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Oliver Hazard Perry

Oliver Hazard Perry

Overview
United States Navy Commodore
Commodore (USN)
Commodore was an early title and later a rank in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and a current honorary title in the U.S. Navy with an intricate history. Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize more than four ranks until 1862, considerable importance...

 Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was born in South Kingstown
Kingston, Rhode Island
Kingston is a village and a census-designated place in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. Much of the village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kingston Village Historic...

, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

 (then independent), the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry
Christopher Raymond Perry
Christopher Raymond Perry was an officer in the United States Navy. He was the father of Oliver Hazard Perry and Matthew Calbraith Perry.-Early life:...

 and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....

. He was an older brother to Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry who compelled the opening of Japan to the West by threat of force.
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Quotations

I leave it to your discretion to strike or not, but the American colors must not be pulled down over my head today.

Final instructions to Lieutenant John Joliffe Yarnall, upon leaving the disabled Lawrence in the Battle of Lake Erie|Battle of Lake Erie (10 September 1813)

We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.

Dispatch to General William Henry Harrison|William Henry Harrison after the Battle of Lake Erie, (10 September 1813)

Those officers and men who were immediately under my observation, evinced the greatest gallantry, and I have no doubt that all others conducted themselves as became American officers and seamen. Lieutenant Yarnall, first of the LAWRENCE, although several times wounded, refused to quit the deck. Midshipman Forrest (doing duty as lieutenant) and sailing master Taylor, were of great assistance to me.

Report on the Battle of Lake Erie (13 September 1813)
Encyclopedia
United States Navy Commodore
Commodore (USN)
Commodore was an early title and later a rank in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and a current honorary title in the U.S. Navy with an intricate history. Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize more than four ranks until 1862, considerable importance...

 Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was born in South Kingstown
Kingston, Rhode Island
Kingston is a village and a census-designated place in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. Much of the village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kingston Village Historic...

, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

 (then independent), the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry
Christopher Raymond Perry
Christopher Raymond Perry was an officer in the United States Navy. He was the father of Oliver Hazard Perry and Matthew Calbraith Perry.-Early life:...

 and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....

. He was an older brother to Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry who compelled the opening of Japan to the West by threat of force.

He served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

 against Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....

. After supervising the building of a fleet at Erie, Pennsylvania, at the age of 27 earned the title "Hero of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...

" for leading American forces in a decisive naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...

, receiving a Congressional Gold Medal and the Thanks of Congress. His leadership materially aided the successful outcomes of all nine Lake Erie military campaign victories, and the fleet victory was a turning point in the battle for the west in the War of 1812.

Perry became embroiled in a long standing and festering controversy with the Commander of the USS Niagara
USS Niagara (1813)
The US Brig Niagara or the Flagship Niagara, is a wooden-hulled brig that served as the relief flagship for Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. It is one of last remaining ships from the War of 1812. The Niagara is usually docked behind the Erie Maritime Museum in...

, Captain Jesse Elliott
Jesse Elliott
Jesse Duncan Elliot was a United States naval officer and commander of American naval forces in Lake Erie during the War of 1812, especially noted for his controversial actions during the Battle of Lake Erie.-Early life:...

 over their conduct in the battle, and both were the subject of official charges that were lodged. In 1815, he successfully commanded the Java in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 during the Second Barbary War
Second Barbary War
The Second Barbary War , also known as the Algerine or Algerian War, was the second of two wars fought between the United States and the Ottoman Empire's North African regencies of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algeria known collectively as the Barbary states. The war between the Barbary States and the U.S...

. So seminal was his career that he was lionized in the press (being the subject of scores of books and articles), has been heavily memorialized, and many places and ships have been named in his honor.

Childhood and early career


As a boy, Perry lived in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

, sailing ships in anticipation of his future career as an officer in the US Navy. He was educated in Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

, Rhode Island, and at the age of 14 was appointed a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...

 in the United States Navy on April 7, 1799.

During the Quasi-War
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...

 with France
French First Republic
The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I...

, he was assigned to his father's frigate, the USS General Greene
USS General Greene (1799)
The second USS General Greene was a frigate in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France.Named after American Revolution General Nathaneal Greene, she was built under government contract by Benjamin Talman and James De Wolf at Warren, Rhode Island. Launched on 21 January 1799, the...

