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Pat,
It's far from Erie, PA but very close to the actual battle site on Lake Erie.
I didn't have a camera. I tried my cell phone and the picture came out terrible. It was a quick in and out for me. I suggest calling the NPS site at Put-in-Bay, where the monument is located, for more info.
Happy Labor Day!
Respectfully,
Mike Peters
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: "Kith-n-KIn" <Kith-n-Kin(a)cox.net>
Sender: clay-bounces(a)rootsweb.com
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2013 09:01:12
To: <npeters102(a)aol.com>; <clay(a)rootsweb.com>
Reply-To: clay(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [CLAY] John Clay
Wow, Mike, that's far away from Erie! Very interesting.
Any chance you have a photo of the memorial with the name that you could
share?
Pat
From: Mike Peters [mailto:npeters102@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 5:08 PM
To: Kith-n-KIn; clay(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [CLAY] John Clay
Pat,
Much obliged! The name of John Clay is on the inside of the Perry's Victory
and International Peace Memorial, located on Lake Erie's South Bass Island.
Clay is listed among the names of men wounded or killed during the Lake Erie
Campaign. Forgive me, it was the Niagara list. I am also searching for
another with the surname of Peters who was on the Lawrence. Thus the
confusion.
Respectfully,
Mike Peters
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
_____
From: "Kith-n-KIn" <Kith-n-Kin(a)cox.net <mailto:Kith-n-Kin@cox.net> >
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2013 13:21:52 -0700
To: <npeters102(a)aol.com <mailto:npeters102@aol.com> >; <clay(a)rootsweb.com
<mailto:clay@rootsweb.com> >
Subject: RE: [CLAY] John Clay
Mike
Have you seen this from Fold3?
There is a four page record of one John Clay in the War of 1812 Service
Records for Lake Erie.
To summarize:
He was a seaman.
At one point he was on the Niagara (?) (that's the way it is listed. No date
on the roll (roster). He is number 199 on the ship's list.
Commenced service 26 Feb 1814, expired service 26 May 1814. Note that these
are both after the battle of Lake Erie.
Remarks:
"Although Mast. Commandant J. D. Elliott, second in command of Lake Erie
Squadron in 1813 is not entered on the roll, it is quite evident that it is
the Niagara. Purser Magrath shot himself July 11/14. last pay roll made out
by him with corrections by E. Salomon." (so, that explains the (?) in the
notation about the name of the ship.
Seaman John Clay is listed as entering (service?) Aug 7, 1812.
Another entry, dated 10 Apr 1815, lists that he was on board May 27, 1814,
without a ship's name, notes that he was taken prisoner in the Tigress and
returned. He was paid to 28 Dec 1814.
Those are the only records I find of any Clay at Fold3. Nothing about the
Lawrence, nothing about being killed.
However, here is an interesting bit:
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/navalbattles1800s/p/lakeerie.htm
"While diligently overseeing the construction of the two brigs, named USS
Lawrence and USS Niagara, Perry traveled to Lake Ontario in May 1813, to
secure additional seamen from Commodore Isaac Chauncey."
and
"American casualties in the battle were 27 dead and 96 wounded. British
losses numbered 41 dead, 93 wounded, and 306 captured."
The Lawrence was abandoned, and the crew transferred (except for three,
perhaps?) to the Niagara.
Here's an interesting, and short, description of the happenings on that day:
History of the Battle of Lake Erie, from:
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Painting_33_00008.htm
"We have met the enemy and they are ours-two ships, two brigs, one schooner
and a sloop." With this simple victory message to General William Henry
Harrison, commander of the U.S. forces in the Northwest Territory, Commodore
Oliver Hazard Perry announced his defeat of the British fleet at the Battle
of Lake Erie. This battle, one of the most unusual in American naval
history, ensured American control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812
and secured the country's tenuous hold on the Northwest.
Commodore Perry's victory was quickly enshrined as one of the heroic
military events of the early American Republic. The famous engagement on
September 10, 1813, was initiated by Perry's flagship Lawrence , named after
James Lawrence, the commander of the recently captured Chesapeake .
