by J.T. Andrews

Created on: November 06, 2009

The Nonexistent Flotilla

On September 10, 1813 the commander of the American Fleet on Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry, engaged the fleet of British ships that had been dominating the region and restricting American forces from recapturing the city of Detroit. His ship was blown to pieces right out from under him, and most of the crew were killed from British cannon fire. Perry and what was left of the crew boarded a single longboat, taking with them Perry's battle flag, a blue banner with the immortal message "Don't Give up the Ship" streaming across it. Through a hailstorm of fire from British guns, Perry and the remnants of his crew rowed for the largest American vessel left, the Brig Niagara, where Perry would retake command of the American fleet and lead them on to the most important tactical naval victory of the entire war.

This event would become one of the most famous naval battles in American history, but the whole scenario is filled with "what if's" and uncertainties. The American victory at Lake Erie was influenced by three main factors: command, equipment, and timing. Perry couldn't have been a better commander in this battle, and there were probably few who could have equaled his performance during the engagement. The Americans were superior in numbers, and had more powerful albeit shorter range guns. Finally the timing played a key role. The British could have won the battle, or could even have prevented an entire naval engagement altogether, but their choice of timing ended up being their downfall.

In order to understand the Battle of Lake Erie, one must first understand the circumstances surrounding it. This was a time of conflict between imperial superpowers. Napoleon and Britain were waging a bloody war, particularly upon the oceans of the world. In order to fulfill its needs for fighting sailors, the British felt it necessary to impress American sailors from merchant vessels. This was practically a draft system on the part of the British, but the real problem was that America was a sovereign nation, and no longer under the control of the British superpower. Americans, little surprise, were appalled by this system. This, along with an American desire to take control of part of Canada led to the War of 1812.

During the War of 1812, the American city of Detroit was taken over by British and their allies, Tecumseh's Shawnee warriors, even though the Americans had superior numbers. The Great Lakes came under the control of Britain, and all American

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