Fascinating Battle Of Lake Erie Facts You Probably Didn't Know

Ritwik Bhuyan
Sep 08, 2022 By Ritwik Bhuyan
Originally Published on Apr 16, 2022
Edited by Aubree Mosby
Keep reading for more historical Battle of Lake Erie facts.
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The Battle of Lake Erie is known to be a naval battle that was fought between the British Royal Navy and the United States Navy on September 10, 1813 during the War of 1812.

The battle was fought in western Lake Erie and this battle is also known as the Battle of Put-in-Bay. The Battle of Lake Erie was easily the most crucial naval battle that happened in the Great Lakes.

The Battle was fought in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio as a part of the War of 1812. The battle especially became quite famous as Commodore Perry transferred from one ship to another during heavy gunfire. The battle was also crucial as it was a turning point in the west against the British and the Allies. The battle helped in the recovery of Detroit and also aided the victory of General William Henry Harrison at the Battle of the Thames.

When the war started, it was the British army that took control of Lake Erie. British ships were less in number and the British navy was small. Many of the naval ships and British forces were assigned to Europe to battle Napoleon. This is why the British had to construct more ships from the materials available in America. The American fleet was in a similar situation, and they had to build more American ships within the Great Lakes. This became a war in itself with both the British navy and American navy trying to figure out who could build a fleet the fastest. However, the British were defeated in the Battle of York, which led them to lose more resources than they imagined as well as to damage their supply lines. The United States Navy got more time to build their ships. Commodore Perry started towards Put-in-Bay in September to go face-to-face with the British fleet. The British thought that they would get an easy victory, but they were shocked to find how fierce the American fleet was.

It was September 10, 1813, when the Battle of Lake Erie, or the Battle of Put-in-Bay, took place. British guns were outnumbered. Still, they were very effective in long-range. The American fleet took a lot of damage and the Lawrence, an American ship, was damaged badly to the point that it could not be used for the remainder of the Battle of Lake Erie. British losses were comparatively seen less than American ones. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry climbed out of the Lawrence onto a rowboat and then sailed towards the Niagara. While he was sailing on the rowboat, Oliver Hazard Perry came under heavy fire from British guns. The Commodore evaded the British vessels and took control of the Niagara. By then, the Niagara was not much of a participant in the war, but once the commodore took control, the American ship turned around and inflicted heavy damage to the British fleet. He turned the Niagara and rammed into the British ship. The American troops laid down heavy fire on the British squadron.

By nightfall, the British ships surrendered. The members of the British Royal Navy were either killed or injured, which included Captain Barclay, who had already lost his arm. All of the details of the battle were sent through a dispatch to General William Henry Harrison by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. The British line was cut off and the British vessels had to abandon Detroit. There was an objection from Tecumseh, but, as there were no supplies, he returned with the British who was destroyed in the American victory. The British and their allies were caught up by General William Henry Harrison at the Battle of the Thames. As Perry won at the Battle of Lake Erie, more American control was possible and it was one of the reasons for the retreat of the British army. For the rest of the war, the American vessels controlled Lake Erie.

Who won the Battle of Lake Erie?

The Battle of Lake Erie, also known as the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on Lake Erie on September 10, 1813 during the War of 1812. The battle was fought on the lake near the Bass Islands off the coast of Ohio. There were nine United States Navy vessels that captured six British vessels to win the battle of the lake. These vessels remained captured for the rest of the war.

The win of the American squadron over the British ships ensured their victory in the Battle of Lake Erie and a greater victory in the Battle of the Thames. Americans were able to recover Detroit and break the Indian confederation of Tecumseh. The Battle of Lake Erie, or the Battle of Put-in-Bay, is known as the biggest battle of the War of 1812.

On the morning of September 10, Americans witnessed Barclay's vessels coming for them. Soon, the American vessels moved away from their dock in Put-in-Bay. The wind changed and Perry could come closer and attack. The heaviest vessels were in the center of the line with both sides in the line of battle. The first shot was fired at 11:45 a.m. from Detroit. Perry hoped to get his main ships, the largest ones, Lawrence and Niagara, at the forefront. But due to slow winds, Perry did not get the ships to their desired speed and location. Lawrence went through heavy gunfire and was damaged to a point of no return for the battle. Perry unboarded the ship to a rowboat and sailed towards the Niagara in spite of heavy firing. Cyrus Tiffany, his African-American sailor protected him throughout the ride.