Lawrence's dying words, "Don't give up the ship," inspired the nation and
Perry. Those words were stitched onto Perry's battle flag, which flew over
the Lawrence . As the battle began, Perry placed the Lawrence at the head of
his fleet. The Caledonia and the Niagara , as well as six other ships of
various sizes, fell in behind. For reasons that have never been determined,
the faster Niagara remained behind the slower Caledonia , and the Lawrence
sailed into the battle virtually unsupported. Perry was then forced to fight
the entire British fleet with only the Lawrence .
After an intense bombardment of two and a half hours, the Lawrence fought
the British fleet to a standstill, though the ship itself was severely
damaged and four-fifths of its crew were killed or wounded. In a daring
move, Commodore Perry abandoned his shattered ship and climbed into a
rowboat with four crewmen. He took with him his battle flag, which he draped
over his shoulders. The boat set out for the brig Niagara , braving heavy
gunfire. Perry boarded the ship, took command, and turned the Niagara
directly toward the British ships. The encounter was confusing and bloody,
but brief. The damaged British flagship Detroit attempted to swing around,
and its rigging became entangled with that of the Queen Charlotte ,
rendering both ships helpless against the onslaught from the Niagara . In
short order, the smaller British ships also succumbed, and a mere 15 minutes
after boarding, Perry had achieved an extraordinary victory. With it the
British supply line to the Western frontier was severed, and within the
month the British and their Indian allies were decisively defeated.
I'm curious about the source of the information that this John Clay served
on the Lawrence, and that he was killed or wounded in the battle.
I've been unable to find any complete muster rolls.
It would be very interesting to know where he came from, and what happened
to him. If we had the complete muster, we could possibly locate the "homes"
of some of the seamen.
By the way, the Tigress was an American Schooner. Not sure why this John
Clay was "taken prisoner in the Tigress and returned."
Hope this helps.
Pat Dunford
| -----Original Message-----
| From: clay-bounces(a)rootsweb.com <mailto:clay-bounces@rootsweb.com>
[mailto:clay-bounces@rootsweb.com] On
| Behalf Of Mike Peters
| Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 8:47 AM
| To: clay(a)rootsweb.com <mailto:clay@rootsweb.com>
| Subject: [CLAY] John Clay
|
| Looking for info on a John Clay who served in the War of 1812. Don't know
| specifically in what capacity, but he was killed or wounded at the Battle
of Lake
| Erie in September of 1813. Was on the ship Lawrence.
|
| Thank you for your time and consideration.
|
| Respectfully,
|
| Mike Peters
| Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
|
| -------------------------------
| To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
<mailto:CLAY-request@rootsweb.com> CLAY-
<mailto:CLAY-request@rootsweb.com> | request(a)rootsweb.com with the word
'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the
| subject and the body of the message
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CLAY-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Mike
Just did a bit more checking, found a book called, *The Perry's Victory
Centenary* a Report of the Perry's Centennial Commission, State of New York.
Compiled by George D Emerson, Secretary, printed by J B Lyon Company, 1916.
On page 248, listed under "Wounded Brig Lawrence" is John Clay, Seaman. He
is not listed among the wounded on Brig Niagara.
Your Nelson Peters is listed as killed on the Brig Lawrence, September 10,
1813 (p 247).
P 246 notes that "The following names appear in the official report of the
killed and wounded in the battle of September 10th, 1813, submitted by
Commodore Perry, but not on the list files for payment of prize money."
Nelson Peters is listed here as well, but John Clay is not listed here. On
page 233 Clay is shown on the Muster Roll of the Fleet on the Brig Lawrence,
from the "Names on Report of Prize Money Agent."
This is a very interesting report, Perry's after action reports are very
interesting.
http://tinyurl.com/k2m27gj
Because you brought this up, I'm trying to find out more about this John
Clay. As editor of the *Pieces of Clay*, newsletter for the *Clay Family
Society*, I find it a good possibility for a commemorative article.
Pat
From: Mike Peters [mailto:npeters102@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 5:08 PM
To: Kith-n-KIn; clay(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [CLAY] John Clay
Pat,
Much obliged! The name of John Clay is on the inside of the Perry's Victory
and International Peace Memorial, located on Lake Erie's South Bass Island.
Clay is listed among the names of men wounded or killed during the Lake Erie
Campaign. Forgive me, it was the Niagara list. I am also searching for
another with the surname of Peters who was on the Lawrence. Thus the
confusion.
