OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 271 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 271 Today's Topics: #1 Fw: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio ["Maggie Stewart" ] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from OH-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to OH-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #1 Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 19:32:26 -0400 From: "Maggie Stewart" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <01f801c01924$6e466c80$0300a8c0@local.net> Subject: Fw: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio -- The Great Lake Erie -Part 2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Darlene & Kathi kelley Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2000 2:58 PM Subject: Bio History -- Know Your Ohio -- The Great Lake Erie -Part 2 ****************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio Know Your Ohio by Darlene E.Kelley ****************************************************** Lake Erie is a gift-- A gift of the Glaciers. Bordered by Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario. It has 856 square miles of shoreline, giving it a surface area of just over 9,900 square miles. Though the Lake bottoms out at 210 feet, it averages only 62 feet deep. Because of the saucer-like shallowness, Lake Erie has gained a reputation among sailors of being quick to " kick up her heels," raising waves of frightening size in even a modest gale. Out of the five Great lakes, Lake Erie may well be the most used, most enjoyed, and the most loved. It supports the second largest sport fishery on all the lakes ( Lake Michigan being the first ) and contains well over 28 or more varieties of fish. At Erie's eastern tip, near Buffalo, N.Y., its water flows north into the NIagara River, racing downstream at 750,000 gallons per second. In a 35 mile stretch between Lake Erie ad Lake Ontario, the river elevation drops 326 feet, nearly 200 feet of it all at once-- At Nigara Falls, one of North America's natural wonders of the world. A few miles west of Niagara Falls lies the Welland Canal, containing along its 26 miles, eight locks that lower and lift cargo ships around the falls. After the falls, the rampaging river again swings east and empties into Lake Ontario. ****************************************************** The Real Battle of Lake Erie -- Continued-- Earlier in the season, Perry had named his flagship after Captain Lawrence, commander of the Chesapeake, then recently captured by the Shannon on the Atlantic instill another well thumbed chapter to be recorded in Herioc Deeds of American Sailors. Bringing the Lawrence, Niagara, Caledonia, Ariel, Scorpion, Somers, Porcupine, Tigris, and Trippe into line against the British line of Detroit, Queen, Charlotte, Lady Prevost, Hunter, Chipewa, and Little Bell, Perry took the blunt of the battle by engaging the Detroit, the enemy ship with the heaviest fire power, thus fighting broad pennet against broad pennet, commodore against commodore. Going into action, the twenty-seven year old leader had hoisted the burgee or battle flag, inscribed with large white letters on a blue background which could be read throughout the fleet: Don't Give Up The Ship. They were the last words of the dying Lawrence. Perry's squadron numbered nine vessels against the British six. but they had been so hastly built by trees along the Erie shore that it might well be said that the wood was still growing, and the enemy had a preponderance of sixty three guns to fifty four which concentrated on the flagship with the bold motto. "The Lawrence sustained a most dreadful fire; She fought three to one for two glasses or more; Whilst Perrey undaunted did firmly stand by her And on the proud foe heavy broadsides did pore. Her masts being shattered, her rigging all tattered, Her sails in ribbands, her wheel shot away, And few left on deck to manage the wreck, Our heroes on board her no longer could stay." According to Heroic Deeds of America Sailors, Perry's last words to the officer left in charge as the young commodore lowered himself away to be rowed over to the Niagara were: " Lieutenant Yarnell, sir, I leave it to your discretion to strike or not, but the American colors must not be pulled down over my head today." "There was one gallant act of our noble commander, Whilst writing my song I shall notice with pride; When launching the smack that carried his standard, A ball whistled through her quite close by his side. Says Perrey those villians intend sure to dround us, But push on, my brave boys, you need never fear; And then with his coat he plugged up the boat, And through sulphour and fire away he did steer." The prose version of this historic transfer from one vessel to another in the midst of battle is somewhat as follows: When Commodore Perry left the Lawrence, there were but himself, his little brother, and fourteen men alive and unhurt on board. He jumped into the boat with eight stout seamen at the oars, and put off at thirty minutes after two. He stood erect in the stern of the boat, and the British saw it as, with the zealous men at the oars, the little craft sprang away like a race horse. A shower of grape, cannister and bullets flew about him, but he heeded them not till, at the entreating tears of his crew, he finally sat down, and quickly the boat reached the Niagara. "The famed Niagara, now proud of her Perrey, Displayed all her banners in gallent array; Full twenty five guns on her deck she did carry, Which soon put an end to the sad , bloody fray." Perry ran up his pennant and hoisted the signal for close action. Loud cheers resounded from every vessel in the squadron, as, under full press of sail, he bore down upon the British line and broke thruogh between the Hunter and the Detroit at half pistol shot, taking