war of 1812 commemorative edition

7/28/2019 War of 1812 Commemorative Edition

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A s Mayor of the CitofFremont it is anhonor for metoparticipate in the

celebration of theBicen-tennial of the Battle ofFort Stephenson, whichhas beendescribed as “thGettysburgofthe Warof1812 in the OldNorthwest;”themaximumpoint of pene-tration by the

British intothe Ohio coun-try. It also hasbeenmyprivilege tobe apart of the collaborationthemany volunteers andorganizationswithin ourcommunity in theproduction of this celebration.

Twohundred years agabout160 isolated regulasoldiers andmilitiamenwere inside a small, rect-angular stockade fort lo-cated inwhat is now ourcity. They were surround

edby1,500British reg-ulars andAmerican Indi-ans, with an additional2,000 Indians in the nearbwoodlands.TheBritishhad four cannons facingthe fort and additionalcannons onBritish war-ships anchored on theSanduskyRiver less thanmileaway.

The Battle of FortStephensonbeganaround5 p.m.Aug. 2,1813,withaintermittent artillerybom

bardment of the fort. Itended 24 hours later afteBritish regulars,whohadadvanced through heavymusket fire to a trenchthat had beendug alongthe fort’s northwest face,weremet by the firing oftwo double-charged can-ister shots fromthe fort’sonly cannon, “Old Betsy.”

In celebrating the

FREMONT

PART

OF WAR

OF 1812

Jim Ellis

SeeELLIS, Page

“We havemet the enemy andtheyare ours.

Two ships, two brigs, oneschooner& onesloop.

Yours, with great respectandesteem….O.H. Perry”

Twohundred yearshave passedsincethose famedwordswere scribbled on thebackofanold letterbyMasterComman-

dantOliverH.Perry after hisvictory over the British in theBattle ofLakeErie. Ofcourse,today, all of those associatedwith the battle have longsince

died, and for manyAmericansthe temporal distance fromthese events has allowed themfade into obscurity. At Perry’sVictory andInternationalPeaceMemorial, however, thememoryof thesemen is literally etchedin stone.That iswhy onSept. 10,hundreds fromCanadaand theUnitedStateswill gather atPerry’s Victory to honor thefallen and to celebratethe long-lasting peace betweenourcoun-try’smost loyal allies—Canada

andGreatBritain.TheNational Park Service,

like other federal agencies,recently took a financial blowthat further decreasedthe

park’s budget,whichmay leadsometowonderwhyweare spend-ing our limitedfiscal resourcescommemoratinganevent fewAmericansun-derstandor evenknowabout. Ina

nutshell, because it’s what wedo. Asemployees of anagencycharged by the Americanpeo-plewith preserving andprotect-ingournation’s special places,we areAmerica’s story tellers,andthrough these real-life sto-rieswehonor the pastand in-spire thenext generation.

Long beforemy28-yearcareerwith the National ParkService began,historywas abunch of dreadful factsandfigures withlittlemeaning tomydaily life. And—pardonmefor being honest—boring.

However, the DGUTS flag (asfondly taggedbyUSS LakeErie

sailors) changed all that.Asa young person facingpersonal obstacles, I related tothe “Don’tGiveUpThe Ship”flag andCommodorePerry’sunfailingdeterminationto tri-umphagainst great odds in theBattle ofLakeErie. DGUTSsparkedmypassion for learningaboutAmerica’s heroesand ledmetoa rewarding career in thenational parks—chock-full ofpersonal storieswaiting to bediscovered.

It is these real-life storiesmystaff and I are determined tohighlightduringtheBicentenni-al of the BattleofLakeErie.Manypeopleknowabout Per-ry’s actionsduringthebattle,but few realize his acts ofex-traordinarykindnessoff thebattlefield helpedshapedthelong-lasting peacebetweenGreat Britain and the UnitedStates weall enjoytoday. Afterthe Battleof the Thames inOctober1813, “the airwas

TELLING THE HISTORY OF PERRY

See STRANSKY, Page 3S

BlancaAlvarezStransky

This is a joint product of the News-Messenger in Fremont and the Port Clinton News Herald

Banks DishmonGeneral Manager

Jill Nevels-HaunManaging Editor

Vince GuerrieriSection Editor

Daniel Carson, Chike Erokwu,Catharine Hadley, JamesProffitt, Kristina SmithStaff writers

Jonathon BirdStaff photographer

CONTENTS

2-3Columns by Jim Ellis& Blanca AlvarezStransky

4The replica of Fort

Stephenson

5The history of theFort Stephensonmonument

6Peninsular Farms andits tie to the Battle of Fort Stephenson

7A look back at theFort Stephensonsesquicentennial in1963

8

Like the sesquicen-tennial, the bicenten-nial will featurespecial coins

9Photos from thebicentennial of FortMeigs in Perrysburg

10Story of the Battleof Fort Stephenson

11Schedule of eventsfor Fort Stephen-

son Bicentennial

12-13Map of historiclocations through-out northwestOhio and south-eastern Michigan

14Schedule of eventsfor Battle of LakeErie Bicentennial

15Story of the Battleof Lake Erie

16

Building theAmerican fleet

17-18Big crowds antici-pated for thebicentennialweekend

17The U.S. Mint hasmade a quartercommemoratingthe battle and themonument

19Exhibits on theWar of 1812throughout Ohio

20Nearly a yearbefore the Battleof Lake Erie, theMarbleheadPeninsula was thesite of a battle inthe War of 1812

21A local womanhas written achildren’s book

about the War of 1812

22The War of 1812monument onGibraltar Island

WAR OF 1812 | Commemorative Edition

The cover,by Gil Gonzalezof the Ruther-ford B. HayesPresidential Center, showssome of theimportant sitesand people inthe War of 1812 in North-west Ohio.Clockwise fromtop right: Amap of theLake ErieIslands; portraits of Oliver Hazard Perry and GeorgeCroghan; Old Betsy, the cannon used in defense of Fort Stephenson; a diagram of Fort Stephenson; thebrig Niagara, which became Perry’s flagship duringthe Battle of Lake Erie and Perry’s Victory monu-ment in Put-in-Bay.



K

(filled) with sobs and lamenta-tions” from the children andwomen of the defeated Britisharmy, according to DianneGraves, author of “In the Midstof Alarms The Untold Story ofWomen and The War of 1812.”Shortly after this key battle,

Perry learned about a youngBritish widow with a pair oftwin babies from Amherstburgwithout any means to travelhome safely. Instead of ignoringher plight, Perry sent her mon-ey for food, clothing and to buypassage back home. The benefi-ciary of his generosity de-scribed him as “an angel ofmercy to me and my poorbabies.”

Perry’s decision to burythe three British officers along-side American officers at

Put-in-Bay after the battlewould eventually result in thecreation of America’s only inter-national peace memorial in theNational Park Service — Perry’sVictory and International PeaceMemorial.

There also are little-known

stories of hardship and betrayal.The African-American story inthe War of 1812 is a heart-break-ing taleof people choosing the lessor oftwo evils in their quest for free-dom only to be denied at the endof the war. According to GeneSmith in “The Slaves’ Gamble:Choosing Sides in the War of1812,” American Gen. AndrewJackson recruited plantationslaves for his army with the

promise of “if the battle isfought and the victory gained …you shall be free.” Even thoughpraised for their bravery, Jack-son refused to grant the slavesfreedom because “he could nottake another man’s property andset it free.”

Thanks to the renewed in-terest in the “forgotten war,”many untold stories are comingto light. Last summer, my staffand I stumbled on a mass grave-site for War of 1812 prisoners ofwar in Halifax, called Dead-

man’s Island. The tree-coveredhillside is the final resting placefor about 200 Americans and anunknown number of U.S. slaveswho perished from smallpox.Few Americans know of itsexistence, and fewer yet visitthe site. In the 1990s, this hal-

lowed ground was in danger ofbeing developed, but theDaughters of the War of 1812,Canadian groups and othersintervened. The site is nowbeing preserved and definitelyworth a visit.

