Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was a United States Navy officer born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He was part of the Perry family, a group of well-known naval officers. Perry was the son of Sarah Wallace Alexander and Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, and the older brother of Commodore Matthew C. Perry.

Perry served in the West Indies during the Quasi War with France from 1798 to 1800, in the Mediterranean during the Barbary Wars from 1801 to 1815, and in the Caribbean to fight piracy and the slave trade. He is most famous for his role in the War of 1812 during the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie. During the war against Britain, Perry helped build a fleet in Erie, Pennsylvania. He earned the title "Hero of Lake Erie" for leading American forces to a major naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie. He received a Congressional Gold Medal and was thanked by Congress for his service.

His leadership helped ensure the success of all nine military victories on Lake Erie during the war. This victory was a key turning point in the western battles of the war. Perry is remembered for the words on his battle flag, "DONT [sic] GIVE UP THE SHIP," which honored the final command of his colleague, Captain James Lawrence of the USS Chesapeake. He is also known for sending a message to General William Henry Harrison that said, "We have met the enemy and they are ours."

Perry had a long and bitter disagreement with Captain Jesse Elliott, the commander of the USS Niagara, over their actions during the Battle of Lake Erie. Both men faced official charges for their conduct. In 1815, Perry commanded the Java in the Mediterranean during the Second Barbary War. His career was so significant that he was widely celebrated in the press, with many books and articles written about him. He has been honored in many ways, including the naming of places, ships, and people in his memory.

Childhood and early life

Perry was the oldest of five sons born to Christopher and Sarah Wallace Perry (born as Alexander). As a young boy, Perry lived in Tower Hill, Rhode Island, where he sailed ships, preparing for his future job as an officer in the United States Navy. Perry came from a family with many members who served in the navy on both his mother’s and father’s sides. His mother taught Perry and his younger brothers to read and write. She also made sure they attended Trinity Episcopal Church regularly. Perry was baptized by Reverend William Smith on April 1, 1794, when he was nine years old. Reverend Theodore Dehon, who led the church from 1797 to 1810, had a big impact on Perry’s early life. Perry received his education in Newport, Rhode Island. His earliest ancestor in the Americas was Edward Perry, who moved from Devon, England, to Sandwich, Massachusetts, around 1650 with his wife, Mary Freeman.

Early naval career

Through his father's influence, Perry was appointed a midshipman in the United States Navy at the age of thirteen on April 7, 1799. Perry sailed aboard the USS General Greene, of which his father was the commanding officer, during the ship's first voyage in June 1799. The ship's first stop was in Cuba, where it was responsible for receiving American merchant ships and escorting them from Havana to the United States. Perry continued his service aboard General Greene during the Quasi-War with France. He first experienced combat on February 9, 1800, off the coast of the French colony of Haiti, which was in rebellion.

During the First Barbary War, Perry served aboard the USS Adams and later became the first lieutenant (second in command) of the USS Nautilus. He then served under Captain John Rodgers on the USS Constitution and the USS Essex. Perry was assigned to oversee the construction of gunboats in Newport and Westerly, Rhode Island.

Beginning in April 1809, Perry commanded the sloop USS Revenge, performing patrol duties to enforce the Embargo Act. He also led a successful raid to recover an American ship held in Spanish territory in Florida. On January 9, 1811, the Revenge ran aground off Rhode Island and sank. Seeing that he could not save the vessel, Perry focused on helping the crew escape. He assisted them down ropes over the ship's stern and was the last to leave. A court-martial later cleared Perry of blame, attributing the wreck to the ship's pilot. In January 2011, divers claimed to have discovered the remains of the Revenge nearly 200 years after it sank. Cannons from the Revenge were recovered by the U.S. Navy in 2017.

After the court-martial, Perry took a leave of absence from the Navy. On May 5, 1811, he married Elizabeth Champlin Mason of Newport, Rhode Island, whom he had met at a dance in 1807. The couple enjoyed a long honeymoon touring New England. They eventually had five children, one of whom died in infancy.

War of 1812

At the start of the War of 1812, the British Royal Navy controlled the Great Lakes, except for Lake Huron. The United States Navy controlled Lake Champlain. American naval forces were small, which allowed the British to make many advances in the Great Lakes and northern New York waterways. The work of commanders like Perry at Lake Erie, Isaac Chauncey at Lake Ontario, and Thomas Macdonough at Lake Champlain was very important to the naval effort.

Naval historian E. B. Potter said that "all naval officers of the day made a special study of Nelson's battles." Oliver Perry was no exception. At his request, he was given command of the American naval forces on Lake Erie during the war. Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton had asked prominent merchant seaman Daniel Dobbins to build the American fleet on Presque Isle Bay at Erie, Pennsylvania, and Perry was named chief naval officer.