Two ships, the Detroit and Queen Charlotte (both British ships), collided with each other. Sailors and soldiers were injured or killed and even Commander Barclay, the British officer-in-charge, was injured. Lieutenant Inglis came into command, however, many of the British ships were damaged. Perry and his American army attacked the British ships in Put-in-Bay. The Niagara, led by Perry, managed to break the British line ahead of Queen Charlotte and Detroit. Other American boats fired from away along with Caledonia. Detroit and Queen Charlotte were still stuck, but even when the soldiers managed to untangle them, the ships could not be used. The British suffered and these two ships surrendered along with the smaller ones (when they could not flee). Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie aboard the Niagara, and he received British surrender on the Lawrence.

When did the Battle of Lake Erie end?

The Battle of Lake Erie is one of the biggest naval battles in all of naval history.

This naval war was fought on September 10, 1813 in the War of 1812. The Battle of Lake Erie was pivotal for the American win as the war on the Great Lakes pushed the American squadron to the top of the battle. Perry's victory against the army of Great Britain was one of the biggest wins in that generation. The British had earlier occupied all of the Michigan territory and this battle was important, as it led to the liberation of Michigan.

The battle was pivotal to the war and later paved the way to attack the invaders in the Battle of the Thames.

What started the Battle of Lake Erie?

The original war was fought in 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie was an important naval engagement between American and English forces.

During the beginning of the War of 1812, the United States ordered Oliver Hazard Perry to command the ships on Lake Erie. On Presque Isle (modern-day Erie in Pennsylvania), he recruited and financed some carpenters to build ships. Nine ships were built within a year. Six vessels among them were gunboats with a single gun. Lawrence and Niagara were the only two full-sized ships. Two long guns and 18 carronades were mounted each on these ships. Almost 500 men served with Perry. In the month of September, in 1813, Perry and his group set sail to meet the British fleet under the command of Robert Heriot Barclay. The British had started to make their fleet take control of Lake Erie, which was considered pivotal in the war. They thought it would be easy to defeat Perry's army in the battle. This was what started the war, a battle to take control of Lake Erie and a British invasion.

How did Perry win the Battle of Lake Erie?

The Americans won the Battle of Lake Erie under the leadership of Perry.

On September 10, 1813, the Battle of Lake Erie happened. The British had six ships (Queen Charlotte, Detroit, General Hunter, Lady Prevost, Chippeway, and Little Belt), while the Americans had nine. Perry's flagship, Lawrence, was accompanied by Niagara and all the of other smaller ships. During the start of the battle, the British destroyed a good chunk of the American ships. The British guns and cannons had more accuracy in long-distance battles. The British managed to destroy Lawrence, and that is when Perry transferred the flag to Niagara. Niagara was not involved until Perry boarded it, and from that moment, Perry and the Americans started winning the battle. They inflicted heavy cannon fire on the British vessels, which led to the commanders of all the ships being wounded or killed. The command fell to junior officers with little military history.

Perry knew that and took advantage of the situation. He rammed his ship into the British lead ship, and the American sailors fired on the British ones. By nightfall, the battle was won when the British surviving officers lowered the flag and surrendered. Perry, who was just 27 years old, won the battle for the Americans and he immediately sent a dispatch to General Harrison. The British abandoned Detroit as their supply lines were cut. The Battle of Lake Erie made the way for General Harrison to attack the British and their allies in the Battle of the Thames. President Theodore Roosevelt deemed this battle an important one because of its moral impact and material results.

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Sources

https://thehistoryjunkie.com/battle-of-lake-erie-facts-and-overview/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Erie

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-lake-erie-battle-of-put-in-bay

https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/battle-lake-erie-turning-point-war-1812

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Written by Ritwik Bhuyan

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English

Ritwik Bhuyan picture

Ritwik BhuyanBachelor of Arts specializing in English

A skilled content writer, Ritwik holds a Bachelor's degree in English from Delhi University. He has refined his writing abilities through his past experience at PenVelope and his current role at Kidadl. In addition to his proficiency in writing, Ritwik has pursued his passion for flying by achieving CPL training and becoming a licensed commercial pilot. This diverse skill set highlights his commitment to exploring multiple fields. Ritwik's experience in the aviation industry has provided him with a unique perspective and attention to detail, which he brings to his writing.

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