As a national park superin-tendent, I have dedicated mylife to the telling of real-lifestories because regardless ofhow much time has passed, theactions of past generations

will forever be relevant to us —as Americans. I tell these sto-ries because history is morethan facts and figures. It is amemory, a memory of realpeople who faced unimaginableperils in their quest for a betterfuture. That future is now.

I hope the stories of thepeople who lived during theWar of 1812 resonate with you,fueling a sense of pride andgeneral interest in our nation’shistory, because we still benefitfrom their sacrifices. Let’s not

forgot all who sacrificed theirlives for the betterment offuture generations.

BlancaAlvarez StranskySuperintendent

Perry’s Victory and International Peace

Memorial

Stransky Continued from Page 2S

Bicentennial of the Battof Fort Stephenson, weremember the bravery,resourcefulness and dedcation of the ordinarypeople inside the fort wfaced great odds beforeprevailing over their

attackers.These qualities and t

spirit of the fort’s defeners have long been cele-brated in our communit

They have helped tobuild and sustain ourcity over the last twocenturies.

Old Betsy now sits onthe site of the battle, notonly as a reminder of oupast, but as a symbol ofthe continuing resourcefulness and resilience

of our citizens in facingthe challenges of todayand pursuing new opportunities for the better-ment of us all.

JimElMayor, City of Frem

EllisContinued from Page 2S



FREMONT—

Visitors to the FortStephenson Bicenten-nial festival in Augustwill get to see a recre-ation of the fort itself,

thanks to the work of one of theevent’s organizers, a local con-struction company and studentsat Vanguard Tech Center.

A replica early 19th centuryfort, much like the one de-fended by Col. George Croghanand his American troops, will beassembled on the festival site indowntown Fremont.

It won’t have the exact same

dimensions as the one inhabitedby Croghan during the War of1812, and modern regulationsand fire codes would not alloworganizers to enclose thestructure.

Fort Stephenson BicentennialCommission chairwoman Kath-erine Rice said the fort replicawill be a facade and turn a cor-ner, with the outside resemblinga blockhouse.

George Keller, vice chairmanof the commission, presentedthe concept to Fremont fire

Chief David Foos. He said thefort could not be enclosed be-cause, otherwise, it would fallunder state regulations. Kellersaid the idea of putting are-creation of the fort at the

festival was done with the ideait would be a prop.

In spite of that, Keller saidthat festival-goers will get avisual idea of what soldierslived in and defended in the19th century in what was thencalled Lower Sandusky.

“We’re trying to get it tolook like as much like a fort as

we possibly can,” Keller said.The actual Fort Stephensonwas about 350 feet square,Keller said, with a blockhouse.

A partial replica of the19th century fort has beenconstructed with the aid ofVanguard Technical Centerstudents and Mosser Construc-tion.

Keller said he contactedJohn Van Doren, Vanguard’sinstructor, about working onthe project. The 8-by-8-foot fort

sections built by Vanguardstudents have been stored be-

hind the carpentry buildingduring the summer.

“We’re doing it in sectionKeller said.

Van Doren and the Van-guard students got the basicframework of the fort replicompleted and six of the 20sections done before schoolended in the spring, Kellersaid.

The height of the originafort was estimated to be abo15 feet, Keller said, with guportals built into the wall atshoulder height. The replicawill be about eight feet tall.

“There was always talk osomething being there reprsenting the fort. Initially we

didn’t know what it would bKeller said.

With no sawmills in the aKeller had to search for thematerial he wanted to use othe project. He saw some 12foot bundles of tree trimminnear Oak Harbor and was ato pick through those to getbuilding material he needed

Keller said Mosser Con-struction will help him complete construction on the foreplica when they get thestructure on-site at the Fort

Stephenson festival, with thfort being about 100 feet lonMosser Construction wil

move the completed sectionfrom Vanguard to the festivsite before completing workthe fort, Keller said.

He said the company doework on a couple of commuprojects like the fort replicannually.

Mayor Jim Ellis also is acommission member and hakept Fremont City Councilup-to-date on the festival anprojects such as the fort

replica.Ellis said he thought the

replica would be popular wfestival visitors.

dacarson@gannet

419-334

Twitter: @DanielCar

REPLICA FORT MODELED

AFTER ORIGINAL STRUCTURE

The Fort Stephenson Bicentennial Festival will include a replica of the

19th century fort, which stood in what is now downtown Fremont. Thissection replica is shown at Vanguard Tech Center, where studentshelped construct part of the fort for the festival. DANIELCARSON/CENTRALOHIO.COM

ByDaniel CarsonStaff writer

The Fort Stephenson Bicentennial Festival will includean 8-foot-tall replica of the original fort. This drawingshows the original 19th century fort, where Americantroops battled the British in the War of 1812.



The impressive statuethat stands on thegrounds of BirchardPublic Library inFremont is not sim-ply a tribute toCol.

George Croghan, thecommand-er of Fort Stephenson.

AlthoughCroghan is buried

at the site and the fort stoodthere, the statue represents allwhoserved.

In fact, itwas erected anddedicatedmorethan twodecadesbefore Croghanwasburied there.

At the time itwas conceived,the statuewas to“perpetuate thememoryof thesoldierswhode-fendedFort Ste-

phenson, thosewho served inthe Union Armyduring therebellionand thosewhofoughtin the warwithMexico.” It hascome to be a symbol honoringallwho served.

Andit wasand is trulyanhonor from thecommunity.

In1882, the EugeneA.Raw-son Postof the Grand ArmyoftheRepublic established a com-mittee to promote a project tohonor fallen soldiers— andwhat a committee itwas.Among its members were theformer president, RutherfordB.Hayes and Civil War heroGen. RalphP. Buckland.

That fall, votersof Sandusky

County resoundingly approveda tax to support the construc-tion of a soldiersmonument.Thenext year, a MonumentalAssociationwas incorporatedandplanswere approved.Then,onAug.1, 1885, the 44-foot highmonumentwasunveiled beforea crowd estimated atmore than15,000 people.

Theceremony included a

paradeof thousandsof partpants,marching from Park(thenMainStreet) and StateFront to Birchard, backwesMonroeand then down Crogto the site.

In addition to local and adignitaries,U.S. senators, aformergovernor andnumer

military leaders were on hafor theunveiling.

At the top of themonumeisan8-foot tall soldier at parade rest. At themonumentbase are inscriptions that tethe tale of its widescope ofmemorials.

On the north side, it says“To him who hathBorne theBattleand to hisWidowandOrphans. Erected by thepeof SanduskyCounty, 1885.”

Theeast side points speccally to the Civil War years,while the south sidehonorsvictory at Fort Stephenson.the west, the G.A.R. badgerecognizes theefforts of thaorganizationand theaccomnying inscription delivers th

CROGHAN’S RE-BURIAL WAS AN EVENT

Thousands of people turned out for the burial of Col. George Croghanon the grounds of Birchard Public Library on Aug. 2, 1906. NEWS-MESSENGER

FILE PHOTO

See CROGHAN, Page

RoyWilhelm



Once known as theWhittaker Reserve, PeninsFarms has long been a parlocal history and often asource of mystery.

Don Miller has genero

opened the gates of thisbeautiful and important htoric grounds for tours duthe Bicentennial CelebratiThe bus tour will depart frthe festival grounds near tcorner of Park and Courtstreets. Tickets are limited506 seats total. Tours onAug. 4 will begin at10 a.m11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 3 p.mand 4 p.m. Tours on Aug. will begin at10 a.m., 11 a.noon, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Tickets are $5 each andcan be purchased at theSandusky County Conventand Visitors Bureau Office712 North St.

Office hours are 8 a.m.4:30 p.m. Monday througThursday from 8 a.m. to4 p.m. Friday. For details, c419-332-4470.

