Description:

Perry Oliver

Captain Oliver H. Perry Gunboats in War of 1812

 

Shortly before leaving for Baltimore to oversee the final stages of construction of the USS Java, Captain Oliver H. Perry assigns William C. Greene to take command of a gunboat in the flotilla stationed at Newport, Rhode Island.

 

Autograph Letter Signed, to William C. Greene, July 13, 1814, Newport, Rhode Island. 1 p., 7.875" x 5", browning and tape repairs to tears.

 

Complete Transcript:

                                                                        Newport July 13th 1814

Sir

            You will take the command of U States Gun Boat N 95. on this station.

                                                                        Yours Resply

                                                                        O. H. Perry

? Master William C. Greene

U S Navy

 

Ten months before sending this letter, Perry had become an American hero for his actions in the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. After losing four-fifths of the crew and all of the cannon on his flagship Lawrence, Perry was rowed a half mile under heavy fire to the Niagara, while the Lawrence surrendered. Instead of retreating as the British expected, Perry consolidated the fire of his remaining ships on the British, forcing their surrender. He reported the victory to Major General William Henry Harrison with the famous words, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” This victory led to Harrison’s advance toward Detroit and defeated British troops and Native American allies at the crucial Battle of the Thames in October. For his victory in the Battle of Lake Erie, Perry received a Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress, and a promotion to the rank of Captain.

 

In May 1814, Perry took command of a squadron of seven gunboats based in Newport, Rhode Island. In July, he was placed in command of the USS Java, which was under construction in Baltimore. While overseeing the arming of the Java, Perry participated in the defenses of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The Treaty of Ghent ended the war before the Java could be launched.

 

Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) was born in Rhode Island as the son of a U.S. Navy captain. He was the older brother of Commodore Matthew C. Perry. Oliver Perry joined the Navy in 1799 and served in the West Indies during the Quasi War against France and in the Mediterranean during the Barbary Wars. During the War of 1812, he supervised the building of a fleet at Erie, Pennsylvnaia. In September 1813, he commanded American ships in a decisive victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Erie. After the war, he comamnded the USS Java in the Mediterranean during the Second Barbary War, but his career was marked by conflict. He slapped a Marine officer, and both men were reprimanded by a court-martial. When they returned home, Perry and the Marine officer fought a duel on the same field in New Jersey where Aaron Burr had fatally wounded Alexander Hamilton. To quell a running dispute between Perry and a subordinate in the Battle of Lake Erie, President James Monroe offered Perry a diplomatic mission to South America. After successfully negotiating an anti-piracy treaty with Simon Bolivar, Perry died of yellow fever on his 34th birthday. Initially buried in Trinidad, his remains were later reinterred in Newport.


WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000