. He first experienced combat on February 9, 1800, off the coast of the French colony of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

, which was in a state of rebellion
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...

.

During the First Barbary War
First Barbary War
The First Barbary War , also known as the Barbary Coast War or the Tripolitan War, was the first of two wars fought between the United States and the North African Berber Muslim states known collectively as the Barbary States...

, he served on the USS Adams
USS Adams (1799)
The first USS Adams was a 28-gun sailing frigate of the United States Navy. She should not be confused with .-Commissioning:She was laid down in 1797 at New York City by John Jackson and William Sheffield and launched on 8 June 1799. Capt...

 and later commanded the USS Nautilus
USS Nautilus (1799)
Nautilus was a schooner launched in 1799. The United States Navy purchased her in May 1803, renaming her the USS Nautilus; she thus became the first ship to bear that name. She served in the First Barbary War. She was altered to a brigantine. The British captured Nautilus early in the War of 1812...

 during the capture of Derna
Battle of Derna
The Battle of Derne was a decisive victory of a mercenary army led by a detachment of United States Marines and soldiers over pirate forces along the Barbary coast nation of Tripoli during the First Barbary War...

. Beginning in 1806, he commanded the sloop USS Revenge
USS Revenge (1806)
The third Revenge was a schooner in the United States Navy during the years preceding the War of 1812.-Early service:The Navy purchased the Baltimore-built schooner Ranger at New Orleans in December, 1806. She was renamed and commissioned as Revenge. In 1807 she was ordered to the Atlantic coast...

, engaging in patrol duties to enforce the Embargo Act, as well as a successful raid to regain a U.S. ship held in Spanish territory in Florida. On January 9, 1811, the Revenge ran aground off Rhode Island and was lost. The following court-martial exonerated Perry, placing blame on the ship's pilot. In January 2011, a team of divers claimed to have discovered the remains of the Revenge, nearly 200 years to the day after it sank.

His progression from being the subject of a court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...

 for running aground to being a formidable commander who made a real difference has a striking parallel to the career of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

Following the court-martial, Perry was given a leave of absence from the navy. On May 5, 1811, he married Elizabeth Champlin Mason, whom he had met at a dance in 1807, and enjoyed an extended honeymoon touring New England. The couple would eventually have five children, with one dying in infancy.

War of 1812


At the beginning of the War of 1812 American naval forces were very small, allowing the British to make many advances in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

 and northern New York waterways. The roles played by commanders like Oliver Perry at Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...

 and Isaac Chauncey
Isaac Chauncey
Isaac Chauncey was an officer in the United States Navy.-Biography:Chauncey, born in Black Rock, Connecticut, 20 February 1779, was appointed a Lieutenant in the Navy from 17 September 1798...

 at Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...

 and Thomas Macdonough
Thomas MacDonough
Thomas Macdonough was an early-19th-century American naval officer noted for his roles in the first Barbary War, and the War of 1812. He was the son of a revolutionary officer, Thomas Sr. who lived close to Middleton, Delaware. Being the sixth child born, he came from a large family of ten...

 at Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...

 all proved vital to the naval effort that was largely responsible for winning that war.

Hero of Lake Erie



At his request he was given command of United States naval forces on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...

 during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

. U.S. Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton
Paul Hamilton
Paul Hamilton was the 3rd United States Secretary of the Navy, from 1809 to 1813.Paul Hamilton was born in Saint Paul's Parish, South Carolina, on October 16, 1762. He left school at the age of sixteen due to financial problems...

 had charged prominent merchant seaman Daniel Dobbins
Daniel Dobbins
Daniel Dobbins was a sailing master in the United States Navy and captain in the United States Revenue Cutter Service...

 with building the American fleet on Presque Isle Bay
Presque Isle Bay
Presque Isle Bay is a natural bay located off the coast of Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. Its embayment is about in length, about across at its widest point, and an average depth of about . The bay is bounded on the north and west by a recurved peninsula that makes up Presque Isle State Park...

 at Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, and Perry was named chief naval officer.
On September 10, 1813, Perry's command fought a successful fleet action
Fleet action
A fleet action is a naval engagement involving combat between forces that are larger than a squadron on either of the opposing sides. Fleet action is defined by combat and not just manoeuvring of the naval forces strategically, operationally or tactically without engaging. Most famous large naval...

 against a task force of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 in the Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...

