.
If I have made it appear that, up to this time, we two lads had seen the most desperate portion of the conflict, my purpose has been overrun, for once on board theNiagarathe action became so fierce and deadly as to make it seem that until now we had been outside the range of the deadliest fire.
With the new flag-ship in the lead, and the signals for every craft to use both sails and oars so that they close in more quickly, we went straight forward toward the enemy, passing within half a pistol-shot distance of theLady Prevostand theChippewaon the larboard hand, and theDetroit,Queen Charlotte, andHunteron the starboard.
We broke directly through the enemy’s line, and not until we were come within such short range that I could have tossed my hat aboard either vessel, did we open fire.
Then it was that both broadsides were discharged; theNiagararolled to and fro under the shock of the heavy guns, until it seemed as if every timber would be riven asunder; and from either side poured in upon us a cross firing, until a perfect network of whistling shot and bullets was formed above our heads, but fortunately so high that we suffered comparatively little loss of life.
Here and there men fell, pierced by a musket-shot, or literally cut asunder by the heavy cannon-balls; but it was not as we had known it on the deck of theLawrence, when nearly four-fifths of our people were disabled.
The din was fearful. One ceased to think of the loss of life, because in that terrific uproar it seemed only natural men must die.
The hue of blood which stained the white planking and the black bulwarks was no longer an ominous color, because that was needed to make the picture of war more perfect; and I believe every person on board theNiagara, save the commodore himself, lost, as I did, all thought of self in that pandemonium of destruction.
Right and left came broadsides from double-shotted guns; here, there, and everywhere poured in musket-balls from sharpshooters, who, in their excitement, had ceased to take aim.
Spars fell from aloft, or crashed on either side as our balls tore them from their fastenings on the enemy’s ships; there were shouts of anger, cries of pain, moans and imprecations, while over all could be heard the crackle of musketry and the roar of heavy guns that was like to burst one’s ear-drums.
It was no longer war, but had become a fever of death, wherein each man strove to kill, and regarded not his own life.
I would that some worthier hand could set down clearly the varied and rapidly-passing sensations which floated through my brain, for then might it be possible to describe to another what one experiences at such a time.
As for myself, I no longer thought of country or of the enemy. There was simply an intense desire to kill; an eagerness to see blood flow—for the time being we were become as brutes.
I know, because of having been told at a later day, that we passed straight through the British line; broke it, and, ranging ahead on the other side, rounded to, pouring great broadsides of hot iron into theDetroitand theQueen Charlotte, which vessels had fouled each other and were lying at our mercy.
I have since read the following description of what we did when I was no longer capable of seeing, or,seeing, was so overcome by feverish excitement as not to be conscious of that which lay fair before my eyes:[5]—
“Ranging ahead of the vessels on the starboard, Perry rounded to and raked theDetroitandQueen Charlotte. Close and deadly was his fire upon them with great guns and musketry. Meanwhile theLawrence, having drifted out of her place in the line, her position against theDetroitwas taken by theCaledonia; the latter’s place in line, as opposed to theHunter, was occupied by theTrippe, the two vessels being commanded by Captain Turner and Lieutenant Holdup. These gallant young officers had exchanged signals to board theDetroitwhen they saw theNiagarawith the commodore’s pennant bearing down to break the British line. Turner followed closely with theCaledonia; but the freshening breeze having brought up theSomersunder Mr. Almy, theTigress, under Lieutenant Concklin, and thePorcupine, under Acting-Master Senat, the whole American squadron, excepting theLawrence, was for the first time engaged in the conflict. The fight was terrible for a few minutes, and the combatants were completely enveloped in smoke.”
How long we were engaged after all the ships,save the poor woundedLawrence, were brought into the conflict, I cannot say; so far as my own knowledge is concerned, it might have been five minutes, or as many hours, for I ceased to exist as a distinct human being; but had become simply a fraction, wherein the whole was the crew of theNiagara.