PENINSULAR

FARMS OPENS

TO TOURS

S

ANDUSKYTOWNSHIP

—KidnappedbyAmericanIndians as a

child, ElizabethWhit-taker grewupwithaWyandot tribe and

knewAmerican Indian languageandcustoms.So itwasn’tdifficult for her

to learn fromAmerican Indianswhowere British allies theBrit-ish planned toattackFortSte-phenson inFremont,knownback then asLowerSandusky,during theWarof1812.Whittakerwent toFort Ste-

phenson— today the siteofBirchardPublicLibrary— and

warnedCol.George CroghantheBritishwere coming.Crogh-anand his troopsheld the fortanddefeated theBritishonAug.2, 1813.“Itwasassertedandbelieved

thatMrs.Whittaker personallyattendedandsupervised thedigging of thetrench,which

provedso fatal to the enemy atFortStevenson(sic),”wroteJuliaMyers ofSanduskyCountyinanundated swornstatementregardingWhitaker’swill. “Mrs.Whittaker related these thingsatmyfather’s store and a greatmanyother thingsrelative tothis subject,which I cannot now

remember.”TheBritishsuspectedWhit-takerhadhelpedtheAmericans.Astheywere leaving town, theyburneddown herhouse, tradingpost, otherbuildings, fences anddestroyed anorchard locatedat

HISTORIC PROPERTY HAS TIES TO

WAR OF 1812 BATTLE IN FREMONTBy Kristina SmithWatchdog/enterprise reporter

This race horse was one of many raised on Peninsular Farms until the1950s. The barn shown here still stands on the property. PHOTOSUBMITTED

BY THERUTHERFORDB. HAYESPRESIDENTIALCENTER

SeeFARM,Page7S



what isknown today asPenin-sularFarms, off Old PortClintonRoad,according todocuments onfile at theRutherfordB.HayesPresidential Center.

Thepropertywasthefirstwhite settlement inOhio, accord-ingto theHayesCenter.

“This is reallyOhiohistoryhere,”said stateRep.RexDamschroder,R-Fremont.

PeninsularFarms iswhatre-mainsof the1,288-acreWhittakerReserve,saidprop-erty ownerDonMiller, 86,wholiveson thefarm.Penin-sularFarmscom-prises488acres, hesaid. ItwillbeopenfortoursduringtheFortStephensonbicentennialcelebration.

JamesWhittaker—whose namealsohasbeen spelledWhitakerinhistori-cal records—was brought to thearea inthe1780sasa captive oftheWyandot tribe,according toSanduskyCountyScrapbook, ahistorywebsite runbyarea li-braries.

Heand Elizabethhadbeencapturedseparately inPennsylva-

niaandmarriedafterbeingadoptedby theWyandots, accord-ingtoMillerandHayesCenterrecords.TheWyandots later gavethem thereserve,where theysettled.

TheWhittakers areburiednear thesite of theirhomestead.Buriednext to themisaRevolu-tionaryWar soldiercapturedbytheWyandots andleft at theWhit-takers’ home,wherehedied ofillness, saidRayGrob ofFremont,a friend ofMiller’s whois familiarwiththeproperty.

In1929, JohnJ.Mooneyboughttheland andraisedharness racehorses there.Healso renovatedthefarmhousethere,which todayisMiller’s home.

After hedied in1950, his sontook over ownershipof thelandbut did not spendmuchtimethereormaintainthebuildings,Millersaid.

“Thefarmbecamecompletelyrundown,”Miller said. “Itwasspookytodriveback thereat

night.”In thelate ’70s,Millerbought

theland andbeganrepairing thelarge farmhouse.Heranthebulldozerhimself andtook downotherbuildingson theproperty that haddecayed toomuch tobe saved.

TheMooneyfamilywantedtopreserve thelandand habitat onthefarm, andMiller saidhehascontinuedthat.

In 2001,Millersigneda conservationeasementwithBlackSwampConservancythat ensures thefarmwillremainundevel-oped,even byfutureowners.

The landstretches nearly3milesalongtheSanduskyRiver.Theproperty juts out into theriverandis surrounded bywateronthree sides,which ishow itgotthePeninsular Farms name.

At least one pairofbaldeaglesnest on theproperty.Miller has

invited birdwatcherstovisit thefarmduringtheBiggestWeek inAmericanBirding,which takesplaceeveryyear inMay, to lookforwarblersandotherbirds.Somehavecomefromasfar asEngland,Grobsaid.

“It’s fantastic,”Grob said oftheproperty. “It’s so unusualbecauseof thethreemilesofriverfront. That sets it apart fromalmosteverything.”

[email protected]

419-334-1044 or 419-734-7521

Twitter:@kristinasmithNM

FarmContinued from Page 6S

John J. Mooney ownedPeninsular Farms untilhe died in 1950. PHOTOSUBMITTEDBY THE

RUTHERFORDB. HAYES

PRESIDENTIALCENTER

Thousands of people attended festivities in downtown Fremontthe Fort Stephenson Sesquicentennial celebration in 1963. PHOTOCOURTESY RUTHERFORDB. HAYES PRESIDENTIALCENTER

LOOKING BACK

Miss America Jackie Mayer ginto a car before the FortStephenson sesquicentenniaparade in Fremont in 1963.

One part of the Fort Stephensonsesquicentennial celebration inFremont in 1963 was that menhad to grow beards or facebeing thrown in “jail.”



deemed by merchants for cash.“It really stirred things up,” McGrad

said.Gerry Gonya, owner of Harvey Oaks

Jewelers and vice president of DowntowFremont, remembered the excitement othe coins for the sesquicentennial, and she hopes for the same kind of buzz for tbicentennial.

“I probably still have a couple buriedsomewhere in the house,” he said of thesesquicentennial coins.

FREMONT—At the Fort Stephensonbicentennial, people will be en-couraged to take wooden nickels.

Downtown Fremont Inc. willpass out 1,000 wooden nickels,made locally by Berlekamp

Plastics, for redemption at downtownmerchants.

“We wanted people to see the bicenten-

nial, but also to see the downtown mer-chants,” said Kristie Bilger, DowntownFremont executive director.

Bilger said the wooden nickels werean idea they thought would fit in withthe time period being represented. It’salso a hearkening back to the Fort Ste-

phenson sesquicentennial, when specialcoins were issued.

People purchased commemorative halfdollars, which they used to barter amongeach other and spend at the many shops in

the area, Fremont resi-dent Jim McGrady

said. The coinswere backed by

money at localbanks, andcould be re-

8

touching message: “Vacantplaces at our camp-fires mute-ly tell of comrades dead, fallenin the time of duty, where theneeds of battle led.”

While the statue recognizesCroghan, who was a major atthe time of the battle of FortStephenson, he was not buriedthere until 21 years later.

Through efforts of Col.Webb C. Hayes, second son ofthe former president, withassistance from others, in-cluding the War Department,Croghan’s remains were locat-

ed in Locust Grove, Ky. Crogh-an had died of cholera Jan. 8,1849, in New Orleans and hisbody was sent to the familyburial ground in Kentucky.

Communications fromHayes to descendants ofCroghan led to the site andapproval for the reburial inFremont. The body was re-turned to Fremont in June 1906and lay in state at city hall forthe public to pay respects tothe hero of Fort Stephenson. It

men can, that it is not wordsthat win victories, but it isdeeds that accomplish them.”

Later, he added, “It wasCol. Croghan and his 160 men

who won one of the most im-portant victories … that isrecorded in American history.”

Gov. Andrew L. Harris andE.O. Randall, secretary of theOhio Archeological and His-torical Society, also spoke.

The ceremonies were pre-

ceded by a parade that wasreported to have included1,200 people, including miliand civic groups and more300 veterans.

The evening events inclued a reception at the Hayeshome and the Venetian speccle, which saw gaily decoraboats proceed down the rivsurrounded by Japanese laterns on both banks.