Respectfully,
Mike Peters
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
_____
From: "Kith-n-KIn" < <mailto:Kith-n-Kin@cox.net> Kith-n-Kin(a)cox.net>
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2013 13:21:52 -0700
To: < <mailto:npeters102@aol.com> npeters102(a)aol.com>; <
<mailto:clay@rootsweb.com> clay(a)rootsweb.com>
Subject: RE: [CLAY] John Clay
Mike
Have you seen this from Fold3?
There is a four page record of one John Clay in the War of 1812 Service
Records for Lake Erie.
To summarize:
He was a seaman.
At one point he was on the Niagara (?) (that's the way it is listed. No date
on the roll (roster). He is number 199 on the ship's list.
Commenced service 26 Feb 1814, expired service 26 May 1814. Note that these
are both after the battle of Lake Erie.
Remarks:
"Although Mast. Commandant J. D. Elliott, second in command of Lake Erie
Squadron in 1813 is not entered on the roll, it is quite evident that it is
the Niagara. Purser Magrath shot himself July 11/14. last pay roll made out
by him with corrections by E. Salomon." (so, that explains the (?) in the
notation about the name of the ship.
Seaman John Clay is listed as entering (service?) Aug 7, 1812.
Another entry, dated 10 Apr 1815, lists that he was on board May 27, 1814,
without a ship's name, notes that he was taken prisoner in the Tigress and
returned. He was paid to 28 Dec 1814.
Those are the only records I find of any Clay at Fold3. Nothing about the
Lawrence, nothing about being killed.
However, here is an interesting bit:
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/navalbattles1800s/p/lakeerie.htm
"While diligently overseeing the construction of the two brigs, named USS
Lawrence and USS Niagara, Perry traveled to Lake Ontario in May 1813, to
secure additional seamen from Commodore Isaac Chauncey."
and
"American casualties in the battle were 27 dead and 96 wounded. British
losses numbered 41 dead, 93 wounded, and 306 captured."
The Lawrence was abandoned, and the crew transferred (except for three,
perhaps?) to the Niagara.
Here's an interesting, and short, description of the happenings on that day:
History of the Battle of Lake Erie, from:
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Painting_33_00008.htm
"We have met the enemy and they are ours-two ships, two brigs, one schooner
and a sloop." With this simple victory message to General William Henry
Harrison, commander of the U.S. forces in the Northwest Territory, Commodore
Oliver Hazard Perry announced his defeat of the British fleet at the Battle
of Lake Erie. This battle, one of the most unusual in American naval
history, ensured American control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812
and secured the country's tenuous hold on the Northwest.
Commodore Perry's victory was quickly enshrined as one of the heroic
military events of the early American Republic. The famous engagement on
September 10, 1813, was initiated by Perry's flagship Lawrence , named after
James Lawrence, the commander of the recently captured Chesapeake .
Lawrence's dying words, "Don't give up the ship," inspired the nation and
Perry. Those words were stitched onto Perry's battle flag, which flew over
the Lawrence . As the battle began, Perry placed the Lawrence at the head of
his fleet. The Caledonia and the Niagara , as well as six other ships of
various sizes, fell in behind. For reasons that have never been determined,
the faster Niagara remained behind the slower Caledonia , and the Lawrence
sailed into the battle virtually unsupported. Perry was then forced to fight
the entire British fleet with only the Lawrence .
After an intense bombardment of two and a half hours, the Lawrence fought
the British fleet to a standstill, though the ship itself was severely
damaged and four-fifths of its crew were killed or wounded. In a daring
move, Commodore Perry abandoned his shattered ship and climbed into a
rowboat with four crewmen. He took with him his battle flag, which he draped
over his shoulders. The boat set out for the brig Niagara , braving heavy
gunfire. Perry boarded the ship, took command, and turned the Niagara
directly toward the British ships. The encounter was confusing and bloody,
but brief. The damaged British flagship Detroit attempted to swing around,
and its rigging became entangled with that of the Queen Charlotte ,
rendering both ships helpless against the onslaught from the Niagara . In
short order, the smaller British ships also succumbed, and a mere 15 minutes
after boarding, Perry had achieved an extraordinary victory. With it the
British supply line to the Western frontier was severed, and within the
month the British and their Indian allies were decisively defeated.
I'm curious about the source of the information that this John Clay served
on the Lawrence, and that he was killed or wounded in the battle.
I've been unable to find any complete muster rolls.
