Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (August 20, 1785 - August 23, 1819) was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in He was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, the son of Captain Christopher Raymond Perry (December 4, 1760 - June 8, Educated in Newport, Rhode Island, Perry was appointed a midshipman on April 7, 1799 and assigned to his father's At his request during the War of 1812 he was given command of U.S. Naval forces on Lake Erie. He supervised the building While this opened Canada up to possible invasion, it simultaneously protected the entire Ohio Valley. It was one of only In 1819, during an expedition to the Orinoco River in Venezuela, he died of yellow fever contracted from mosquitos while
the War of 1812 against Britain and earned the sobriquet "Hero of Lake Erie" for leading American forces in a decisive
naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie. The city of Perrysburg, Ohio is named after him.
1818) and Sarah Wallace Alexander (1764 - December 4, 1830), and older brother to Matthew Calbraith Perry. Through their
maternal lineage, Oliver and Matthew were able to trace their ancestry back to William Wallace of Scotland.
frigate, General Greene. He first experienced combat on February 9, 1800 off Haiti. During the First Barbary War, he
served on the Adams and commanded Nautilus during the capture of Derna.
of a small fleet at what is now Erie County, Ohio. On September 10, 1813 Perry's fleet defended against an attacking
British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie. During the battle Perry's flagship the Lawrence was destroyed and Perry rowed
a half-mile through heavy gunfire to transfer command to the Niagara, carrying his battle flag which read "DONT GIVE UP
THE SHIP" [sic], the famous final words of Captain James Lawrence. His battle report to
William Henry Harrison after victory is famous: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one
schooner and one sloop".
two significant fleet victories of the war. See Battle of Plattsburgh for the other.
aboard the Nonsuch. His body was originally buried in Port of Spain, Trinidad but his remains were later reinterred in
Newport, Rhode Island. After briefly resting in the Old Common Burial Ground in Newport, his body was moved a final time
to Newport's Island Cemetery where his brother Matthew C. Perry is also buried.
Oliver Hazard Perry
The final words of Captain Lawrence painted onto the USS Lake Erie, seen here during a 2008 missile launch.
Closer veiw of words.