It was a day to remembe

CroghanContinued from Page 5S

WOODEN NICKELS WILL MARK BICENTENNIAL

The wooden nickels, made by Berlekamp Plastics ofFremont, will be distributed during the Fort Stephensonbicentennial and can be redeemed at local businesses.PROVIDEDPHOTO

was then removed to a vaultat Oakwood Cemetery, whereit remained until the re-interment ceremony Aug. 2.

The local newspapers

were filled with history andCroghan-related news on thefirst few days of August andpublic and private propertiesthroughout the city were deco-rated for the event.

The ceremony on the anni-versary of the battle was amonumental tribute to the heroof Fort Stephenson. The Aug. 3,1906, Fremont Daily Newsestimated 25,000 peopleattended.

The ceremonies carried onthroughout the day, beginningwith a sunrise salute and end-

ing with a Venetian carnival onthe Sandusky River.

Featured speaker for theevent was U.S. Vice PresidentCharles W. Fairbanks. Afterspeaking of Croghan’s defianceto the British when they de-manded surrender and thecourage of the young majorand his troops, he said, “I donot want to talk longer than ittook George Croghan to lickthe British and savages here.He illustrated better than any



O ver the weeken

of May 5 and 6

Fort Meigs cel

brated the bice

tennial of its siege — an

event that precipitated t

siege of Fort Stephenso

— with living history ana re-enactment.

Photos by Elizabeth Raymo



On Aug.1, 1813,En-signEdmundShipp,anaidetoU.S.ArmyMaj.GeorgeCrogh-an, metwith Britishenvoys under the

command ofGen. HenryProc-torand American Indianscom-manded byShawneeChiefTe-cumseh.Croghanwas com-mander ofFort Stephenson, anoutpost on theSanduskyRiver,and the fortwas surroundedby1,400British troops and Amer-ican Indians who demanded thefortbe surrendered.

An Indian tried to takeShipp’s sword, whichwas seenbyCroghan,who had his answerfor theenemy.

“Shipp, come in, and wewill

blowthemall to hell,” hesaid.Inside Fort Stephensonwereabout 160men and just onecannon, “Old Betsy,” a Spanishsix-pounder capturedby theBritish and used in the Frenchand IndianWar, and then cap-tured byAmericans in the Rev-olutionaryWar. Croghanhadtaken command of the outpostthe previous month.Hegradu-ated fromthe College ofWil-liamandMary, and intendedtostudy law, but became a volun-teer aide toWilliamHenryHar-rison ashe fought in the Battle

ofTippecanoe before theonsetof theWarof1812.

Whenwar broke out withGreatBritain, Croghanwascommissioned as a captain ofthe 17thInfantryandwas senttoFortDetroit,which was to bethe staging area for a potentialinvasion of Canada. ButDetroitsurrendered to theBritish with-out a shot being fired, andCroghanwent instead to FortDefiance.

From Fort Defiance, hewent

toFortMeigs,where hedis-tinguishedhimself as thefortheld offseveral British attacks.He thenwent toFort Stephen-son, which helped hold the San-dusky River as a supply line for

U.S. troops. While hewas incommand, ditcheswere dug andwallswere reinforced to fortifythe outpost.

Meanwhile, in1813, theBrit-ish were trying to take land innorthwest Ohioandsoutheast-ernMichigan. The year startedwithBritish forces takingFrenchtown, and theBritishalso tried to takeFortMeigstwice,but were repulsedeachtime. They then turned theirsights on Fort Stephenson.

Harrison, by then the U.S.commander, orderedCroghan to

abandon and burn the fort. Butby the time Croghan receivedtheorder, he sawmore potentialdanger fromAmericanIndiansin the area, and hunkereddownfor a siege.

TheBritishweren’t equippedwith ladders, onlyaxesas theytried to take the fortAug.1. AndAmericans movedOldBetsyaround tomake it appear therewasmore thanone cannon.

OnAug. 2, the British tried totake the fort again, but Old

Betsy, loadedwithgrapeshotand whatever else could befound within the fort, fired ontheBritish troops, who soonretreated.All told, a fifth of theBritish forceswerekilled,

wounded ormissing. Only oneAmericanfatalitywas reported.British forces wererepelled

throughout northwest Ohio, andafter the navalvictory in Sep-tember in the Battle of LakeErie, wereunable to hold theterritory. Fort Detroit was aban-

doned asProctor and the Brretreated intoCanada, effectively ending the war in theNorthwestTerritory. Ameriforces ledbyHarrisoncaugup to Proctor, andsoundly dfeatedBritish and Indian forat the Battle of the Thames.Proctor went before a court-

martial, andwas ultimatelyreprimanded, but hismilitarcareerwas over.

Croghan, on theother hanbecamea hero. Goodnewsding the war was hard tocomby, and Croghan’s actions inkeepingFort Stephensonmahim nationally known at theof 21. Hewas thensent to thsouthern front of the war, anfought alongsideGen. AndreJackson in the Battle ofNewOrleans.

Croghan wenton tobecom

inspector general of the U.SArmy after his combat buddJacksonwaselectedpresidein1828. From there,Croghandescended into gamblingandrinking, to the point where

OLD BETSY DEFENDED FORT STEPHENSON

Old Betsy, the cannon used at Fort Stephenson, is now on display atBirchard Public Library. CENTRALOHIO.COM FILE PHOTO

SeeSTEPHENSON, Pag

ByVincentGuerrieriStaff writer



Friday, Aug. 25 p.m.» Opening ceremony» Food and craft ven-dors and EncampmentStrolling Ministrels» Elks EntertainmentCorner (provided by ElksLodge)

7 p.m.» Hoe Down Dance withHeritage Ministrels

7:30 to 11:30 p.m.» Live entertainmentwith Rude Mood at ElksEntertainment Corner

9 p.m.» Heritage LanternTours

Saturday, Aug. 39 a.m. to 1 p.m.» Farmers Market

9 a.m.» Tecusmeh’s Run Relay

10 a.m.» Food and craft ven-dors and EncampmentStrolling Ministrels(Ends 6 p.m.)» David Lester

10 a.m. to 9 p.m.» WaterSpider Drumfrom the Black SwampInterTribal Foundation

11 a.m. to 10 p.m.» Elk’s EntertainmentCorner (Provided by ElksLodge)

11 a.m.» Battle Re-enactment

Noon» David Lester

1 p.m.» Smokin’ Fez Monkeys

1 to 5 p.m.» Children’s activities onthe grounds of Birchard

Public Library

1 to 4 p.m.» Open house at theDaughters of AmericanRevolution Home

2 p.m.» Battle Re-enactment

3 p.m.» Smokin’ Fez Monkeys

4 p.m.» Fiddlesix

5 p.m.» The MillersStringband

6 p.m.» Grand Parade

7 to 10 p.m.» Live entertainmentwith Free Wild at ElksEntertainment Corner

9 p.m.» Heritage LanternTours

9:45 p.m.» Fireworks (dusk)

Sunday, Aug. 48 to 11 a.m.» Eggs and Kegs, pro-vided by the Elks, serv-ing a breakfast buffet in

the upstairs hall

9 a.m.» Church services

10 a.m.» Food and craft vendors and EncampmenStrolling Ministrels» Millers Stringband

11 a.m.

» Music by Robert Fo11 a.m. to 4 p.m.» Elks EntertainmentCorner (provided by Lodge)

Noon» Anonymous Trio

1 p.m.» Battle Re-enactmen

2 p.m.» Anonymous Trio

3 p.m.» Music by Robert Fo

4 p.m.

» Closing ceremony:Veterans wreath-layiceremonies, retiring 15-star flag and buryand presentation oftime capsule

5 p.m.» Festival closes

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

World War II veteran

Jim McGrady will bethe grand marshal forthe parade. PHOTO BY

KENDUMMINGER

Jackson’s intercessionwasneeded to avoid a court-martial. Jackson allegedlysaid,“George Croghan shall getdrunk every day ofhis life if hewants to, and by the Eternal,the UnitedStates shall pay forthewhiskey.”