It so chanced that when the cloud of smoke lifted so that we might be able to distinguish objects at a distance, Alec Perry was standing by my side, having come forward with some order for his brother, and at that instant the British flag-ship, theDetroit, was lying plainly within our range of vision.
“We have at least givenhera lesson!” Alec said, pointing to the shattered spars and fragments of rigging that had been cut by our shot, and even as we looked the British ensign was lowered from the masthead, fluttering in the breeze as it came nearer and nearer the deck, until I distinctly saw one of the seamen gather it up in his arms.
During an instant the full significance of this act escaped me. I stood, with my arm linked in Alec’s, wondering what it all meant, when a great cheer rose from round about us, echoed by the crews of all the other vessels near at hand.
Then we knew that theDetroit, like theLawrence, was out of the fight.
“We have whipped one of them!” Alec cried in glee, clapping his blood-stained hands childishly. “Commodore Barclay’s ship has given up the fight, and now we shall see if he has pluck enough to transfer his flag in the heat of battle, as did my brother!”
At that instant, and when the crew of every gun was working with feverish haste to reload that they might take advantage of this first sign of submission, there came from the quarterdeck the command, loud, triumphant, and cheery:—
“Hold your fire, lads! The enemy is whipped!”
I wondered that our commodore could be so sanguine, for it seemed to me the Britishers would not admit themselves beaten until every craft was disabled; but, involuntarily glancing toward the right, I saw the cross ofSt.George being lowered from the masthead of theQueen Charlotte, and almost before I could call Alec’s attention to the fact, every vessel in all that squadron, excepting theLittle Beltand theChippewa, were showing the same signs of submission.
It seemed incredible that we should have won the fight after having suffered such loss as had been inflicted upon theLawrence.
It was impossible for the moment to believe thatthis British squadron, whose commander had claimed he need only “come out and show himself in order to send the Yankees to their knees,” had surrendered to a force much smaller than his own, and without discipline!
Even when I could realize that we had earned the victory,—bought it by the blood of those brave fellows whom I had seen lying in the cockpit of theLawrence,—it was difficult to understand, even though we had fought so valiantly, how it all came about.
We were the victors in the first naval engagement fought on the lakes.
Commodore Perry had earned for himself that fame and that glory which his brother predicted, and I was his brother’s friend.
Alec, delirious with joy, flung his arms around my neck as one British ensign after another fluttered down from its masthead, and we two danced here and there over the blood-stained deck, unconscious almost, that we were making such an exhibition of ourselves, until we saw the sailors—old men bleeding from wounds that needed a surgeon’s attention—hugging each other around the waist as they swung to and fro, cheering and yelling as if it were not possible to show their happiness save by movement and by noise.
The battle was ended, and Commodore Perry, Alec’sbrother, was the one hero, to my eyes, among all who had proven their valor since the war began.
Here it is that my poor attempt at describing what befell my comrade and I while we served with Perry on Lake Erie, must come to an end, for the tale is done.
After a certain time I returned to my home at Presque Isle, and Alec accompanied his brother on what was little less than a triumphal tour to Washington.
Perhaps it is well to gather up the scattered threads of the story by explaining, what is most likely known to every one who shall chance to read these lines, that before sunset theLittle Beltand theChippewawere captured by theScorpionand theTrippe, and brought to an anchor under the stern of theLawrence.
It was hardly more than half an hour from the time our commodore left the flag-ship, and the dying men in the cockpit were sorrowing because of what seemed defeat, when he went on board again.
There, among all the evidences of what had well-nigh been a disaster, he received the swords of the Britishers who had been worsted in a fair fight wherein the odds were in their favor.
TheLawrencehad lowered her flag; but so hot had been the engagement immediately afterward that theenemy did not have an opportunity to take possession of her, and when we returned, for I accompanied Alec and our commodore, it was the same as if she had never submitted.
I have heard it said that never before had an American fleet or squadron encountered the enemy in regular line of battle, and never before, since England possessed a navy, had a whole British fleet been captured.