Perry knew battle was coming, and he "consciously followed Nelson's example in describing his battle plans to his captains." Perry's instructions were:

— Oliver H. Perry, General Order, USS Lawrence

On September 10, 1813, Perry's squadron fought the Battle of Lake Erie against a smaller Royal Navy squadron. At the start of the battle, Perry said, "If a victory is to be gained, I will gain it." At first, the British had the advantage in gunfire. Perry's flagship, USS Lawrence, was badly damaged, and the British commander, Robert Heriot Barclay, thought Perry would surrender. He sent a boat to ask the American ship to lower its flag.

Perry followed the message on his battle flag, "DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP," a phrase from the dying words of Captain James Lawrence, the ship's namesake and Perry's friend. With Lawrence's chaplain and purser as the only able crew, Perry personally fired the last shot. He then had his men row him half a mile through heavy gunfire to transfer his command to USS Niagara. Once aboard, Perry sent Niagara's commander, Captain Jesse Elliott, to bring the other ships closer to the fight while he steered Niagara toward the damaged British ships. Like Nelson's Victory at Trafalgar, Niagara broke the opposing line.

Perry's forces attacked until the British ships surrendered. Although Perry won the battle aboard Niagara, he received the surrender on the deck of the recaptured Lawrence to show the cost his men had paid. Perry's report to General William Henry Harrison was short: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." The six captured ships were brought back to Presque Isle.

Although the battle was small compared to other naval battles like the Battle of Trafalgar, it had a major impact. It opened Canada to more American attacks while protecting the Ohio Valley. The loss of Barclay's squadron led to the Battle of the Thames, where General Harrison defeated British and Indian forces, killing Tecumseh and Roundhead and breaking their alliance. Along with the Battle of Plattsburgh, it was one of only two battles in the war where an entire squadron was defeated.

Perry took part in nine battles before and after the Battle of Lake Erie, and all of them were important. His physical leadership and smart strategies helped win all nine victories.

"Don't give up the ship!" became Perry's battle cry. The phrase was said by Captain James Lawrence as he died after being wounded aboard the Chesapeake on June 1, 1813. Perry learned of Lawrence's death at Presque Isle and honored him by naming a brig after him. A battle flag was needed, and the words of Perry's friend were perfect for the coming days.

Margaret Forster Steuart made the battle flag. She lived in Erie, Pennsylvania, was married to Army Captain Thomas Steuart, and was the sister of Thomas Forster, both friends of Perry. Forster led the Erie Light Infantry that guarded the fleet. With help from her daughters, nieces, and a cousin, she finished the flag in just a few days. As of July 2009, the flag is displayed in Bancroft Hall's Memorial Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

While Nelson had Collingwood, Perry had Jesse Elliott, and Elliott was not as well supported. Elliott, who had served with Isaac Chauncey at Lake Ontario, was sent to help Perry's squadron with 11 officers and 91 men, but "none were sent but the worst." Elliott later said he would have chosen better men if he had known he would be sent to Lake Erie. He took the "best of the worst" for Niagara, and Perry accepted the situation to keep peace, though he grew unhappy.

In his first report, Perry praised Elliott's role in the victory. As news of the battle spread, both Perry and Elliott became national heroes. Soon after, however, some junior officers criticized Elliott for letting Lawrence take the brunt of the British fire while holding Niagara back. William Vigneron Taylor, Perry's sailing master, wrote in a letter to his wife:

— William Taylor, September 15, 1813

Perry and Elliott met briefly on the deck of Niagara. Elliott asked how the day was going. Perry replied, "Badly." Elliott offered to take Perry's boat to rally the other ships, and Perry agreed. As Perry turned Niagara into the battle, Elliott was not aboard. Elliott later said that the problem was a lack of clear signals. Charges were made, but no official action was taken. Elliott and his supporters tried to restore his reputation, but their efforts lasted 30 years and ultimately hurt his reputation.

In his report to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, written three days after the battle, Perry mentioned Elliott in what seemed like praise, but the words showed his dislike for Elliott. Perry wrote, "In this action he evinced his characteristic bravery and judgment; and, since the close of the action, has given me the most able and essential assistance."

On January 6, 1814, Perry was honored with a Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress, and a promotion to the rank of Captain. This was one of 27 Gold Medals given by Congress for the War of 1812.