. It was at the outset of this battle that Perry famously said, “If a victory is to be gained, I will gain it.” Initially, the exchange of gunfire favored the British. Perry's flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

, the USS Lawrence
USS Lawrence (1813)
The first USS Lawrence was one of two 493-ton Niagara-class brigs built at Erie, Pennsylvania, by Adam and Noah Brown under the supervision of Sailing Master Daniel Dobbins and Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry, for United States Navy service on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.She was...

, was so severely disabled in the encounter that the British commander, Robert Heriot Barclay
Robert Heriot Barclay
Robert Heriot Barclay was a British naval officer who was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, and its North American counterpart, the War of 1812....

, thought that Perry would surrender it, and sent a small boat to request that the American vessel pull down its flag. Faithful to the words of his battle flag, "DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP" (a paraphrase of the dying words of Captain James Lawrence
James Lawrence
James Lawrence was an American naval officer. During the War of 1812, he commanded the USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against HMS Shannon...

, the ship's namesake and Perry's friend), Perry ordered the crippled Lawrence to fire a final salvo
Salvo
A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute.Troops armed with muzzleloaders required time in which to refill their arms with gun powder and shot...

 and then had his men row him a half-mile (0.8 km) through heavy gunfire to transfer his command to the USS Niagara
USS Niagara (1813)
The US Brig Niagara or the Flagship Niagara, is a wooden-hulled brig that served as the relief flagship for Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. It is one of last remaining ships from the War of 1812. The Niagara is usually docked behind the Erie Maritime Museum in...

. Once aboard, Perry dispatched the Niagara's commander, Captain Jesse Elliot, to bring the other schooners into closer action while he steered the Niagara toward the damaged British ships. Breaking through the British line, the American force pounded Barclay's ships until they could offer no effective resistance and surrendered. Although he had won the battle aboard the Niagara, he received the British surrender on the deck of the recaptured Lawrence to allow the British to see the terrible price his men had paid. Perry's battle report to General William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...

 was famously brief: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."

This was the first time in history that an entire British naval squadron had surrendered, and every captured ship was successfully returned to Presque Isle. Although the engagement was small compared to Napoleonic naval battles such as the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....

, the victory had disproportionate strategic importance, opening Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 up to possible invasion, while simultaneously protecting the entire Ohio Valley. The loss of the British squadron directly led to the critical Battle of the Thames
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...

, the rout of British forces by Harrison's army, the death of Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...

, and the breakup of his Indian alliance. Along with the Battle of Plattsburgh
Battle of Plattsburgh
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812...

, it was one of only two significant fleet victories of the war.

In fact, Perry was involved in nine campaigns that led to and followed the Battle of Lake Erie, and they all had a seminal impact. "What is often overlooked when studying Perry is how his physical participation and brilliant strategic leadership influenced the outcomes of all nine Lake Erie military campaign victories:" Capturing Fort George, Ontario
Fort George, Ontario
Fort George National Historic Site is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812...

 in the Battle of Fort George
Battle of Fort George
The Battle of Fort George was a battle fought during the War of 1812, in which the Americans defeated a British force and captured the Fort George in Upper Canada...

; Destroying the British munitions at Olde Fort Erie (see Capture of Fort Erie
Capture of Fort Erie
The Capture of Fort Erie by American forces in 1814 was an incident in the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom and the United States. The British garrison was outnumbered but surrendered prematurely, in the view of British commanders.-Background:...

); Rescuing five vessels from Black Rock; Building the Erie fleet; Getting the ships over the sandbar; Blocking British supplies for a month prior to battle; Planning the Thames invasion with General Harrison; Winning the Battle of Lake Erie; and Winning the Battle of Thames.

Perry-Elliott controversy


In his initial report, Perry praised Captain Elliott's role in the American victory at lake Erie. Once news of the battle spread, Perry and Elliott were both celebrated as national heroes. Soon after, however, several junior officers publicly criticized Elliott's performance during the battle, charging that Elliott allowed the Lawrence to suffer the brunt of the British fire while holding the Niagara back from the fight, and that he had only come to the aid of the Lawrence once he believed that Perry was dead. Elliot rejoined that there had been a lack of effective signaling. Charges were filed but were not officially acted upon. Attempting to restore his honor, Elliott and his supporters began a 30-year campaign that would outlive both men and ultimately leave his reputation in tatters.