Even before we returned to our flag-ship, the commodore wrote on the back of an old letter this message to General Harrison, and sent it at once by special messenger:—
“We have met the enemy, and they are ours: Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.“Yours with great respect and esteem,“O. H. Perry.”
“We have met the enemy, and they are ours: Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.
“Yours with great respect and esteem,
“O. H. Perry.”
[By the Editor.] It seems fitting that Master Dobbins’s story should be concluded with the following extract from the “War of 1812,” written by that eminent historian, Benson J. Lossing:—
“Then the ceremony of taking possession of the conquered vessels, and receiving the formal submission of the vanquished, was performed. Perry gave the signal to anchor, and started for his battered flag-ship, determined, on her deck, and in the presenceof her surviving officers and crew, to receive the commanders of the captured squadron. ‘It was a time of conflicting emotions,’ says Dr. Parsons, ‘when he stepped upon deck. The battle was won, and he was safe, but the deck was slippery with blood, and strewn with the bodies of twenty officers and men, seven of whom had sat at table with us at our last meal, and the ship resounded everywhere with the groans of the wounded. Those of us who were spared and able to walk, met him at the gangway to welcome him on board, but the salutation was a silent one on both sides; not a word could find utterance.’
“The next movement in the solemn drama was the reception of the British officers, one from each of the captured vessels. Perry stood on the after-part of the deck, and his sad visitors were compelled to pick their way to him among the slain. He received them with solemn dignity and unaffected kindness. As they presented their swords, with the hilts toward the victor, he spoke in a low but firm tone, without the betrayal of the least exultation, and requested them to retain their weapons....
“Vessels of both squadrons were dreadfully shattered, especially the two flag-ships. Sixty-eight persons had been killed and one hundred and ninetywounded during the three hours that the battle lasted. Of these, the Americans lost one hundred and twenty-three, twenty-seven of whom were killed. Barclay, of theDetroit, the British commander, who had lost an arm at Trafalgar, was first wounded in the thigh, and then so severely injured in the shoulder as to deprive him of the use of the other arm. Finnis, of theQueen Charlotte, the second in command, was mortally wounded, and died that evening....
“Perry’s victory proved to be one of the most important events of the war. At that moment two armies, one on the north and the other on the south of the warring squadrons, were waiting for the result most anxiously. Should the victory remain with the British, Proctor and Tecumtha[6]were ready at Malden, with their motley army five thousand strong, to rush forward and lay waste the entire country. Should the victory rest with the Americans, Harrison, with his army in the vicinity of Sandusky bay, was prepared to press forward by land or water for the seizure of Malden and Detroit, the recovery of Michigan, and the invasion of Canada.
“All along the borders of the lake within sound of the cannon in the battle (and they were heard from Cleveland to Malden), women with terrified children,and decrepit old men, sat listening with the deepest anxiety; for they knew not but with the setting sun they would be compelled to flee to the interior to escape the fangs of the red bloodhounds who were ready to be let loose upon helpless innocency by the approved servants of the government that boasted of its civilization and Christianity. Happily for America—happily for the fair fame of Great Britain—happily for the cause of humanity—the victory was left with the Americans, and the savage allies of the British were not allowed to repeat the tragedies in which they had already been permitted to engage....
“That victory led to the destruction of the Indian confederacy, and wiped out the stigma of the surrender at Detroit thirteen months before. It opened the way for Harrison’s army to repossess the territory then surrendered, and to penetrate Canada. It was speedily followed by the overthrow of British power in the Canadian peninsula, and the country bordering on the upper lakes, and the absolute security forever of the whole northwestern frontier from British invasion and Indian depredations.”
FOOTNOTES:[5]Lossing’s “War of 1812.”[6]Tecumseh [Ed.].
[5]Lossing’s “War of 1812.”
[5]Lossing’s “War of 1812.”
[6]Tecumseh [Ed.].
[6]Tecumseh [Ed.].
THE END.