• Obverse – bust of Perry facing right surrounded by Oliverus H. Perry Princeps Stagno Eriense. ~ Classam Totam Contudit.
• Reverse depicts a sea battle scene with inscriptions: Viam Invenit Virtus Aut Facit Inter Class. Ameri. Et Brit Die X. Sep. MDCCCXIII

Elliott was also given a Congressional Gold Medal and the Thanks of Congress for his actions. This recognition made the disagreement between Elliott and Perry even more noticeable.

In recognition of his victory at Lake Erie, Perry was elected as an honorary member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati in 1813.

• The front of the Perry medal
• The back of the Perry medal

Later commands and controversies

In May 1814, Perry became the leader of a group of seven gunboats stationed in Newport. He held this position for two months before being assigned in July to command the USS Java, a 44-gun frigate being built in Baltimore. While preparing Java for service, Perry helped defend Baltimore and Washington, D.C., during the British attack on the Chesapeake Bay. Interestingly, these land battles were the final times Perry, a naval officer, experienced combat. Before Java could sail, the Treaty of Ghent was officially approved, ending the war.

After the war, Perry faced challenges. In 1815, he led Java in the Mediterranean during the Second Barbary War. While anchored in Naples, Perry struck Captain John Heath, the ship’s Marine commander, for "disrespectful, insolent, and contemptuous conduct toward his superior officer." A court-martial found both men guilty but imposed only minor reprimands. Later, Heath challenged Perry to a pistol duel on October 19, 1817, on the same field in Weehawken, New Jersey, where Aaron Burr had killed Alexander Hamilton. Heath fired first and missed. Perry did not return fire, which satisfied Heath’s sense of honor.

Perry’s return from the Mediterranean reignited his conflict with Elliott. After exchanging angry letters, Elliott challenged Perry to a duel, which Perry refused. At the time, refusing a duel was usually seen as cowardly, but Perry’s reputation meant few believed he had wronged Elliott’s honor. Instead, on August 8, 1818, Perry formally charged Elliott with six offenses and 21 details, including "conduct unbecoming an officer" and failing to "do his utmost to take or destroy the vessel of the enemy."

To avoid a scandal involving two respected naval officers, Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson and President James Monroe resolved the issue by offering Perry a diplomatic assignment to South America in exchange for dropping his charges. This officially ended the controversy, though debates about it continued for 25 years.

Mission to Venezuela and death

In 1818, Perry bought a large house on Washington Square in Newport. The house was built in 1750 for merchant Peter Buloid. The Perry family owned the house until 1865. Today, the house is an antique bookstore.

In 1819, Perry traveled to the Orinoco River in Venezuela aboard the frigate John Adams. He sailed with the frigate Constellation and the schooner USS Nonsuch. Perry arrived on July 15 to stop piracy while keeping friendly relations with the Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Buenos Aires. Because the USS Nonsuch could sail in shallow water, Perry moved his command to that ship. He traveled upriver to Angostura to negotiate an anti-piracy agreement with President Simón Bolívar. A treaty was signed on August 11 with Vice President Francisco Antonio Zea, as Bolívar was not present (he was fighting in New Granada). However, when the schooner returned downriver, many crew members, including Perry, became sick with yellow fever.

Despite efforts to reach Trinidad for medical help, Perry died on August 23, 1819, near the Port of Spain. He was buried there.

In 1826, Perry’s remains were brought back to the United States and buried in Newport, Rhode Island. He was first buried in the Old Common Burial Ground. Later, his body was moved to Newport’s Island Cemetery.

Perry Street in Savannah, Georgia, is named in his honor.

Family

Perry married Elizabeth Champlin Mason in 1811. They had five children, four of whom lived to adulthood. Their children were:

• Christopher Grant Champlin Perry (1812–1854), a doctor and Brigadier General who married Muriel Frances Sergeant from Philadelphia, who was a great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin. Their daughter, Margaret Mason Perry, married the artist John LaFarge.
• Oliver Hazard Perry II (1813–1814), who died when he was very young.
• Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr. (1815–1878), a Navy lieutenant who married Elizabeth Ann Randolph. After her death in 1847, he married Mary Ann Moseley.
• Christopher Raymond Perry (1816–1848), a First Lieutenant who died without marrying.
• Elizabeth Mason Perry (1819–1878), who married Reverend Francis Vinton, the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Newport, as his second wife.

Perry’s son, Christopher Grant Champlin Perry, was a doctor and served as commander of the Artillery Company of Newport from April 1848 until his death in 1854. In May 1849, he was named a Brigadier General in the Rhode Island Militia and given command of the 1st Brigade covering Newport and Bristol Counties.