Congressional Gold Medal


On January 6, 1814, Perry was honored with a Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress
Thanks of Congress
The Thanks of Congress are a series of formal resolutions passed by the United States Congress originally to extend the government's formal thanks for significant victories or impressive actions by American military commanders and their troops. Although it began during the American Revolutionary...

, and a promotion to the rank of Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

. This was one of 27 Gold Medals authorized by Congress arising from the War of 1812.
  • Obverse -- bust of Perry facing right surrounded by Oliverus H. Perry Princeps Stagno Eriense. ~ Classam Totam Contudit.
  • Reverse depicts a sea battle scene with inscriptions:
Viam Invenit Virtus Aut Facit
Inter Class. Ameri.
Et Brit Die X. Sep.
MDCCCXIII


Elliott was also recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal and the Thanks of Congress for his actions in the Battle of Lake Erie. This recognition would prove to fan the flames of resentment on both sides of the Elliott-Perry controversy.

Later commands and controversies


In July 1814, Perry was offered command of the USS Java
USS Java (1815)
USS Java was a wooden-hulled, sailing frigate in the United States Navy, bearing 44 guns. She was named for the American victory over off the coast of Brazil in 29 December 1812, captured by the Constitution under the command of William Bainbridge. HMS Java had suffered severe damage during the...

, a 44-gun frigate which was under construction in Baltimore. While overseeing the outfitting of the
Java, Perry participated in the defenses of Baltimore and Washington, DC during the British invasion of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

. In a twist of irony, these land battles would be the last time the career naval officer saw combat. The Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

 was signed before the
Java could be put to sea.

For Perry, the post-war years were marred by controversies. In 1815, he commanded the
Java in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 during the Second Barbary War
Second Barbary War
The Second Barbary War , also known as the Algerine or Algerian War, was the second of two wars fought between the United States and the Ottoman Empire's North African regencies of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algeria known collectively as the Barbary states. The war between the Barbary States and the U.S...

. While moored in Naples, Perry was provoked into slapping the commander of the ship's Marines, John Heath. The ensuing court-martial found both men guilty but levied only mild reprimands. After the crew returned home, Heath challenged Perry to a pistol duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...

, which was fought on October 19, 1817, on the same Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...

, field where Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton. Heath fired first and missed. Perry refused to fire, satisfying the Marine's honor.

Perry's return from the Mediterranean also reignited the feud with Elliott. After an exchange of angry letters, Elliott challenged Perry to a duel, which Perry refused. He instead decided to file formal court-martial charges against Elliott, including "conduct unbecoming an officer," and failure to "do his utmost to take or destroy the vessel of the enemy which it was his duty to encounter." Wishing to avoid a scandal between two congressionally decorated naval heroes, Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...

 Smith Thompson
Smith Thompson
Smith Thompson was a United States Secretary of the Navy from 1818 to 1823, and a United States Supreme Court Associate Justice from 1823 until his death in 1843....

 and President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...

 suppressed the matter by offering Perry the rank of Commodore and a diplomatic mission to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 in exchange for dropping his charges against Elliott. This put an official end to the controversy, though it would continue to be debated for another quarter century.

Death and legacy



In 1819, after a successful expedition to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

's Orinoco River to consult with Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...

 about piracy in the Caribbean
Piracy in the Caribbean
] The era of piracy in the Caribbean began in the 16th century and died out in the 1830s after the navies of the nations of Western Europe and North America with colonies in the Caribbean began combating pirates. The period during which pirates were most successful was from the 1690s until the 1720s...

, Perry contracted yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....

 from mosquitoes while aboard the USS Nonsuch
USS Nonsuch (1813)
USS Nonsuch was an armed schooner in the United States Navy during the War of 1812.-Privateer:Nonsuch was built in 1812 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her owner, George Stiles and Company, requested a commission for Nonsuch as a letter of marque on 29 June 1812...

. Despite the crew's efforts to reach Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...

 for medical assistance, the Commodore died as the ship was nearing Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...

. He was 34 years old. After being buried in Port of Spain, his remains were later taken back to the United States and interred in Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

, Rhode Island. After resting briefly in the Old Common Burial Ground, his body was finally moved to Newport's Island Cemetery, where his brother Matthew C. Perry is also interred.

