Show SW aw T by ELMO SCOTT WATSON AVY day october 27 this year finds an interesting memorial nearing completion tor when the perry homestead at wakefield R L Is thrown open to visitors as a patriotic shrine it will be not only a monument to two of our greatest naval heroes but to a family whose record in our naval history Is unique for that family was rich in a naval heritage if ever any american family wis and it Is not to be wondered at perhaps that oliver hazard perry and matthew galbralth perry should distinguish themselves aboard ship Althou gli christopher perry the tai her of the two naval heroes wat only thirteen years old at the outbreak of the revolution he immediately en listed in the kingston reds and served la the continental army ue next served on a privateer then on board the was captured by the brit ish and for three months endured the horrors of the british prison ship jersey escaping from the jersey perry enlisted on the hull under capt james mcholan Mc holon and and a part in the brilliant victory over the british privateer watt in 1779 later he was captured alln and sent to newry ireland as a prisoner of war there he became acquainted with sarah alexander a pretty scotch girl whose grandfather had fled from scot land to ireland and who had been left an orphan in her childhood at the close of the war christopher shipped as a on a british ship bound for america airali alexander was a passenger on the wine ship and upon her arrival at the home of dr llenin man rush in philadelphia sought her out and they were aled he took his bride to the perry homestead home in island a sp that looked out toward the sea and from which her husband and her sons were to go don to the se in ships and become fincers in the there were the of ahm oliver hazard raymond H J matthew james und M hazard As if alon to her adopted country s forces was not enough two of her three married naval kollker oll ker capt george W lodgers and dr 11 ham butler 1 the of this mother on her song biad much t do with their later time slie told them of her wan lor ancestors in scotland she closely their education eha fitted them art anin enrid by them to abt aind when still in their teen chev nn the cull of the soi she sent them forth cheerfully she lived to bee all of them mil e hono able rec in the eenice of thier and two of them win furre and me of them receive the honors waldi bis countrymen could pj him he was oliver peny horn august at in the home a soon to be opened AS alie commodore perry memorial he the niiva as a nt hie ni of figur teen when war with iranie kt inevitable but it until tom modora preble was sent to subdue the barbary 3 that he saw his first active service in the war in he was commissioned a lieutenant and placed in command of the tc booner revenge ahe revenge was uffe wrecked off watch mil near his home but a naval board of inquiry not only cleared him of nil blame for the disaster but highly applauded him by the time of the second war with angland rn gland perry was known as one of the best ordnance in the navy and early in 1812 he was placed in command of a of gunboats gun boats in newport harbor then came the chance for ham to win fame the war was going badly for the cans I 1 he british hud captured de and were threatening to conquer the northwest which ind been won for us by george rogers dark during the to check them it was necessary essaiy to obtain mastery of lake arle and there perry was or dered to go build a squadron of ships defeat the british bicet on lake erie which was manned by some of nelson s veterans and operate cooperate co with general harrlson and his land forces it seemed like a hopeless task but perry never faltered making wa through the wilderness in a in eb ruari 1813 he arrles at isle now erie pa and with the aid of sailing master daniel dobbins built five ships despite a dishearten ing shortage of bonev shipwrights ship wrights arms and sailors to man them after they were done his green timbered squadron was joined later by four ships from buffalo and with these he was expected to fight six well manned ships on september 10 1813 the two fleets met off put in bay on the ohio shore of ike erie in less than two hours and a liala the americans victorious ahey had inflicted a loss on the british of killed and GOO made prisoners perrys loss was 27 killed and OS wounded before ohp smoke of battle had cleared aay he sat down and resting cap on his knee used this impromptu desk for penning ats immortal dispatch to gen eral carrlon Harr lon e have met the enemy and they are ours two ships awu brigs one schooner and one sloop perry s victory had saved the north west a aln to america the news of it thrilled the country congress gave him a ditc of thanks and him a gold medal he was promoted from muster commander to at the do e of the war he ans placed in command of the inan a frigate and sailed with decatur for the in 1810 he was made a commodore omm odore and placed in corn mand of n squadron which was sent to tho est indies to up pres piracy there lit fell of the yellow fever and on adust 23 1811 he died tn port trinidad he was buried there hut in ako the american government sent a sloop of war to bring his bod hack to his native state he was hurled at newport with all the hon ors due him and today a tall granite monument marks the last resting place of the hero of lake erie matthew galbralth perry was nine years younger than his brother oliver hazard and bened us a midshipman under him on the revenge while ha never attained such distinction by one brilliant feat of arms as had his brother his life was one of continuous action it Is summarized by a recent biographer ns follows he convoyed the first colony of negroes from this country to africa hl regulations for use on the african station were a model long followed in the navy he fought pirates in the west indies voyaged to mexico protected commerce from greek pirates in the mediterranean founded the first united states apprent lct si stem commanded the north carolina the finest in the world took john R andolph as enily to the czar in the first american warship to enter kesslin waters was entertained ty the founder of dynasty in made a brilliant naval demonstration in the harbor of naples served ten years shore duty at brooklyn anny yard where his work caused him to be called the chief educator of the navy studied lighthouse illumination and went to europe on ona of the first regular en foicey the webster ashburton treaty in africa had of the steam navy in the mexican war and breached alie walls of vera couii with naval guns when scotts light artillery failed and visited the waters of newfoundland found land to settle the fisheries dispute but the thing for which be Is most famous is the fact that he and commanded an expedition in 1854 which was to have worldwide abr centuries japan had cut herself oft from contact with the nations of the western world and had steadfastly refused to hao either trade or diplomatic relations with foreigners under uie excuse of making arrangements for american bailers bailors Bai lors engaged in the pacific whaling industry who might be shipwrecked on the roasts of japan perry proceeded ther with four warships despite fhe suspicion and thinly veiled hostility of the alie commender com minder his negotiations so diplomatically combining firmness with alie politeness so dear to the feirt of the oriental that on march 31 1854 japin signed a treaty bt peace amity and commerce with the united states from that daiy diy dates the end of the hermit nation and tie rise of modern japin to a position among the world powers it was brought nebout by a commodore perry whose diplomatic viktory was no less brilliant than the victory in warfare won by another commodore perry 31 bearg earlier |