It would be very interesting to know where he came from, and what happened
to him. If we had the complete muster, we could possibly locate the "homes"
of some of the seamen.
By the way, the Tigress was an American Schooner. Not sure why this John
Clay was "taken prisoner in the Tigress and returned."
Hope this helps.
Pat Dunford
| -----Original Message-----
| From: clay-bounces(a)rootsweb.com <mailto:clay-bounces@rootsweb.com>
[mailto:clay-bounces@rootsweb.com] On
| Behalf Of Mike Peters
| Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 8:47 AM
| To: clay(a)rootsweb.com <mailto:clay@rootsweb.com>
| Subject: [CLAY] John Clay
|
| Looking for info on a John Clay who served in the War of 1812. Don't know
| specifically in what capacity, but he was killed or wounded at the Battle
of Lake
| Erie in September of 1813. Was on the ship Lawrence.
|
| Thank you for your time and consideration.
|
| Respectfully,
|
| Mike Peters
| Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
|
| -------------------------------
| To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
<mailto:CLAY-request@rootsweb.com> CLAY-
<mailto:CLAY-request@rootsweb.com> | request(a)rootsweb.com with the word
'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the
| subject and the body of the message
Wow, Mike, that's far away from Erie! Very interesting.
Any chance you have a photo of the memorial with the name that you could
share?
Pat
From: Mike Peters [mailto:npeters102@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 5:08 PM
To: Kith-n-KIn; clay(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [CLAY] John Clay
Pat,
Much obliged! The name of John Clay is on the inside of the Perry's Victory
and International Peace Memorial, located on Lake Erie's South Bass Island.
Clay is listed among the names of men wounded or killed during the Lake Erie
Campaign. Forgive me, it was the Niagara list. I am also searching for
another with the surname of Peters who was on the Lawrence. Thus the
confusion.
Respectfully,
Mike Peters
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
_____
From: "Kith-n-KIn" <Kith-n-Kin(a)cox.net <mailto:Kith-n-Kin@cox.net> >
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2013 13:21:52 -0700
To: <npeters102(a)aol.com <mailto:npeters102@aol.com> >; <clay(a)rootsweb.com
<mailto:clay@rootsweb.com> >
Subject: RE: [CLAY] John Clay
Mike
Have you seen this from Fold3?
There is a four page record of one John Clay in the War of 1812 Service
Records for Lake Erie.
To summarize:
He was a seaman.
At one point he was on the Niagara (?) (that's the way it is listed. No date
on the roll (roster). He is number 199 on the ship's list.
Commenced service 26 Feb 1814, expired service 26 May 1814. Note that these
are both after the battle of Lake Erie.
Remarks:
"Although Mast. Commandant J. D. Elliott, second in command of Lake Erie
Squadron in 1813 is not entered on the roll, it is quite evident that it is
the Niagara. Purser Magrath shot himself July 11/14. last pay roll made out
by him with corrections by E. Salomon." (so, that explains the (?) in the
notation about the name of the ship.
Seaman John Clay is listed as entering (service?) Aug 7, 1812.
Another entry, dated 10 Apr 1815, lists that he was on board May 27, 1814,
without a ship's name, notes that he was taken prisoner in the Tigress and
returned. He was paid to 28 Dec 1814.
Those are the only records I find of any Clay at Fold3. Nothing about the
Lawrence, nothing about being killed.
However, here is an interesting bit:
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/navalbattles1800s/p/lakeerie.htm
"While diligently overseeing the construction of the two brigs, named USS
Lawrence and USS Niagara, Perry traveled to Lake Ontario in May 1813, to
secure additional seamen from Commodore Isaac Chauncey."
and
"American casualties in the battle were 27 dead and 96 wounded. British
losses numbered 41 dead, 93 wounded, and 306 captured."
The Lawrence was abandoned, and the crew transferred (except for three,
perhaps?) to the Niagara.
Here's an interesting, and short, description of the happenings on that day:
History of the Battle of Lake Erie, from:
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Painting_33_00008.htm
"We have met the enemy and they are ours-two ships, two brigs, one schooner
and a sloop." With this simple victory message to General William Henry
Harrison, commander of the U.S. forces in the Northwest Territory, Commodore
Oliver Hazard Perry announced his defeat of the British fleet at the Battle
of Lake Erie. This battle, one of the most unusual in American naval
history, ensured American control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812
and secured the country's tenuous hold on the Northwest.