His family's descendants include Commander John Rodgers
John Rodgers (naval officer, World War I)
John Rodgers was an officer in the United States Navy and an early aviator.-Biography:Rodgers was the great-grandson of Commodores Rodgers and Perry. He was born in Washington, D.C. and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1903...

, the second person to become a United States naval aviator
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...

, and well known civilian aviator Calbraith Perry Rodgers
Calbraith Perry Rodgers
Calbraith Perry Rodgers was an American pioneer aviator. He made the first transcontinental airplane flight across the U.S. from September 17, 1911 to November 5, 1911, with dozens of stops, both intentional and accidental...

, the first person to fly an airplane - the Vin Fiz - across the United States.

Oliver Hazard Perry La Farge (December 19, 1901 - August 2, 1963) was an American writer and anthropologist, best known for his 1930 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...

-winning novel Laughing Boy
Laughing Boy
Laughing Boy is a 1929 novel by Oliver La Farge about the clash between American culture and that of southwestern Native Americans. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1930.-Plot:...

.

Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont (November 12, 1858 – June 10, 1908) was an American socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....

 and United States Representative from New York.

Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877) (no relation) — the 14th Governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...

, a famous Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 politician and U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 who was a leader among the Radical Republican reconstructionists — was named in his honor.*

Geographical namesakes


Many locations, both in Rhode Island and near Lake Erie, are named in his honor, including:

Counties and municipalities (organized by state)

  • All of the ten Perry counties in the U.S. See also Perry (disambiguation)
    Perry (disambiguation)
    Perry is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented pear juice.Perry may also refer to:- Canada :* Perry, Ontario* Perry's Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador* Port Perry, Ontario- England :* Perry, Cambridgeshire* Perry Barr, Birmingham...

    Perry, Florida
    Perry, Florida
    Perry is a city in Taylor County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,017 at the 2010 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 7,017....

     is named for Edward A. Perry
    Edward A. Perry
    Edward Aylesworth Perry was a general under Robert E. Lee during the American Civil War and the 14th Governor of Florida.-Early life:He was a descendant of Arthur Perry, one of the earliest settlers of New England...

    , Confederate General of the American Civil War and 14th Governor of Florida. The claim that it was named for "Matthew Perry" in Perry Florida USA Today is wrong.
  • Perry County, Alabama
    Perry County, Alabama
    Perry County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It was established in 1819, and is named in honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry of Rhode Island and the United States Navy. As of 2010 the population was 10,591...

  • The City of Perryville
    Perryville, Arkansas
    Perryville is a city in and the county seat of Perry County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,458 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

     and Perry County, Arkansas
  • The City of Perry
    Perry, Georgia
    Perry is a city in Houston county in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Warner Robins, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,600 at the 2000 census. This town is the county seat of Houston County...

    , Georgia
  • The City of Perrysville
    Perrysville, Indiana
    Perrysville is a town in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 456 at the 2010 census.-History:Perrysville was platted and surveyed in 1825 by James Blair on a bluff on the west side of the Wabash River...

    , Indiana.
  • The Village of Perry
    Perry, Illinois
    Perry is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 437 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Perry is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....

     and Perry County, Illinois
  • Perry County
    Perry County, Kentucky
    Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 29,390. Its county seat is Hazard. The county is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero in the War of 1812.- Geography :...

    , and its county seat Hazard
    Hazard, Kentucky
    As of the census of 2000, there were 4,806 people, 1,946 households, and 1,266 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.6 people per square mile . There were 2,291 housing units at an average density of 326.4 per square mile...

    , Kentucky. and the city of Perryville
    Perryville, Kentucky
    Perryville is a historical city in western Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 763 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

     in Boyle County
    Boyle County, Kentucky
    Boyle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Danville. In 2000, its population was 28,432. It was formed in 1842 and named for John Boyle , a U.S...

     as well. Kentuckians were assigned as sharpshooters in the battle.
  • Perry, Maine
    Perry, Maine
    Perry is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States, on the Canadian border. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 847.-History:...

  • The City of Perry
    Perry, Michigan
    Perry is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,065 at the 2000 census. The city is located within Perry Township and has both Perry High School and Middle School...

     and Perry Township
    Perry Township, Michigan
    Perry Township is a civil township of Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,438 at the 2000 census. The township surrounds the City of Perry, but is administratively autonomous.-Communities:...