Croghan endedhismilitarycareer fighting alongsidean-other futurepresident, Za-charyTaylor, during theMex-icanWar.Disease posed a greater risk

than combatduring19th centu-rywars, and Croghan caughtdysentery and went ontodie in1849.After theWarof1812, as the

cityofLower Sandusky— laterFremont— grewuparound thesiteofwhatusedtobeFortStephenson, residents wanted

to commemorate thebattle thatfigured so prominently in localhistory. TheyrequestedOldBetsy, which was in the U.S.arsenal in Lawrenceville, Pa.Old Betsy ended upat the

siteof the battle, on thegrounds ofwhat is now Bir-chard Public Library.

StephensonContinued from Page 10S



Thursday, Aug. 29

2 to 5 p.m.» Tall Ships Parade of Sail,Western Basin ports: Put-in-Bay, Port Clinton, KelleysIsland, Middle Bass Island,Pelee Island and CatawbaIsland.

Friday, Aug. 309 a.m. to 5 p.m.» Brig Niagara tours at FoxDock» Face painting» Strolling entertainment» Re-enactors: Black SwampInterTribal Foundation, 2ndKentucky Militia, Brook’sMarine Detachment» Food and craft vendors

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.» Maritime vendors and tallship merchandise

9 a.m. to8:30p.m.» Food and beer garden

10 to11 a.m.» David Drake, Sailor’sSongbag

2 to 3 p.m.» Bounding Main

4 to 5 p.m.» Tom Kastle

7 to8:30p.m.» U.S. Navy Band

Saturday, Aug. 31

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

» Brig Niagara tours at FoxDock» Face painting» Strolling entertainment» Re-enactors: Black SwampInterTribal Foundation, 2nd

Kentucky Militia, Brook’s

Marine Detachment» Food and craft vendors

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.» Maritime vendors and tallship merchandise

9 a.m. to8:30p.m.» Food and beer garden

10 to11a.m.» David Drake, SailorsSongbag

Noonto1 p.m.» Hardtackers

1 to 2 p.m.» Bounding Main

4 to5:30p.m.» Play, “Official Almost TrueCampfire Tales of Put-in-Bay,” by Tyler Whidden

4 to 5 p.m.» Tom Kastle, singer, story-teller, tall ship captain

7 to9:30p.m.» Iris Dement in concert

Sunday, Sept. 1

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.» Brig Niagara tours at FoxDock» Face painting» Strolling entertainment» Re-enactors: Black Swamp

InterTribal Foundation, 2ndKentucky Militia, Brook’sMarine Detachment» Food and craft vendors

9 a.m. to 8 p.m.» Maritime vendors and talship merchandise

9 a.m. to8:30p.m.» Food and beer garden11a.m. to12:30 p.m.» Parade of Boaters

Noon to3 p.m.» Bounding Main

3:20 p.m.» Ohio State UniversityMarching Band Parade

4 to 5 p.m.» Tom Kastle

6 p.m.» Iris Dement

8:30 p.m.» Ohio State UniversityMarching Band concert

9:30 p.m.» Fireworks

Monday, Sept. 2

8 a.m.» Battle re-enactmentswearing-in ceremony

8:30 a.m.» Parade to Battle

8:45 a.m.» Tall ship boarding

10 a.m.» Ships sail to battle site

Noon to2 p.m.» Battle Re-enactment

2 to 4 p.m.» Return to port

2 to 3 p.m.» B-25 and B-17 flyover

6 to 9 p.m.» Officers and crew receptio

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

The Brig Niagara will be one of the tall ships on Lake Erie duringthe Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial Aug. 30 through Sept. 2.SUBMITTEDPHOTO

Tom Kastle will be amongthe entertainment at theBattle of Lake ErieBicentennial. SUBMITTEDPHOTO



On July30, 1588, theBritish Navy de-feated theSpanishArmada in a battlein the EnglishChannel. At the

time, Spain had the most pow-erful,most feared fightingforce on the highseas, butafter that battle, GreatBritainbecame thegreat naval powerof the world— a reputation itcontinued to hold throughtheWar of 1812.

Butwhile theBritish Navy’svessels were well-suited to-ward combat on the opensea,theywere at a disadvantage ontheGreat Lakes. Still, shortlyafter the outbreak ofwar in1812, the British were able to

seize control of LakeEriethanks to several boats alreadyon the lake— and unprepared-ness by the UnitedStates,which had novessels on thesmallest of theGreat Lakes.

TheAmericans startedbuilding ships for combat onthe Great Lakes, in PresqueIsle nearErie, Pa. OliverHaz-ardPerry, a master comman-dant, at the time the second-highest rank in the U.S.Navy,became commander of theU.S.fleet inLakeErie. Perry wasthe son of a sea captain, andhad entered the Navyat theage of14. Hecommanded aschooner, theRevenge,whichwrecked off the coast ofRhodeIsland in1811. Perrywasexon-erated of any wrongdoing inthe subsequent court-martial.

While at PresqueIsle, Perryoversaw theconstructionof sixships, including twobrigs:TheNiagara, named fora success-fulU.S. offensive against theBritish inMay 1813, and the

Lawrence, named forU.S.Navy Capt. JamesLawrence.Lawrence, a friend andmentorto Perry, was fatally woundedduring a battle in July1813outside ofBoston Harbor. Law-rence’s dying command to hiscrewwas, “Don’t give up theship!”

The American ships set sailafter being delicately “cam-eled” over the sandbar to getthemout of Presque IsleBay,and prepared to engage theBritish ships commandedbyRobert Barclay.

At the time, Barclay was thesameage asPerry, 28, and bothcame from naval families.Barclay had seen action in theBattle of Trafalgar in1805, andlost anarm three years later intheNapoleonic wars. Barclaywas first dispatched to LakeOntario during theWar of1812,but was sent to LakeErie—fatefully, after twoother offi-cers turneddown the com-

mand,citing inadequateresources.

A fighting force is only asgoodas its supply lines, and in1813, those of the British werehurting. Additionally, the Brit-ish, who had taken Frenchtown

at the beginning of the yearwere repelled in trying to tFortMeigs (in what is nowPerrysburg) andFort Stephson (now Fremont).TheBrhadan alliancewith AmericIndians thatwas growingmtenuous by the day.

OnSept. 10, Perry’s forcanchored at Put-in-Bay, sawBritish fleet.TheAmericanships closed the gap and at-tacked, firingcannons andcarronades, guns that firedfaster, but lacked the rangecannons. TheBritish bombed the American fleet, andcrippled Perry’s flagship, thLawrence, which was flyingflag with Lawrence’s lastwords.With an 80percentcasualty rate, theLawrencewas doomed, and it appearethat victory was imminent

the British.But Perry wasrowed a halfmile to the Niaara,which became the command center for theAmericfleet.

Meanwhile, Barclaywas

BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE WAS KEY FIGHT

Oliver Hazard Perry transfers the command flag from the Lawrence tothe Niagara during battle of Lake Erie War in 1812.AP

ByVincentGuerrieriStaff writer

See KEY, Page



“TheBattle ofLakeEriewasfought aboutfive weeksafter theAmer-

ican fleet hadleftthe bay atErie. It wasashort encounter, only a fewhours in length. Yet thebattlemay bedescribed as the turningpoint of theWar of1812.”

Inhis book titled “TheBuild-ing ofPerry’s Fleet onLakeErie1812-1813,” authorMaxRosen-bergdescribed thedifficultiesthe American forces had inbuilding the fleet.

TheLawrence, Niagara,Ariel, Scorpion, Porcupine andTigresswere built inErie, Pa.TheCaledonia, Somers, Trippe,

Ohio and Ameliawerebuilt inBlack Rock.

