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At the time of the battle a few thousand people populated Cleveland and they knew from listening (( seventy miles away )) Perry had won because they could hear only the last guns going off were the big ones (( Niagara )) that only Perry had on the Niagara whose captain didn't follow the orders of battle (( close in combat only and they -- waiting for his demise )) which led to a long term fued that eventually ended in a duel!

Perry miraculously survived this betrayl ... the English ship had no undamaged skiff to board Perry --- but Perry had one left to take command of the Niagara. The winds shifting in his favor during the battle was a sign but earlier on when the English fleet was spotted and the American fleet left the Put in Bay island harbor to do battle on the way out of the harbor an Eagle soared off of the mast of the Lawrence and "God was with that man -- Perry" was what my mother said when she read the book I gave her -- exciting !

What was truly amazing how this fleet was built in the wilderness at Erie Pennsylvania ... supplied overland from Pittsburg (( just a village a hundred miles away )) and even from overland Buffalo because the English controlled the lake. Talk about supply lines from downstate New York -- East ! Ohio was barely a state by only a few years !

The 'harbor' at Erie was protected by a huge sandbar that exists to this day and the ships were seaworthy and free before they could be stopped.

The significance of the battle was the English fort at Detroit and their Indian allies could no longer be supplied and they had to evacuate to Canada. And in a very famous land 'battle' the English army (( never fired a shot -- somewhat liberated too )) was overtaken by Harrison (( later to become president )) and Perry .. Tecumseh was killed and all the 300 English soldiers were taken prisoners of war which was very instrumental in getting the English to accept a peace treaty which was their final acknowledgement of our independence.

On the lakeshore of Cleveland where I lived is a statue of Perry and a few cannons to commemorate what he and his fleet accomplished --- very little for a lot!

Even the English Captain who surrendered to Perry idolized Perry for his courage and achievement and he eventually had to face a messy inquiry and court martial back in England for what happened --- a great American victory by Perry at the battle of lake Erie !

Oh yeah ... the nuclear power plant east of Cleveland was named after him --- there was a 'bad (( 4 ))' earthquake there 15 years ago !