    , Michigan.
  • Perry County, Mississippi
    Perry County, Mississippi
    -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,138 people, 4,420 households, and 3,332 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 5,107 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...

  • Perryville
    Perryville, Missouri
    Perryville is a city in Perry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,667 at the 2000 census. The 2008 estimated population is 8,172. It is the county seat of Perry County.-Governance:...

     and Perry County, Missouri
    Perry County, Missouri
    Perry County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 18,132. In 2008 the population was estimated to be 18,743. Its county seat is Perryville. The county was officially organized on November 16, 1820 from Ste...

  • The Village of Perrysburg
    Perrysburg (village), New York
    Perrysburg is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 408 at the 2000 census. It is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.The Village of Perrysburg is in the south-central part of the Town of Perrysburg...

     and the surrounding township
    Perrysburg (town), New York
    Perrysburg is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,771 at the 2000 census. The Town is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.The Town of Perrysburg is in the northeast corner of the county...

    ; and the Village of Perry, New York
    Perry (village), New York
    Perry is a village located mostly inside the Town of Perry in Wyoming County, New York, USA. The population was 3,945 at the 2000 census.The Village of Perry is at the junction of New York State Route 39 and New York State Route 246. A small south section of the village is within the Town of...

     and the surrounding township
    Perry (town), New York
    Perry is a town in Wyoming County, New York, USA. The population was 6,654 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry....

    ,
  • The Cities of Perrysburg
    Perrysburg, Ohio
    As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile . There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile...

    , North Perry
    North Perry, Ohio
    North Perry is a village in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 838 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Perry is located at...

     and Perry
    Perry, Ohio
    Perry is a village in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,195 at the 2000 census. It is named in honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to commemorate his victory over the British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813. The battle was a turning point in the western...

    ; and Perry County
    Perry County, Ohio
    Perry County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Founded on March 1, 1818, it was the 55th county to be formed in Ohio. Portions of Fairfield, Washington and Muskingum Counties were taken to create Perry County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,058. Its county seat...

    , Ohio.
  • The borough of Perryopolis
    Perryopolis, Pennsylvania
    Perryopolis is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,764 at the 2000 census.-History:George Washington purchased here when land first became available. He visited in 1770 and said, "as fine a land as I have ever seen, a great deal of rich meadow; it is well...

     and Oliver Township
    Oliver Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania
    Oliver Township is a township in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,061 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 8.6 square miles , of which, 8.3 square miles of it is land and...

    , within Perry County
    Perry County, Pennsylvania
    As of the census of 2000, there were 43,602 people, 16,695 households, and 12,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile . There were 18,941 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...

    , and Oliver Township
    Oliver Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania
    Oliver Township is a township in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,129 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 30.4 square miles , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there...

     and Perry Township
    Perry Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania
    Perry Township is a township in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,289 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 28.7 square miles , of which, 28.7 square miles of it is land and...

     in Jefferson County
    Jefferson County, Pennsylvania
    Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 45,200. It was established on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and named for then-President Thomas Jefferson. Its county seat is Brookville...

     Pennsylvania.
  • The Village of Perryville in the Town of South Kingstown
    South Kingstown, Rhode Island
    South Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 30,639 at the 2010 census.South Kingstown includes the villages of Kingston, West Kingston, Wakefield, Peace Dale, Snug Harbor, Tuckertown, East Matunuck, Matunuck, Green Hill, and Perryville. Peace...

    , Rhode Island.
  • Perry County, Tennessee

Other places

  • Perry Hall at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
    Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
    Penn State Erie, The Behrend College is a state-related public university institution and a Commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Erie, Pennsylvania....

    .
  • Perry Square
    Perry Square
    Perry Square is one of the series of city squares planned by famed surveyor Andrew Ellicott in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. The park diverts the flow of 6th Street for two wooded city blocks bisected by State Street, which separates the city's eastern and western halves...

     and Perry Street in Erie
    Erie, Pennsylvania
    Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

    , Pennsylvania
  • Oliver Hazard Perry Schools in: Erie
    Erie, Pennsylvania
    Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

    , Pennsylvania; San Diego
    San Diego, California
    San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

    , California; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

     and Euclid
    Euclid, Ohio
    Euclid is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders Cleveland. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 48,920...