Sept.15,1812, wastheprob-able date of the beginning ofwork on thefleet, althoughsomeauthors refer to it havingbeenmuch later. “The menactually hadto begin bymakingtheir own axes, for which pur-pose steelwasobtained fromMeadville,” the authorwrote.

The workwas overseenbyDaniel Dobbins, an expertnavi-gatorwhowent toWashingtontogive aneyewitness report of

the surrenderofDetroit. Hewas commissioned as a sailing-master in the U.S.Navy, andwas given theauthority to beginexecuting theplans.

Dobbins faced severaldifficulties and delays in com-municationsregarding the con-struction. Healso faced set-backs in procuringmanpowerandsupplies.

“Nothaving receivedsatisfactionfrom his own com-mand,Dobbins began to corre-sponddirectlywith theSecre-tary of the Navy, Paul Hamilton

… the two thousand dollarsallottedhadbeen spent, andhewas unable tomakecon-tracts for morematerials or forworkmen since hewas not au-thorized to pledge payment byWashington.”

The workwasgreatly accel-erated inMarch1813whenNoahBrown, the superinten-dent of construction, arrivedwith a crewofworkers.

Brown inspired theforces towork longhours in bad condi-

tions, and seemed tohaveasolution to every problem they

faced.AfterDobbins received ap-

proval, andespecially afterBrownarrived, thework accel-erated. Somemenand suppliesweresent fromPhiladelphia.One lettershows requests for“3BlocksMakersand Tools,2 Good Blacksmiths and Tools,5 Good Shipjoiners and Tools,5 Good Caulkers and Tools,40Good Carpenters andTools,2 BoatBuilders, 5 pair Sawyersand Saws.”The tripwas slow,and themeninitially arrived

without their tools.Erie residents whowereblacksmiths or blacksmiths’helpers assisted, and riggersand sailmakerswere tobesentfromNewYork. Some officersand enlistedmen who had expe-rience in shipbuilding also weredispatched.

“From thepay accountsavailable, it canbe ascertainedthata total ofnot less thanseventy-five to a hundredmenwere engaged in thecuttingand hauling of timber for thevessels.”

Thehighest-paid carpenterearned $2.50, “good lodgingsand board,” and a half a pintofwhiskeyperday.

The influxofmen, along witha British blockade, resulted in afood shortage— andhigherprices andbudget challengesfor those whowere incharge.

“Materials to build thefleetwere at no timeplentiful. Fre-quently, shortages slowed upworkconsiderably. On severaloccasionsubstituteswerede-

vised for those things in shortsupply. The needswere filledat times fromsomeother amaz-ing andsurprising sources, butthematerialwasassemblednonetheless.

“Theone and only thing ofwhich therewas a bountifulsupplywas timber…Atalltimes only unseasonedwoodwas used, noother being avail-

able, and frequently timber wasa tree and a part of a vesselonthesame day.”

Requestswere sent forsev-eral tons of steel- and iron-buildingmaterials, aswell ascanvasforsails.

Once finished, theshipswarmedwithcannons.

Commodore OliverHazarPerrywasdistressedby thefinal delay in delivery, withowhich hecould not sail his f

The anchors were not delereduntil close to the end ofAugust1813.

“This, the fleet, that soshortly had been trees in the

forestor supplies in distantplaces, floated on Lake Erieready to vie with the Britishits control.”

chadley@gannett

419-734

Twitter:@catharineha

BUILDING FLEET A MONUMENTAL TASK ByCatharine HadleyStaff writer

“Materials to build the fleet were at no time

plentiful. Frequently, shortages slowed up

work considerably. On several occasion

substitutes were devised for those things

in short supply.” From “The Building of Perry’s Fleet on Lake Erie 1812-1813” by Max Rosenber



K1

SOUTH BASS ISLAND —

Aside from the Battle ofLake Erie re-enactment,which will take place on

the lake, the Perry’s Victory andInternational Peace Memorialgrounds and visitors center willbe a focal point of the events onSouth Bass Island.

“We are expecting recordcrowds,” said Blanca AlvarezStransky, superintendent of Per-ry’s Victory and InternationalPeace Memorial. “We actually

started commemorating the startof the War of 1812 in June lastyear.”

Stransky said recent events,such as the U.S. Mint’s release ofthe Perry’s Victory quarter, drewmore people than planned for.

“We expected 500, we got750,” she said.

The monument, which openedto visitors in1915, is the finalresting place for six naval offi-cers — three American, threeBritish — killed during the Battleof Lake Erie. The site became anational monument on March 3,

1919, three years after PresidentWoodrow Wilson created theNational Park Service.

Stransky said the monumentitself, which has undergone ma-jor renovations over the lastseveral years, will be open toprovide visitors with a bird’s-eyeview of the battle, the islands andanything else in sight.

She said park employees planto get as many people to the topof the monument as possible

during the events.The average visitor spends

about two hours at the monumentand welcome center and about15 minutes atop the monument,she said.

Between 40 and 50 peoplecan fit on the observation deck atone time.

Stransky said Parks Canadaofficials will be partnering withthe National Park Service andcommunity organizations.

“While the victory belonged toAmericans at the time,” she said,

“the real victory was long-lastingpeace between Britain, Canadaand America.”

No one lost the War of1812,she said, but rather, it was a draw.

During the events, historicalre-enactors representingNative American, Canadian andAmerican points of view will bepresent.

[email protected]

419-734-7506

Twitter: @jsproffitt

MONUMENT

EXPECTED TO

BE PACKED

FOR DAYS

Perry’s Victory and InternationalPeace Memorial on South BassIsland. CENTRALOHIO.COM FILE PHOTO

By James ProffittStaff writer

50 states, the District of Clumbia and the five U.S. ttories of Puerto Rico, GuaAmerican Samoa, the U.SVirgin Islands and the Noern Mariana Islands. Five

In commemoration of thebicentennial of the Battle ofLake Erie, the U.S. Mint hasissued a Perry’s Victory and

International Peace Memorialquarter, as part of its Americathe Beautiful series.

The quarter, introduced inApril, is the second in theseries issued this year and the17th overall. The heads sidelooks like a normal quarter,with a profile of GeorgeWashington. The tails sidefeatures the statue of OliverHazard Perry and the memo-rial on South Bass Island inthe background, with theinscription of “Perry’s Vic-tory,” in addition to the date,state and national motto of “EPluribus Unum” — frommany, one.

The America the Beautifulquarters are a series of 56quarters — one in each of the

Special quarter commemoratePerry’s Victory memorial

This is an enlarged version othe Perry's Victory quarter tthe U.S. Mint released Aprilat Put-in-Bay. CENTRALOHIO.CO

FILE PHOTO

CentralOhio.com

SeeQUARTER,Page



S

OUTH BASS ISLAND —

Islandbusinesses aregearing up for theevents at the end ofAugustwhen tens of

thousandsof extravisitors areexpected to appearon the islandfor the Battle ofLake Erie re-enactment andthe dozens of events leading upto it.

“Are you kidding me?”askedMaggieBeckford,Put-in-BayChamber of Commerceexecutivedirector, when askedif she’d been involved inmuchplanning. “We’ve been veryactive in the planning since2003.”

She said the chamber has

played a key roll in organizingpreparations among the island’sbusinesses and organizations.

While there will be hundredsof thousands of people inErieand Ottawa counties over the

Labor Day weekend, it’s un-known exactly howmanywillmake their way to the island.

Beckford said transporta-tion limitationswill determinehowmanypeoplecan beon

South Bass Island at once.Capacity between the twomajorconduits to the island,The Jet Express and theMillerBoat Line, is about 16,000pas-sengers perday.

Additional visitors canmakeit to the islandonprivate boatsandon airplanes.

Mike Serfozo, owner ofDelSol, saidhehas two specialproducts that are selling well

already.“We actually did an amazingcustomdesign that has thewhole battle scene on theback,” he said. “I’ve had thisshop since 2001 and this has

sold twice as fast as any T-sI’ve ever had.”