the Lady Prevost with his broadside port and the entangled Detroit and Queen Charlotte and his full starboard broadside. In the vernicular of Historic Deeds of American Sailors, British Commadore Barclay went down with a desperate wound aboard the Detrot and many shrieks told of the destruction the guns had wrought. The decks of the Lady Prevost were swept, and Perry luffed athhwart the bows of the Detroit and Lady Charlotte. " The bold British Lion now roared his last thunder, When Perrey attacked him close on his rear; The American Eagle soon made him coush under And roar out for quarters as soon shall hear. O had you been there I vow and declare That such a grand sight you had nere saw before, When six bloody fags that no longer could wag Were laid at the feet of our Commodore." Perry sent the report to William Henry Harrison on the mainland as folows; " Dear General: We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." Then the postscript; " Send us some soldiers to help take care of the prisoners, who are more numerous than ourselves." " The whole British fleet was captured complete; Not a single vessel from us got away; And prisoners some hundreds, Columbians wondered To see them all ankered and moored in the bay.' Students of history have noted dissension between the beardless Commodore and his first Captain; but boys, including the grown up kind, and ballads are hero-worshippers and not defamers of Character; " Brave Elliot whose vallour must now be recorded, On board the brave Somers so well played his part; His gallant assistance, to Perrey afforded, Will place him the second on Lake Erie chart. 'Twas delightful to see those noble commanders Imbracing each other when the battle was ore, And viewin with pride those invincible standards That never had yielded to any before. Says Perrey, Brave Elliott, give me your hand, Sir, This day you have gained immortal renoun; And as long as Columbia Lake Erie Commands, Sirs, Let brave Elliott with Laurels be crowned." The last two lines in the middle stanza were correct. The Battle of Lake Erie marked the only occasion in history whe an entire British fleet, commanded by a veteran of Trafalgar, surrendered to any enemies flotilla. No wonder the ballad crowed until the whole backwoods echoed: " Great Britton may boast of her conquering heroes, Her Rodneys, her Nelsuns, and all the old crewe; But Rome in her glory nere teald such a storey, Nor boasted such feats as Columbians can do." Considering the ratio of population, the ballad of Perry's victory outsold any popular recording of today. It was still a prime favorite at country fairs and other festivals half a century later. Patriots took the song to heart because of the naval engagement on Lake Erie represented a decisive triumph for them. It meant that the Northwest Territory and the Mississppi Valley should be American, not British, and that the United States should extend from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico instead of being fenced in perhaps on the borders of Ohio. It nullified the victories of the Canadians and their great Algonquin allie Tecumseh at Detroit, Fort Dearborn, and MacKinnac, and restored control of the Lakes to Uncle Sam, thus insuring that the hundreds of thousands of immigrants about to people the heartland of the continent would largely sail and settle under the stars and stripes; " May heaven still smile on the shades of those heroes Who fought with brave Perrey, whose cannons did roar, And checked the proud spirit of those murdering Neroes Who waited to make us base slaves evermore. Then everyone sing till we make the woods ring! Let us toast our brave heroes by land and by sea; While Brittons drink sherry, Columbians drink Perrey To the land of the brave and the home of the free." Another far reaching outcome of the Lake Erie triumph was the agreement suggested by President Monroe in the peace terms, an agreement that might well be called the Monroe Doctrine of fresh water; " The naval force to be maintained upon the American lakes by his Majesty and the Government of the United States shall henceforth be confined to the following vessels on each side; that is-- " On Lake Ontario to one vessel, not exceeding 100 tons burden, and armed with one eighteen pound cannon. On the upper lakes to two vessels, not exceeding like burden each, and armed with like force. " All other armed vessels on those lakes shall be forthwith dismantled and no other vesel of war shall be there built or armed." Today no armed vessels patrol the waters of Lakes split down the middle with two thousand miles of International boundary line. The only war making forces on the Great Lakes are the elements, and they continue to be more destructive than any battle ever fought on fresh water. The total loss suffered by Commodore Perry's flotilla was thirty killed. three less victims than the Carl D. Bradley claimed a century and a half later. The British losses were 41 killed, not even half enough to rank with the least of Lake Eries major disasters. The war of man against the sea has no peace terms but unconditional surrender, no armistice save death. The real battle of Lake Erie goes on, day and night, around the clock. ****************************************************** to be continued in part 3. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2000 19:09:31 -0700 From: "B. June Babcock" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <39B84A5B.97299B6@ajo.net> Subject: RE: HAMILTON CO., Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Can any one tell me what is on the web for Hamilton Co., looking for death index, emigration, and naturalization, any thing else. Thanks, June GELVIN/GELVEN/GILVIN/PRIMMER/THOMAS/PUTMAN/HANCOCK/TOWNSLEY/NORRIS -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V00 Issue #271 *******************************************