request. Maybe he thinks we’d be better off without him, Jonah thought.
Elliott then climbed into the boat that had been used to carry the commodore to Niagara and had himself rowed over to take command of the smaller gunboats, the Somers , Porcupine , Tigress , and the Trippe . Hopefully, he’d have a better showing than was demonstrated previously. Maybe he’s embarrassed, Jonah decided.
On board the British flagship, Detroit , Commander Barclay was elated to see the American commodore haul down his flag, thinking him defeated. But as bad as things had been aboard the Lawrence , she had gotten in her licks. Had it been balls from her carronades that found their mark or was it Perry’s forward twelve-pounders? No matter, damage was done in both life and to ships. On the two largest British ships, men had paid dearly for their efforts against the Lawrence . The two ship’s captains and lieutenants were either dead or wounded, so they were unable to fight. Barclay had been wounded in five places and was so weak he had to be taken below. The ship was then turned over to the senior surviving officer, a second lieutenant. Caring for the wounded and putting his ship back in order, the second lieutenant thought the victory had been won. He was totally unprepared for the onslaught he was about to receive from the undamaged Niagara .
Advancing on the British squadron Perry ordered the signals, “Make all sail and engage the enemy.” Angered over the loss of life and damage to his ship, Commodore Perry sailed at the British with guns blazing. Pouring one deadly broadside after another into the Detroit and the Queen Charlotte , the Niagara ’s gunners worked as hard as they could to keep up the deadly fire. The gun captains drove the gunners without mercy in an attempt to wipe away the shame they felt from Elliott’s refusal to join in the battle.
As the battle raged, the Detroit and Queen Charlotte collided. Taking advantage of the enemy blunder, Perry had a course set to bring the Niagara between the entangled British ships and the Hunter . The wind was finally in his favor and Perry meant to make the best of it. Still seething over the destruction of his Lawrence , the commodore showed no mercy. Perry had his guns double-shotted, with a measure of grape on top, and at point blank range raked each ship as he cut through the enemy line. Realizing he may not get such an opportunity again, Perry had the guns manned on both sides of the ship. The Lady Prevost felt the wrath of the port side guns while the Detroit and the Queen Charlotte received a full broadside from starboard guns.
“Fire, fire as you bear,” Perry yelled after the first broadsides. Jonah was quick to understand the meaning as gun captains yelled at their crews, “Load, run out, fire. Sponge her, sponge her, blast ya lubber. Do ya want the gun to blow up in your face?”
Gun after gun leapt backward as they belched forward their fiery hell. The gunners would ram a wet swab down the barrel to extinguish any embers before another charge of powder was rammed home, followed by ball and grape. No sooner was the gun loaded than the squeal of wheels on the gun carriages would sound as men put their backs into the ropes pulling the gun back into the gun port to be fired almost instantaneously. Then the process would start all over again. Jonah noted the rags tied over the men’s ears to prevent deafness. Not a single gunner seemed aware of anything or anyone else. Caked in sweat and grime, faces black from the acrid powder, the men did their job with deadly precision.
Feeling useless and in the way of the crew of the long twelve-pounder guns, Jonah made his way to a group of Kentucky volunteers. They were cutting down every available target. He watched as two men loaded while one man fired. Soon most of the men from a British gun crew were down without knowing what was happening. The long rifles didn’t make as much noise as the big guns did but in the
Elliott then climbed into the boat that had been used to carry the commodore to Niagara and had himself rowed over to take command of the smaller gunboats, the Somers , Porcupine , Tigress , and the Trippe . Hopefully, he’d have a better showing than was demonstrated previously. Maybe he’s embarrassed, Jonah decided.
On board the British flagship, Detroit , Commander Barclay was elated to see the American commodore haul down his flag, thinking him defeated. But as bad as things had been aboard the Lawrence , she had gotten in her licks. Had it been balls from her carronades that found their mark or was it Perry’s forward twelve-pounders? No matter, damage was done in both life and to ships. On the two largest British ships, men had paid dearly for their efforts against the Lawrence . The two ship’s captains and lieutenants were either dead or wounded, so they were unable to fight. Barclay had been wounded in five places and was so weak he had to be taken below. The ship was then turned over to the senior surviving officer, a second lieutenant. Caring for the wounded and putting his ship back in order, the second lieutenant thought the victory had been won. He was totally unprepared for the onslaught he was about to receive from the undamaged Niagara .
Advancing on the British squadron Perry ordered the signals, “Make all sail and engage the enemy.” Angered over the loss of life and damage to his ship, Commodore Perry sailed at the British with guns blazing. Pouring one deadly broadside after another into the Detroit and the Queen Charlotte , the Niagara ’s gunners worked as hard as they could to keep up the deadly fire. The gun captains drove the gunners without mercy in an attempt to wipe away the shame they felt from Elliott’s refusal to join in the battle.
As the battle raged, the Detroit and Queen Charlotte collided. Taking advantage of the enemy blunder, Perry had a course set to bring the Niagara between the entangled British ships and the Hunter . The wind was finally in his favor and Perry meant to make the best of it. Still seething over the destruction of his Lawrence , the commodore showed no mercy. Perry had his guns double-shotted, with a measure of grape on top, and at point blank range raked each ship as he cut through the enemy line. Realizing he may not get such an opportunity again, Perry had the guns manned on both sides of the ship. The Lady Prevost felt the wrath of the port side guns while the Detroit and the Queen Charlotte received a full broadside from starboard guns.
“Fire, fire as you bear,” Perry yelled after the first broadsides. Jonah was quick to understand the meaning as gun captains yelled at their crews, “Load, run out, fire. Sponge her, sponge her, blast ya lubber. Do ya want the gun to blow up in your face?”
Gun after gun leapt backward as they belched forward their fiery hell. The gunners would ram a wet swab down the barrel to extinguish any embers before another charge of powder was rammed home, followed by ball and grape. No sooner was the gun loaded than the squeal of wheels on the gun carriages would sound as men put their backs into the ropes pulling the gun back into the gun port to be fired almost instantaneously. Then the process would start all over again. Jonah noted the rags tied over the men’s ears to prevent deafness. Not a single gunner seemed aware of anything or anyone else. Caked in sweat and grime, faces black from the acrid powder, the men did their job with deadly precision.
Feeling useless and in the way of the crew of the long twelve-pounder guns, Jonah made his way to a group of Kentucky volunteers. They were cutting down every available target. He watched as two men loaded while one man fired. Soon most of the men from a British gun crew were down without knowing what was happening. The long rifles didn’t make as much noise as the big guns did but in the
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