DelSol sells color-changproducts that use sunlight ttransformspectrums.

Serfozo saidheand a groof other islandbusinesses acreated a commemorative s

glass utilizing the newlymiPerry’sVictory quarter.

“It’s a nice little keepsakhe said.

Serfozo said he opens eacday between 8 and 9 a.m. anstays openas longas there ibusiness.

“Lately I’ve been open aslate as10 p.m.,”he said.

Beckfordsaid it could bestruggle for some businessewhose summercollege helpmay have returned to schooby then.

“Iknow that’s part of theconcern of some businessesshe said.

jproffit@gannett

419-734

Twitter:@jspr

BUSINESS EXPECTED TO BOOM

Downtown Put-in-Bay seen from Gibraltar Island. CENTRALOHIO.COMFILE

By James ProffittStaff writer

issued each year, with the firstfive coming in 2010, andgoingthrough2020. Quarters areunveiled in the order of thesites established as a nationalpark, with the initial seriesbeingHot Springs, Yellow-stone, Yosemite,Grand Canyonand Mount Hood nationalparks. Among the quartersbeing released this year is onefor anotherWar of1812site,

Fort McHenry in Baltimore.“Today wecelebrate a

national park that is small inacreage but significant inAmerican history, a memori-

al to those who fought in theBattle of LakeErie in theWar of1812, a piece ofOhioand American heritage in asetting of extraordinarynatural beauty,” said U.S.Mint spokesmanMarc Lan-dry at the quarter’s unveilingin April.

A total of $16,000 worth ofquarters were sold at theunveiling in Put-in-Bay.

QuarterContinued from S



There are many

exhibits throughout

Ohio commemorating

the War of1812.

»TheWarof1812 on theOhio Frontier, on display at theRutherford B.Hayes Presi-dential Center through Oct. 7,examines crucial battles andthestrategic importance of theOhio frontier, which played apivotal role as the UnitedStatesstruggledagainst GreatBritain for control of the GreatLakes.Through theholdings oftheHayes PresidentialCenterand theLouSchultz Collection,this exclusive exhibit explores

America’s early defeats and itseventual victories at FortMeigs, Fort Stephenson, onLakeErie and at the Thames.

The exhibit ismade possiblethroughmajor fundingfrom theSidneyFrohmanFoundation.

» “Perry’sVictory: TheBat-tle ofLakeErie”will beat the

ToledoMuseumofArt fromAug. 9 toNov. 13 inGalleries 28and29, featuringpaintings,prints, sculpture, artifacts,letters and music on loan andfrom themuseum’spermanentcollection.

One of the prominent works

onviewwill be the heroicallyscaled painting “Perry’s Vic-

tory onLakeErie” (1814) byThomasBirch, on loan fromthe collection of thePennsylva-nia Academy ofFineArts inPhiladelphia. Another highlightof the 2013 exhibition is TMA’sstriking portrait of “Commo-dore OliverHazardPerry”

(1818-28) byGilbert andJanStuart.

The centennial of the BaofLakeEriewas celebrated1913 with a major exhibitionthe then recently completeToledoMuseumofArt buildonMonroeStreet. Portraitsbattle scenes andhistorical

objects were brought togetto recognize the event. Yetlarge as the exhibitionwas,major painting depictingaturning point in the battle—“Perry’s Victoryon Lake Er—was not in the show.

Sponsored in part by TayCadillac, the exhibition ismpossible through generousloans from theWilliamL.ClementsLibrary (AnnArbMich.), theLibrary of Cong(Washington, D.C.), thePensylvaniaAcademy of the Fi

Arts (Philadelphia), theWeernReserve Historical Soc(Cleveland) andmany privacollectors. “Perry’s Victoryalso ismade possiblewith tsupport ofmuseummembe

WAR OF 1812 EXHIBITS THROUGHOUT OHIOSubmitted story

“Perry’s Victory on Lake Erie” by Thomas Birch, oil on canvas, 1814.PHOTOCOURTESYOFTOLEDOMUSEUMOFART

See EXHIBITS,Page



DANBURYTOWNSHIP—OnSept. 29, 1812, AmericanIndi-ans sprang from the woods andambushed a group of exhaust-edAmericansoldiers nearwhere EastHarborState Park

sits today.They fought for control of

the Ramsdell Farmand thefood supply the farm provided,saidPaulMoonofPort Clinton,presidentof theOttawa CountyHistorical Society.

Outnumberedmore thantwo-to-one, someof the sol-diers escaped by boats toCe-dar Point, at thatpoint a sandybeach thatwould not becomean amusement park until near-ly 60years later. The remain-ing 20men engaged ina fire-

fight with the American Indi-ans.Twodays later, the soldiers

returned and rescued the sur-vivingmenwho had been leftbehind.

The incident, referred to astheSkirmish on thePeninsula,left the soldierswith control of

Ramsdell Farm’smuch-neededfood,Moon said. Howeversmall it was, the skirmish isimportant to history, he said.

Itwas the first Ohio battleof theWar of1812, and gainingcontrol of a foodresource atthat time wassignificant,Moonsaid.

During the war, foodwasscarce. The armies and theirhorses needed tobe fed, caus-ing a food shortage that affect-ed the militias and the rest ofthepopulation,Moon said.

“Starvationwasprevalent inOntario,Michigan andnorth-west Ohio,” he said, referringto placeswhere importantevents in the war tookplace.

Despite the incident’s his-torical significance, fewpeople— even localswho live on theMarblehead Peninsula— know

muchabout it, he said.Battlefield Park is the onlymarker to the event. The tinypark, owned andmaintainedbyDanbury Township and locatedonBayshoreRoad, includes amemorial to those who died.

“It’s obscure because it waslittle and early,”Moon said of

the skirmish. “For its entirelife, it has had to run competi-tionwith the Battle of LakeErie.”

The Battle of LakeErie,which took place in September1813 near Put-in-Bay, is stillconsidered thegreatest victoryfor the UnitedStates— inanyconflict— onAmerican soil,saidBlanca Alvarez Stransky,

superintendent of thePerry’sVictoryand InternationalPeaceMemorial on SouthBassIsland that commemorates thebattle.

Locals recognizeCommo-dore OliverHazardPerry, theheroof the Battle ofLakeErie,and thePerry’s Victorymonu-ment is an area landmark.

But manydon’t know thenames Valentine Ramsdell, thefirst American soldier to die intheSkirmish on thePeninsula,

or JoshuaR.Giddings, a soldierwho in1859 wrote dowhis accountof the battle anderected thememorial at Bafield Park.

Thememorial includes tnames of the other sevenAmericans who diedduringskirmish.

Thehistorical markeratpark— placed in1964by th

Ohio and OttawaCountyhistorical societies — said theincidentwas never declarevictory for eitherside.

YetMoonsaid it could beargued theAmericans wonFortyAmerican Indians diethe two-day fight, compareeightAmericans.