    , Ohio; Boston and South Boston
    South Boston, Massachusetts
    South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. One of America's oldest and most historic neighborhoods, South Boston was formerly known as Dorchester Neck, and today is called "Southie" by...

    , Massachusetts; Brooklyn, New York; Pittsburgh
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

    , Pennsylvania; Providence
    Providence, Rhode Island
    Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

    , Rhode Island; and Lajas, Puerto Rico
    Lajas, Puerto Rico
    Lajas is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in southwestern region, south of San Germán and Sabana Grande; east of Cabo Rojo; and west of Guánica. Lajas is spread over 11 wards and Lajas Pueblo...

     (built in 1904 and 1907) two classrooms.
  • Perry Highway
    • U.S. Route 19
      U.S. Route 19 in Pennsylvania
      U.S. Route 19 in Pennsylvania closely parallels Interstate 79 for its entire length. US 19 enters Pennsylvania in Greene County near Mount Morris. Its northern terminus is in the city of Erie. Part is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the Battle of Lake Erie.-Route description:In...

       from Meadville
      Meadville, Pennsylvania
      Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...

       to Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania
    • Pennsylvania Route 505
      Pennsylvania Route 505
      Pennsylvania Route 505 is a 2 mile long state highway located in northwest Pennsylvania. The route is a continuation of Pennsylvania Route 97 along the Perry Highway and ends at U.S. Route 20 in Erie as Glenwood Park Avenue....

       in Erie County
      Erie County, Pennsylvania
      Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 280,566. Its county seat is the City of Erie.- Geography :...

      , Pennsylvania
  • Camp Perry
    Camp Perry
    Camp Perry is a National Guard training facility located on the shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio near Port Clinton. In addition to its regular mission as a military training base, Camp Perry also boasts the largest outdoor rifle range in the world...

     at Port Clinton
    Port Clinton, Ohio
    Port Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,056 at the 2010 census. The city has been nicknamed the "Walleye Capital of the World."...

    , Ohio.
  • Perry Nuclear Generating Station
    Perry Nuclear Generating Station
    The Perry Nuclear Power Plant is located on a 1,100-acre site on Lake Erie, 40 miles northeast of Cleveland in North Perry, Ohio, USA...

  • Commodore Perry Service Plaza, Ohio Turnpike
    Ohio Turnpike
    The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a -long, limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor to Chicago and Pittsburgh...

    .

Monuments



Monuments to Perry are located in many locations, including:
  • Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
    Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
    Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie, near Ohio's South Bass Island, in which Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet to victory in one of the most significant naval battles to occur in the War of 1812...

     at Put-In-Bay
    Put-in-Bay, Ohio
    Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Many believe that the name originates from some early maps of South Bass Island that showed the harbor being named Pudding Bay, probably because it was shaped like a pudding sack. The...

    , Ohio — 352 foot (107 m) monument — the world's most massive Doric
    Doric order
    The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...

     column — was constructed in Put-in-Bay
    Put-in-Bay, Ohio
    Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Many believe that the name originates from some early maps of South Bass Island that showed the harbor being named Pudding Bay, probably because it was shaped like a pudding sack. The...

    , Ohio by a multi-state commission from 1912 to 1915.

  • Perry Monument at Misery Bay, Presque Isle State Park
    Presque Isle State Park
    Presque Isle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on an arching sandy peninsula that juts into Lake Erie, west of the city of Erie, in Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The peninsula sweeps northeastward, surrounding Presque Isle Bay along the park's...

     in Erie
    Erie, Pennsylvania
    Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

    , Pennsylvania

  • Front Park, by Charles Henry Niehaus
    Charles Henry Niehaus
    Charles Henry Niehaus , was an American sculptor, born in Cincinnati, Ohio.-Education:Niehaus began working as a marble and wood carver and then gained entrance to the McMicken School of Design in Cincinnati and later studied at the Royal Academy in Munich, Germany...

    , in Buffalo
    Buffalo, New York
    Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

    , New York, dedicated September 25, 1916

  • Wade Park
    Wade Park (Cleveland park)
    Wade Park is a park in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. An idyllic swath of land in one of Cleveland's busiest neighborhoods, the park was built on land donated by Jeptha Wade with the intention of using part of the property building for an art museum. It's most prominent...

     by William Walcutt, and Herman Matzen
    Herman Matzen
    Herman Matzen American sculptor and educator, born in Denmark.-Early years:Matzen studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin before immigrating to the United States...

