Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819)
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Oliver Hazard Perry was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the War of 1812 against Britain and earned the nickname "Hero of Lake Erie" for leading American forces in a decisive naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie.
He was the son of Captain Christopher Raymond Perry (December 4, 1760 - June 8, 1818) and Sarah Wallace Alexander (1764 - December 4, 1830), and his younger brother was Matthew Calbraith Perry, the brother-in-law of John Slidell.
Educated in Newport, Rhode Island, Perry was appointed a midshipman on 7 April 1799 and assigned to his father's frigate, General Greene. He first experienced combat on 9 February 1800 off Haiti. During the First Barbary War, he served on the Adams and commanded Nautilus during the capture of Derna.
At his request during the War of 1812 he was given command of U.S. Naval forces on Lake Erie. He supervised the building of a small fleet at what is now Erie, Pennsylvania. On September 10, 1813 Perry's fleet defended against an attacking British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie. During the battle Perry's flagship the Lawrence was destroyed and Perry rowed a half-mile through heavy gunfire to transfer command to the Niagara, carrying his battle flag which read DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP, a famous battle cry of naval hero James Lawrence. His battle report after victory is famous: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop".
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