Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
The Hero of Lake Erie
Born	(1785-08-23)August 23, 1785 South Kingstown, Rhode Island
Died	August 23, 1819(1819-08-23) (aged 34) Trinidad
Place of burial	Island Cemetery, Newport, Rhode Island
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1799–1819
Rank	Commodore
Commands held	USS Nautilus USS Revenge U.S. Naval Forces, Lake Erie – USS Lawrence – USS Niagara USS Nonsuch USS Java
Battles/wars	Quasi-War with France Haitian Revolution First Barbary War – Battle of Derna War of 1812 – Battle of Lake Erie – Battle of the Thames River
Awards	Congressional Gold Medal
Relations	Christopher Perry (father) Sarah Perry (mother) Raymond Henry Jones Perry (brother) Matthew Calbraith Perry (brother) James Alexander Perry (brother) Nathaniel Hazard Perry (brother) Sarah Wallace Perry (sister) Anna Marie Perry Rodgers (sister) Jane Tweedy Perry Butler (sister)

Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was an American naval commander, born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He was the son of United States Navy Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and of Sarah Wallace Alexander, and the older brother of Commodore Matthew C. Perry.

Perry served in the West Indies during the Quasi War of 1798-1800 against France, in the Mediterranean during the Barbary Wars of 1801-1815, and in the Caribbean fighting piracy and the slave trade, but is most noted for his heroic role in the War of 1812 during the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie. During the war against Britain, Perry supervised the building of a fleet at Erie, Pennsylvania. He earned the title "Hero of Lake Erie" for leading American forces in a decisive naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, 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 victory was a turning point in the battle for the west in the war. He is remembered for the words on his battle flag, "Don't Give Up the Ship" and his message to General William Henry Harrison which reads in part, "We have met the enemy and they are ours; ..."

Perry became embroiled in a long-standing and bitter controversy with the commander of USS Niagara, Captain Jesse Elliott, over their conduct in the Battle of Lake Erie, and both were the subject of official charges. In 1815, he successfully commanded Java in the Mediterranean during the Second Barbary War. So seminal was his career that he was lionized in the press (being the subject of scores of books and articles). He has been frequently memorialized, and many places, ships and persons have been named in his honor.