Perry’s son, Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr., joined the Navy as a midshipman in 1829, became a lieutenant, and resigned in 1849. He worked on the United States Exploring Expedition under Captain Charles Wilkes from 1839 to 1842. He is buried in the same cemetery as his parents, but not in the same plot.

Perry’s son, Christopher Raymond Perry, graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1842. He served during the Mexican War and fought in the Battle of Palo Alto on May 8, 1846, and the Battle of Resaca-de-la-Palma on May 9, 1846. He died on active duty as a First Lieutenant in 1848.

Dates of rank

• Midshipman – April 7, 1799
• Lieutenant – January 15, 1807
• Master Commandant – August 28, 1812
• Captain – September 10, 1813

Although Perry is often called "Commodore Perry," it is important to know that before the American Civil War, commodore was not an official rank in the U.S. Navy. Instead, it was a title for an officer who led a group of two or more ships. Perry was given the title of commodore in 1813 when he became the leader of the Lake Erie squadron.

Assignments

• Midshipman on the USS General Greene – April 1799 to May 1801
• Acting Lieutenant on the USS Adams – June 1802 to November 1803
• Second Lieutenant on the USS Constellation – May 1804 to July 1805
• First Lieutenant on the USS Nautilus – July 1805 to December 1805
• Acting Lieutenant on the USS Constitution – December 1805 to approximately July 1806
• Second Lieutenant on the USS Essex – approximately July 1806 to approximately October 1806
• Officer in Charge of Gunboat Construction in Newport and Westerly, RI – October 1806 to April 1809
• Commanding Officer of the USS Revenge – April 1809 to January 1811
• Commanding Officer of the Gunboat Squadron in Newport, RI – approximately 1811 to January 1813
• Commanding Officer of the Lake Erie Squadron – March 1813 to approximately October 1813
• Commanding Officer of the Gunboat Squadron in Newport, RI – May 1814 to July 1814
• Commanding Officer of the USS Java (under construction) – July 1814 to August 1815
• Commanding Officer of the USS Java (in commission) – August 1815 to approximately May 1817
• Senior Naval Officer in Newport, RI – approximately May 1817 to May 1819
• Commanding Officer of the Venezuelan Diplomatic Mission – June 1819 to August 1819 (deceased)

Note – Time gaps between assignments were likely due to waiting for orders.

Geographical namesakes

Many places in the United States are named after Oliver Hazard Perry, including:

• Oliver Hazard Perry School, Boston, Massachusetts
• Perry Traditional Academy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Perrysville Avenue (Old Rt. 19 connection), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Perry North (Observatory Hill) and Perry South (Perry Hilltop) neighborhoods on the Northside section in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary School, Cleveland, Ohio
• Perry Elementary School, Erie, Pennsylvania
• P.S. 34 Oliver H. Perry Elementary School, Brooklyn, New York
• Commodore Perry School District, including Perry Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
• Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School, Providence, Rhode Island
• Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary School, San Diego, California
• Training Ship Oliver Hazard Perry, Newport, Rhode Island
• All ten Perry counties in the United States
• Perryville and Perry County, Missouri
• The hamlet of Perrysburg and the surrounding township; and the Village of Perry, New York, and the surrounding township
• The city of Perry, Michigan, in Perry Township
• The city of Perry, Georgia
• The town of Perry, Maine
• The village of Perry, Illinois
• The cities of Perrysburg, Perrysville, North Perry, and Perry; Perrysburg Township; and Perry County, Ohio
• The unincorporated hamlet of South Perry in Perry Township, Hocking County, Ohio
• Perry Township, between Canton and Massillon in Stark County, Ohio. The local high school is also named in his honor.
• The borough of Perryopolis and Oliver Township within Perry County; and Oliver Township and Perry Township in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania
• The village of Perryville in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The portion of U.S. Route 1 near Perryville is named the Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Highway. Perry Street in Newport is also named after him.
• The City of Hazard in Perry County, Kentucky
• Perry County, Tennessee
• Perry Street, New York
• Fort Perry in Box Springs, Georgia
• Commodore Downs Thoroughbred race track in Fairview Township on the western edge of Erie, Pennsylvania (1973–1983)
• The Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland
• An eastbound service plaza along the Ohio Turnpike named the Commodore Perry Service Plaza, located in Sandusky County, Ohio
• Perry Square in Erie, Pennsylvania

Monuments

The national monument honoring Oliver Hazard Perry is called the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. It is located in the village of Put-In-Bay, Ohio, on South Bass Island. The monument has a 352-foot (107-meter) tower, the largest Doric column in the world, built by a group from several states between 1912 and 1915.

