ed them in mighty fleet actions at
sea. In the final council in his cabin, Perry echoed Nelson's words in
saying that no captain could go very far wrong who placed his vessel
close alongside those of the enemy. Chauncey's counsel, on the other
hand, would have lost the battle. Perry's decision to give and take
punishment, no matter if it should cost him a ship or two, won him the
victory.

The British force was inferior, both in the number of vessels and the
weight of broadsides, but this inferiority was somewhat balanced by the
greater range and hitting power of Barclay's longer guns. Each had what
might be called two heavy ships of the line: the British, the _Detroit_
and the _Queen Charlotte,_ and the Americans, the _Lawrence_ and the
_Niagara_. Next in importance and fairly well matched were the _Lady
Prevost_ under Barclay's flag and the _Caledonia_ under Perry's. There
remained the light schooner craft of which the American squadron had six
and the British only three. Perry realized that if he could put ship
against ship the odds would be largely in his favor, for, with his
batteries of carronades which threw their shot but a short distance, he
would be unwise to maneuver for position and let the enemy pound him to
pieces at long range. His plan of battle was therefore governed entirely
by his knowledge of Barclay's strength and of the possibilities of his
own forces.

With a light breeze and working to windward, Perry's ship moved to
intercept the British squadron which lay in column, topsails aback and
waiting. The American brigs were fanned ahead by the air which breathed
in their lofty canvas, but the schooners were almost becalmed and four
of them straggled in the rear, their crews tugging at the long sweeps or
oars. Two of the faster of these, the _Scorpion_ and the _Ariel_, were
slipping along in the van where they supported the American flagship
_Lawrence_, and Perry had no intention of delaying for the others to
come up. Shortly before noon Barclay opened the engagement with the long
guns of the _Detroit_, but as yet Perry was unable to reach his opponent
and made more sail on the _Lawrence_ in order to get close.

The British gunners of the _Detroit_ were already finding the target,
and Perry discovered that the _Lawrence_ was difficult to handle with
much of her rigging shot away. He ranged ahead until his ship was no
more than two hundred and fifty yards from the _Detroit_. Even then the
distance wa