“If you’re counting nosethen themilitia won,”he sa

mksmith@gannett

419-334-1044 or 419-734

Twitter: @kristinasmit

LITTLE-KNOWN SKIRMISH WAS IMPORTANTByKristina SmithWatchdog/enterprise reporter

Battlefield Park includes graves of some who died in the Skirmish othe Peninsula. KRISTINA SMITH/CENTRALOHIO.COM



MARBLEHEAD— Inthe eight yearsNelda KnauffAdcock has beena volunteer at theKeeper’s House,

shehas told countlessvisitorsabout theMarblehead Light-house’s first keeper, BenajahWolcott.She has talked about Wol-

cott’s son, William, whohelpedbuilt the lighthouse.She has talked about Wol-

cott’s daughter, Phoebe, who isbelieved to havegiven birth tothe first white child in the area.One afternoonwhen she was

working at the small, stonestructure thathoused theWol-cott family, she realized she

and the other volunteers nevertalkedabout the thirdWolcottchild, Selima.Adcock started thinking

about Selimaandwonderingabout what her childhood waslike.“I felt like there was a story

there,” saidAdcock, 72, ofMar-blehead.By the end of the afternoon,

she had comeupwith a storyabout Selima’s life as a pioneerchild inMarblehead.“Iwrote it that afternoon,”

she said. “Guests came in, and I

read it to them. They loved it.”Then she presented the sto-

ryas a program at the Keeper’sHouse, and those who attendedsuggested shepublish it.Two years later, sheself-

published “MyFirelandsAd-

venture,” a children’s bookfeaturingSelima. It is illustrat-edbyartistDaveSchwanofGenoa.The book follows Selima as

her familymoves fromCon-necticut toMarblehead. ShebefriendsanAmerican Indianboy, learnsabout thedangerouswaves of LakeErie, flees battleduring theWar of1812 andhears the gunfire of the Battleof LakeErie, which took placein September1813 near Put-in-Bay, in thedistance.“The things I put into the

book I feltwere things childrencould benefit from, one beingrelationswith other cultures,”Adcock said.The book is geared toward

grades two through four andhas beenusedby teachers inthe classroom, she said. A for-mer teacher herself, Adcockchose towrite the book becauseshe would have liked tohaveasimilar one in her classroom.

“It’s good for if you’re teach-ingabout pioneers,Ohio histo-ry, race relations, movingfromone place to another,” she said.“Also, there is safety in there.”

In the book, Selimabe-friends Biyen, the son ofChiefOgontz of the Ottawa tribe.AlthoughOgontz did have anadopted son,Biyen is a fictionalcharacter in the book, andthere is no information as towhether Selimabefriended an

American Indian boy in realife, Adcock said.When theWar of1812

reached theMarblehead Pesula, the Wolcotts and othersettlers had to flee but wereable to return homeafter thwar.The book explains that so

American Indians were fighing with the British againstAmericans, but not all Ameican Indians did. Selimaex-presses confusion becauseAmerican Indians sheknewwere against thewar.Adcock alsogive some in

formation aboutwhere othefighting took place to givemore context andbackgrouto the war. She hopes tellingit through young Selima’s pspectivewill help childrenrelate to Selima and what li

was likeat that time.“This ispart ofmyteaching,” she said. “Iwas alwaystory teller.”

mksmith@gannett

419-334-1044 or 419-734

Twitter: @kristinasmit

WOMANWRITES BOOK WITH WAR OF 1812 TIES

NeldaAdcock, a volunteer at theKeeper’s House, wrote a book basedon the keeper’s daughter, SelimaWolcott.SUBMITTEDPHOTO

ByKristina SmithWatchdog/enterprise reporter



PERRY MONUMENT

Jay Cooke, financier of the Union’s effort in the Civil War, erectedmonument next to his summer vacation home, Cooke Castle, onGibraltar Island near Put-in-Bay. The monument commemoratesCommodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s victory in the Battle of Lake Eriduring the War of 1812. Cooke’s monument was built before PerrVictory and International Peace Memorial, the nearby South BassIsland landmark. FILEPHOTO

and through the OhioArtsCouncil sustainability grantprogramwith funding fromtheNational Endowment fortheArts. For information,visit www.toledomuseum.orgor call 419-255-8000.

» “PeaceAmongNations —The Lasting Legacy of theWar of1812” is an art exhibi-tion running through Sept. 13at the James A.RhodesStateOfficeTower, 30E.Broad St.,Columbus.

Theexhib features artistsof all ages fromCanadaandOhio depicting theWarof1812, the Battle of LakeErie,the building of the Perry’sVictoryMemorial, theUSBrigNiagara and the long-lasting peace between nations.

Itwill include originalworkby artist JimSiemer, BellevueMiddle School Paths toPeaceproject, and photographerRoman Sapecki.

Artwork andartifacts from

historical collections, includ-ing the Library ofCongress,Ohio Historical Society, theOhio Statehouse and The LakeErie Islands Historical Soci-ety alsowill be included inthis exhibit. Historical arti-facts fromthe Battle of LakeErie courtesy of private col-lectorandhistorianLouSchultz alsowill be ondisplay.

A photographic exhibitiondetailing the laying of thecornerstone of Perry’sVictoryMemorial in1913 will be de-buted byPut-in-Bay photog-rapherMary Beckford.

ExhibitsContinued from Page 19S

“Perry’s Victory on Lake Erie”(1814-15), hand engraved byAlexander Lawson (1773-1846),

after a painting by Thomas Birch.IMAGE COURTESYOF THE CLEMENTS

LIBRARY, UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN



ica. Their coalitionwith mostof the other nations inEuropehad defeated the FrenchEm-perorNapoleon, sending him

a series of schools, towns andother locations that bear hisname today. Perry took com-mandofa new ship, the Java,but by the time itput to sea, theTreaty ofGhent ending theWarof1812 was signed. Perrycommanded the Java in theMediterranean during thesecondBarbaryWar. Onanexpedition to SouthAmerica,Perrycontracted yellow fever,

anddied at the ageof34 in1819. Perrywasburied in Trini-dad,where hedied, but hewasdisinterred and buried in theIslandCemetery inNewport,R.I.

The victory also gave com-mandof the Great Lakes to theUnitedStates, and theBritishstarted pulling back into Cana-da, abandoning Detroit. But in1814, theBritish were no longerfighting inEurope and Amer-

wounded in the leg, got ban-daged and returned to his com-mand, where hewas struckbygrapeshot froma cannon in hisonly arm.The two biggestBritish ships, sloopsDetroitandQueenCharlotte, hadbeenshelled to immobility andsur-

rendered.Although thebattletookabout two and a halfhours, theBritish surrenderedabout15minutes after Perryboarded theNiagara. Althoughthe Niagara had becomePer-ry’s flagship, he accepted theBritish surrender— the firsttime a British naval squadronhad surrendered— aboard theLawrence, to show the cost ofthe victory. Reports of the daysaid the shipwas a collectionofsmashedwood, blood andotherhuman remains fromwounded

anddead crewmen.Perry composed a quicknote toU.S. commanderWil-liamHenryHarrison on thebackof anenvelope. It hasbecome the most famous vic-tory letter inmilitary history:“We havemet the enemy andthey are ours. Two ships, twobrigs, one schooner and onesloop.”

Bythe end of themonth,U.S. forceshadretaken Detroit—which was surrendered tothe British without a shot firedmore thana yearearlier — and

Amherstburg, Ontario. OnOct. 5, 1813,Harrison andAmericanforcesengaged Brit-ish and Indian forces atwhat isnowChatham. Tecumseh, thecharismatic Shawnee chief,waskilled in theengagement,the Battle of the Thames, ef-fectively splintering the IndianandBritish alliance during theWar of 1812.

The victory atLakeEriemadea heroofPerry, who has

into exile.Now the Britishcould devote their full attention towar inAmerica, andoffered command of forcesNorthAmerican to theirmocelebrated general, ArthurWellesley, the first Duke ofWellington.

Hesaid the onlyway theBritish could succeed inwaAmerica was with commantheGreat Lakes.

A yearafter the Battle o

LakeErie, British and Ameican naval forces tangled onagain, onLakeChamplain nPlattsburgh,NewYork. Amican forceswere victoriousand withstood a siege atBamoreat the sametime. Theshelling of FortMcHenry, amilitary outpost onBaltimoHarbor, was witnessed by alawyernamedFrancis ScotKey, who composed a poem“TheDefence of FortMcHry,” that became “The Star-SpangledBanner,” theU.S.

national anthem.TheBritish setbacks atBaltimore andPlattsburghultimately hurt their bargaingposition duringpeace taand the war ended asa virtstalematewith theTreaty oGhent.

Key Continued from Page 15S

Oliver Hazard Perry defeats the British on Lake Erie, near Put-in-Bay on

Sept. 10, 1813. Perry was quoted as writing, “We have met the enemyand they are ours.”AP

war of 1812 commemorative edition

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