Other monuments include:

• A memorial plaque at Trinity Episcopal Church in Newport, Rhode Island, dedicated by Perry's wife on August 23, 1855, the 36th anniversary of his death.
• The Perry Monument in Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio, featuring a statue by William Walcutt, dedicated on September 10, 1860, the 47th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. Walcutt's marble statue was replaced with a bronze copy in 1929. The monument was moved to Fort Huntington Park in 1991. Walcutt's original marble statue is on long-term loan to the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.
• A statue titled Oliver Hazard Perry by William Greene Turner, located in Eisenhower Park, Newport, Rhode Island, dedicated on September 10, 1885, the 72nd anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie.
• A statue titled Oliver Hazard Perry by Charles Henry Niehaus, located in Front Park, Buffalo, New York, dedicated on September 25, 1916.
• The Perry Monument in Perry Square, Erie, Pennsylvania, designed by Paul Philippe Cret in 1925, featuring a bronze copy of William Greene Turner's 1885 statue.
• The Oliver Hazard Perry Memorial Gateway in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, dedicated in April 1925. Captain Henry E. Lackey, a U.S. Navy representative, arrived on the newly commissioned light cruiser USS Memphis (CL-13) for the dedication.
• The Perry Monument at Misery Bay, Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania, dedicated in 1926.
• A bronze copy of William Walcutt's 1860 statue of Perry, located on the south front of the Rhode Island State House in Providence, Rhode Island, dedicated in 1928.
• The Perry Monument in Perrysburg, Ohio, dedicated in 1997, featuring a bronze copy of William Walcutt's 1860 statue.
• The reverse of the 2013 "Perry's Victory" quarter shows William Walcutt's 1860 statue of Perry with the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial in the background.
• The family farm in South Kingstown, where Perry was likely born and later built a house, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
• A large portrait of Commodore Perry hangs in the Executive Chamber of the Rhode Island State House.

Additional monuments:
• Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (1912–1915), Put-In-Bay, Ohio, on South Bass Island.
• Oliver Hazard Perry (1860), by William Walcutt, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.
• Oliver Hazard Perry (1885), by William Greene Turner, Newport, Rhode Island.
• Perry Monument (1926), Presque Isle, Erie, Pennsylvania.
• Perry statue (1928), Rhode Island State House.

Paintings

• "Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry" (1818–1828) by Gilbert Stuart and Jane Stuart, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio
• "Perry's Victory on Lake Erie" (1865) by William Henry Powell, in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio. Dimensions: 12 feet × 16 feet (3.7 meters × 4.9 meters).
• "Battle of Lake Erie" (1873) by William Henry Powell, United States Capitol, Washington D.C. Dimensions: 16.76 feet × 26.63 feet (5.11 meters × 8.12 meters).
• "Portrait of Oliver Hazard Perry" (1900) by Gari Melchers, located in the Executive Chamber of the Rhode Island State House.
• "Battle of Lake Erie" (around 1911) by Edward Percy Moran.
• "Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813" (1959) by Charles Robert Patterson and Howard B. French, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.

Documentary

In 2016, filming for We Have Met the Enemy, a full-length documentary, began. The film was produced by Lou Reda, who previously worked on projects such as Vietnam in HD and The Blue and the Gray. It was intended for release in the spring of 2017.

Eponymous ships

Commodore Perry has been honored many times with ships named after him.

• USS Perry (1843) – a sailing ship that served from 1843 to 1865
• USS Commodore Perry (1859) – a type of ship with wheels that turned as it moved, built in 1859 by Stack and Joyce in Williamsburg, New York. The Navy bought it on October 2, 1861, and it was later put into service with Acting Master F. J. Thomas in charge
• USS Perry (DD-11) – a Bainbridge-class destroyer that served from 1900 to 1919
• USS Perry (DD-340) – a Clemson-class destroyer that was changed into a fast ship for clearing mines. It was renamed DMS–17 on November 19, 1940, and served from 1921 to 1944. It sank during the Battle of Peleliu
• SS Oliver Hazard Perry – a Liberty ship. See List of Liberty ships (M–R) for more details
• USS Perry (DD-844) – a Gearing-class destroyer that served from 1945 to 1970
• USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) – a guided-missile frigate that served from 1976 to 1997. This ship and others in the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates were named in his honor. The Navy built 51 of these frigates. The first one started service in 1977, and the last one was put into storage in 2015. See also USS Perry
• SSV Oliver Hazard Perry – a tall ship used for education by the Rhode Island Educational Foundation

Popular song

In the year 1820, Anthony Philip Heinrich composed a song titled "Ode to the Memory of Commodore O. H. Perry." The lyrics for this song were written by Henry C. Lewis.