Commodore Perry's victory was quickly enshrined as one of the heroic
military events of the early American Republic. The famous engagement on
September 10, 1813, was initiated by Perry's flagship Lawrence , named after
James Lawrence, the commander of the recently captured Chesapeake .
Lawrence's dying words, "Don't give up the ship," inspired the nation and
Perry. Those words were stitched onto Perry's battle flag, which flew over
the Lawrence . As the battle began, Perry placed the Lawrence at the head of
his fleet. The Caledonia and the Niagara , as well as six other ships of
various sizes, fell in behind. For reasons that have never been determined,
the faster Niagara remained behind the slower Caledonia , and the Lawrence
sailed into the battle virtually unsupported. Perry was then forced to fight
the entire British fleet with only the Lawrence .
After an intense bombardment of two and a half hours, the Lawrence fought
the British fleet to a standstill, though the ship itself was severely
damaged and four-fifths of its crew were killed or wounded. In a daring
move, Commodore Perry abandoned his shattered ship and climbed into a
rowboat with four crewmen. He took with him his battle flag, which he draped
over his shoulders. The boat set out for the brig Niagara , braving heavy
gunfire. Perry boarded the ship, took command, and turned the Niagara
directly toward the British ships. The encounter was confusing and bloody,
but brief. The damaged British flagship Detroit attempted to swing around,
and its rigging became entangled with that of the Queen Charlotte ,
rendering both ships helpless against the onslaught from the Niagara . In
short order, the smaller British ships also succumbed, and a mere 15 minutes
after boarding, Perry had achieved an extraordinary victory. With it the
British supply line to the Western frontier was severed, and within the
month the British and their Indian allies were decisively defeated.
I'm curious about the source of the information that this John Clay served
on the Lawrence, and that he was killed or wounded in the battle.
I've been unable to find any complete muster rolls.
It would be very interesting to know where he came from, and what happened
to him. If we had the complete muster, we could possibly locate the "homes"
of some of the seamen.
By the way, the Tigress was an American Schooner. Not sure why this John
Clay was "taken prisoner in the Tigress and returned."
Hope this helps.
Pat Dunford
| -----Original Message-----
| From: clay-bounces(a)rootsweb.com <mailto:clay-bounces@rootsweb.com>
[mailto:clay-bounces@rootsweb.com] On
| Behalf Of Mike Peters
| Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 8:47 AM
| To: clay(a)rootsweb.com <mailto:clay@rootsweb.com>
| Subject: [CLAY] John Clay
|
| Looking for info on a John Clay who served in the War of 1812. Don't know
| specifically in what capacity, but he was killed or wounded at the Battle
of Lake
| Erie in September of 1813. Was on the ship Lawrence.
|
| Thank you for your time and consideration.
|
| Respectfully,
|
| Mike Peters
| Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
|
| -------------------------------
| To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
<mailto:CLAY-request@rootsweb.com> CLAY-
<mailto:CLAY-request@rootsweb.com> | request(a)rootsweb.com with the word
'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the
| subject and the body of the message
Looking for info on a John Clay who served in the War of 1812. Don't know specifically in what capacity, but he was killed or wounded at the Battle of Lake Erie in September of 1813. Was on the ship Lawrence.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Mike Peters
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Hi Cousin MIke. Go online and search Bob Clay's archives at LVA:
http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaxtf/view?docId=lva/vi00689.xml.
Great resource from the CLAY Master. Cousin Tim
In a message dated 9/1/2013 11:48:24 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
npeters102(a)aol.com writes:
Looking for info on a John Clay who served in the War of 1812. Don't know
specifically in what capacity, but he was killed or wounded at the Battle
of Lake Erie in September of 1813. Was on the ship Lawrence.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Mike Peters
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
CLAY-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the
body of the message
Mike
Have you seen this from Fold3?
There is a four page record of one John Clay in the War of 1812 Service
Records for Lake Erie.
To summarize:
He was a seaman.
At one point he was on the Niagara (?) (that's the way it is listed. No date
on the roll (roster). He is number 199 on the ship's list.
Commenced service 26 Feb 1814, expired service 26 May 1814. Note that these
are both after the battle of Lake Erie.
