PERRY, OLIVER HAZARD (1785-1819). A distinguished American naval officer. He was born at South Kingston, R. I., and received his education partly from his mother and partly in private schools in Newport and elsewhere. lie entered the navy as a midshipman in 1799. served in the war against Tripoli. and in 1807 was com missioned lieutenant. In 1811, as commander of the schooner Revenge, he had the misfortune to lose his vessel off Watch Flill, R. 1., hut a court of inquiry, which at his request investigated the circumstances connected with the wreck, reported him guiltless of any neglect of duty. During the first few months of the War of 1812 Perry eommanded a flotilla of gunboats in Newport Harbor, but was later transferred to Harbor, N. Y., and thence was soon ordered to Presque Isle (now Erie) to take charge of the construction of a fleet, with which time Americans hoped to wrest from the British the control of Lake Erie. By great exertions he suc ceeded by the end of the summer of 1813 in build ing and manning a squadron of nine vessels, with which, on the 10th of September. he won the celebrated battle of Lake Erie. (See ERIE. BAT TLE OF LAKE.) He was then able very materially to assist General Harrison in the operations cul minating in the battle of the Thames. As a reward for Perry's brilliant victory, he received from Congress a vote of thanks, a gold medal, and the rank of captain. By the people he was re garded as one of the chief heroes of the war, and his laconic despatch announcing his success is to day known to every American. Later a very
bitter controversy arose between Perry and Elliott, the commander of the Niagara, one of Perry's vessels, over the question of whether Elliott did his duty in supporting the flagship. A court of inquiry, called at Elliott's request, made a somewhat ambiguous report. Subsequently Perry preferred charges against Elliott. but no action was ever taken upon them by the Navy Department. After the close of the war Perry was placed in command of the frigate Java, and cruised with Decatur's squadron in the Mediterranean. In 1819 he was sent with a small squadron to the West Indies to protect American commerce against pirates. While performing this duty, he was seized with yellow fever, and died on his birthday, the 23d of August, 1819. He was buried with military honors at Port of Spain, Trinidad, but 'in 1826 his body was, by order of Con gress, removed in the sloop-of-war Lexington to Newport, where it was re-interred with great honors. The State of Rhode Island later erected a granite monument to his memory. and there are also statues of him at Newport, and at Cleve land, Ohio. His life has been written by Niles (Hartford, 1820), by Mackenzie (NeW' York, 1843), by James Fenimore Cooper ( in Lives of Distinguished American Naval Officers, Auburn, N. Y.). and by Barnes (New York, 1898).