    , in Cleveland
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

    , Ohio Dedicated June 14, 1929

  • Perry Square
    Perry Square
    Perry Square is one of the series of city squares planned by famed surveyor Andrew Ellicott in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. The park diverts the flow of 6th Street for two wooded city blocks bisected by State Street, which separates the city's eastern and western halves...

    , monument designed by Paul Philippe Cret
    Paul Philippe Cret
    Paul Philippe Cret was a French-American architect and industrial designer. For more than thirty years, he headed the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania.- Biography :...

    , in Erie
    Erie, Pennsylvania
    Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

    , Pennsylvania, 1925

  • Island Cemetery in Newport, RI, sculpture by William Greene Turner
    William Greene Turner
    -Life:Turner was born at Newport, Rhode Island, the son of James Varnum Turner and Catharine Turner .During his adult life Turner was a dentist before enlisting at the outbreak of the American Civil War...


  • In April 1925, Captain
    Captain (naval)
    Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

     Henry E. Lackey took the newly commissioned light cruiser
    Light cruiser
    A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...

     USS Memphis (CL-13)
    USS Memphis (CL-13)
    USS Memphis was an Omaha-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the fourth Navy ship named for the city of Memphis, Tennessee....

     and was the U.S. naval representative at the opening of the Oliver Hazard Perry Memorial Gateway in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

Eponymous ships


Commodore Perry has been repeatedly honored with ships bearing his name., a sailing brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...

 1843–1865.
  • USS Commodore Perry (1859) was an armed side wheel ferry built in 1859 by Stack and Joyce, Williamsburg, N.Y. and purchased by the Navy 2 October 1861; and commissioned later in the month, Acting Master F. J. Thomas was in command., Bainbridge-class
    Bainbridge class destroyer
    Officially designated as Torpedo Boat Destroyers when authorized by Congress in 1898, the Bainbridge-class destroyers were the first destroyers of the United States Navy, built from 1899 through 1903....

     destroyer
    Destroyer
    In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

     1900–1919., a
    Clemson-class
    Clemson class destroyer
    The Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...

     destroyer
    Destroyer
    In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

     converted into a high speed minesweeper
    Minesweeper (ship)
    A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...

     and re-designated DMS–17 effective 19 November 1940. Served 1921–1944; sunk in Battle of Peleliu
    Battle of Peleliu
    The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...

    .
  • Oliver Hazard Perry - USAT 2725 a Liberty ship
    Liberty ship
    Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...

    .
    See, List of Liberty ships: M-R., was a Gearing class destroyer
    Gearing class destroyer
    The Gearing class was a group of 98 destroyers built for the US Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the immediately preceding Allen M. Sumner class...

     1945–1970., a guided-missile frigate
    Frigate
    A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

     1976–1997 and Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
    Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
    The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of frigates named after the American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie...

    s are named in his honor.
    See also USS Perry
    USS Perry
    USS Perry may refer to the following United States Navy ships that are named for Oliver Hazard Perry:, a sailing brig 1843–1865.* USS Commodore Perry was an armed side wheel ferry built in 1859 by Stack and Joyce, Williamsburg, N.Y. and purchased by the Navy 2 October 1861; and commissioned later...

    .
  • SSV
    Tall ship
    A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....

     Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island Educational Tall ship
    Tall ship
    A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....

    . When completed, it will measure 207 feet (63.1 m), will be a three-masted Square-rigged vessel, making it the largest privately-owned tall ship in the United States. Scheduled to set sail in 2012, it is intended to be a long 'good will ambassador' for the State of Rhode Island, and a "floating classroom." It is being financed through a tax exempt 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, and public subscription. Ironically, "The ship, as it existed [when acquired by the Rhode Island trust was] a 138 feet (42.1 m) steel hull, which [was] bought from an organization in Ontario for $325,000. It had cost almost $3 million to build, but the Canadian group derailed before the ship--intended to be a replica of the [20 gun] British ship HMS Detroit [captured by the flotilla commanded by Commodore Perry -- not the six gun sloop HMS Detroit (1812) destroyed by Lieutenant
    Lieutenant
    A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

     Jesse D. Elliott in the War of 1812] -- could be completed."

Further reading


External links