Samuel Hambleton (naval officer)
| Samuel Hambleton | |
|---|---|
Purser Samuel Hambleton, from a chalk drawing by Saint-Mémin, c. 1806
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| Born | 1777 Talbot County, Maryland |
| Died | 1851 (aged 73–74) Talbot County, Maryland |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/ |
 United States Navy
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| Years of service | 1806-1832 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | |
Samuel Hambleton (1777–1851) was an officer in the United States Navy who served with distinction during the War of 1812.
Hambleton was born in 1777 in Talbot County, Maryland at "Martingham", an estate granted to his great-great-grandfather, William Hambleton, by Lord Baltimore in 1657. Entering the Navy and quickly becoming the first Purser of the Navy on 6 December 1806, he served as Acting Lieutenant in Lawrence during the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812. A detailed and avid journalist and letter-writer, Hambleton's wartime journal, housed at the Maryland Historical Society, has become one of the most-used primary sources by historians researching the Battle of Lake Erie.
Samuel Hambleton, being eight years older than Oliver Hazard Perry, became Perry's most trusted officer and confidant. In July, 1813, when Perry suggested to Hambleton that he needed a signal flag to let his fleet know when to engage their British counterparts, it was Samuel Hambleton who suggested using the words of Captain James Lawrence, "Don't Give Up The Ship." Perhaps not sure if reminding his men of Lawrence's death and the loss of his ship Chesapeake would be inspiring or demoralizing, Perry slept on the idea before agreeing to it the next day. Hambleton had the flag sewn by women of Erie, Pennsylvania and it was presented to Perry's captains the evening before the Battle of Lake Erie, and to his men aboard Lawrence on the day of the Battle. It would become the most famous battle flag in history.
During the battle, Perry's next-in-command, Captain Jesse Elliott, failed to bring his brig "Niagara" into range to engage the British fleet. As a result, Perry's brig, "Lawrence" sustained damage until it was a floating wreck. Perry and Hambleton together worked the last working gun aboard "Lawrence" until it, too, failed. With most of his men dead or wounded, Perry called for someone to lower the battle flag that Hambleton had designed, and then had his men row him through constant sniper fire (reportedly shooting one oar in half) back to the "Niagara", when he relieved Elliott of duty and took command. After sailing the fresh ship back into battle, he defeated the British fleet. He sent home the message penciled on the back of an envelope, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours...."
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