Remarks:
"Although Mast. Commandant J. D. Elliott, second in command of Lake Erie
Squadron in 1813 is not entered on the roll, it is quite evident that it is
the Niagara. Purser Magrath shot himself July 11/14. last pay roll made out
by him with corrections by E. Salomon." (so, that explains the (?) in the
notation about the name of the ship.
Seaman John Clay is listed as entering (service?) Aug 7, 1812.
Another entry, dated 10 Apr 1815, lists that he was on board May 27, 1814,
without a ship's name, notes that he was taken prisoner in the Tigress and
returned. He was paid to 28 Dec 1814.
Those are the only records I find of any Clay at Fold3. Nothing about the
Lawrence, nothing about being killed.
However, here is an interesting bit:
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/navalbattles1800s/p/lakeerie.htm
"While diligently overseeing the construction of the two brigs, named USS
Lawrence and USS Niagara, Perry traveled to Lake Ontario in May 1813, to
secure additional seamen from Commodore Isaac Chauncey."
and
"American casualties in the battle were 27 dead and 96 wounded. British
losses numbered 41 dead, 93 wounded, and 306 captured."
The Lawrence was abandoned, and the crew transferred (except for three,
perhaps?) to the Niagara.
Here's an interesting, and short, description of the happenings on that day:
History of the Battle of Lake Erie, from:
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Painting_33_00008.htm
"We have met the enemy and they are ours-two ships, two brigs, one schooner
and a sloop." With this simple victory message to General William Henry
Harrison, commander of the U.S. forces in the Northwest Territory, Commodore
Oliver Hazard Perry announced his defeat of the British fleet at the Battle
of Lake Erie. This battle, one of the most unusual in American naval
history, ensured American control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812
and secured the country's tenuous hold on the Northwest.
Commodore Perry's victory was quickly enshrined as one of the heroic
military events of the early American Republic. The famous engagement on
September 10, 1813, was initiated by Perry's flagship Lawrence , named after
James Lawrence, the commander of the recently captured Chesapeake .
Lawrence's dying words, "Don't give up the ship," inspired the nation and
Perry. Those words were stitched onto Perry's battle flag, which flew over
the Lawrence . As the battle began, Perry placed the Lawrence at the head of
his fleet. The Caledonia and the Niagara , as well as six other ships of
various sizes, fell in behind. For reasons that have never been determined,
the faster Niagara remained behind the slower Caledonia , and the Lawrence
sailed into the battle virtually unsupported. Perry was then forced to fight
the entire British fleet with only the Lawrence .
After an intense bombardment of two and a half hours, the Lawrence fought
the British fleet to a standstill, though the ship itself was severely
damaged and four-fifths of its crew were killed or wounded. In a daring
move, Commodore Perry abandoned his shattered ship and climbed into a
rowboat with four crewmen. He took with him his battle flag, which he draped
over his shoulders. The boat set out for the brig Niagara , braving heavy
gunfire. Perry boarded the ship, took command, and turned the Niagara
directly toward the British ships. The encounter was confusing and bloody,
but brief. The damaged British flagship Detroit attempted to swing around,
and its rigging became entangled with that of the Queen Charlotte ,
rendering both ships helpless against the onslaught from the Niagara . In
short order, the smaller British ships also succumbed, and a mere 15 minutes
after boarding, Perry had achieved an extraordinary victory. With it the
British supply line to the Western frontier was severed, and within the
month the British and their Indian allies were decisively defeated.
I'm curious about the source of the information that this John Clay served
on the Lawrence, and that he was killed or wounded in the battle.
I've been unable to find any complete muster rolls.
It would be very interesting to know where he came from, and what happened
to him. If we had the complete muster, we could possibly locate the "homes"
of some of the seamen.
By the way, the Tigress was an American Schooner. Not sure why this John
Clay was "taken prisoner in the Tigress and returned."
Hope this helps.
Pat Dunford
| -----Original Message-----
| From: clay-bounces(a)rootsweb.com [mailto:clay-bounces@rootsweb.com] On
| Behalf Of Mike Peters
| Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 8:47 AM
| To: clay(a)rootsweb.com
| Subject: [CLAY] John Clay
|
| Looking for info on a John Clay who served in the War of 1812. Don't know
| specifically in what capacity, but he was killed or wounded at the Battle
of Lake
| Erie in September of 1813. Was on the ship Lawrence.
|
| Thank you for your time and consideration.
|
| Respectfully,
|
| Mike Peters
| Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
|
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