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"LEST WE FORGET" 
 
 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY 
 
 The War of 1812 
 
 The Battle of Lake Erie 
 
 THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 
 
 CLEVELAND 
 1912 
 

 
IN EXCHANGE 
 
 
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 AUG 4 1913 
 

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 OLIVER HAZARD PERRY 
 
Herewith is a copy of a letter from the son of 
 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to the Hon. Harvey 
 Rice. Mr. Rice was a member of the Cleveland 
 City Council, and he was the prime mover in the erec- 
 tion of the Perry statue in the city of Cleveland. The 
 letter is now in the possession of the Western Reserve 
 Historical Society, as is also the copy of the portrait 
 which belonged to Mr. Rice, these having been pre- 
 sented to the Society after the death of Mr. Rice, by 
 his heirs, in accordance with his request. 
 
 Lowell, October 18, 1860. 
 Harvey Rice, Esq., 
 
 Cleveland, Ohio. 
 Dear Sir: — 
 
 I have taken the liberty to forward by express 
 prepaid to your address, a box containing two copies 
 from "Stuart's" portrait of my father, painted by Mr. 
 Lawson of this city. 
 
 You will confer a favor upon me by accepting 
 one of the paintings as a token of my respect and 
 esteem. May I ask you to present the other in my 
 name to your City government, requesting such dis- 
 position made of it as may to them seem most appro- 
 priate, believing that so patriotic a people will value 
 the portrait of one they have been pleased to honor? 
 Should you visit the East I shall hope to have the 
 pleasure of meeting you in Massachusetts. 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 (Signed) O. H. Perry. 
 
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M LEST WE FORGET " 
 
 The War of 1812 is a subject with which every 
 thinking man and woman, boy and girl, in Cleveland 
 will wish to be familiar during this year of Centennial 
 celebration. 
 
 Much has been written on the various battles, and 
 the men who took part in them. Many of the engage- 
 ments were on land, but the most important were 
 fought at sea; and the one in which we of Ohio are 
 most interested is the Battle of Lake Erie, and the 
 famous victory of Oliver Hazard Perry. 
 
 Every school boy and girl knows that many men 
 and officers were killed in that engagement; that the 
 enlisted men were buried at sea (in Lake Erie) at 
 night; and that the bodies of the officers, both English 
 and American, were taken to Put-in-Bay Island and 
 buried in a spot near the lake shore. 
 
 At the Western Reserve Historical Society is a 
 large oil painting, executed by an artist who lived in 
 Cleveland many years ago, Mr. Chevalier. This 
 painting depicts the burial of the officers. The two 
 fleets are drawn up in the background, while in the 
 foreground is the scene of the last sad rites. 
 
 It is a realistic and an interesting picture; the fierce 
 conflict of the previous day is over; the ships ride at 
 
anchor on a lake that is calm and placid; one can 
 almost hear the lapping of the waves upon the shore. 
 But the triumph of victory is hushed in the presence 
 of death. The brave of both armies had given their 
 lives for their countries; and now, here, far from home 
 and loved ones, their bodies were to be laid to rest to 
 "sleep the sleep that knows not breaking, morn of toil 
 nor night of waking." 
 
 For one hundred years these graves have remained 
 unmarked by a suitable monument. At last the people 
 of the adjacent states together with the Congress of 
 the United States have decided to honor the memory 
 of Perry and his brave men by a monument that shall 
 speak eloquently of their appreciation and love. 
 
 Every citizen of Cleveland, every boy and girl, 
 will surely wish to do his or her part in the celebration 
 which is to commence next July and continue to 
 October. Cleveland must not lag behind her sister 
 cities and towns in the celebration which is to lead 
 up to the laying of the cornerstone of the great 
 monument. 
 
 Let every one begin at once to read up on the War 
 of 1812. 
 
 One of the most thrilling and graphic accounts of 
 the Battle of Lake Erie is that by George Bancroft, 
 the historian. This may be found in a work published 
 by the City of Cleveland in 1860, which gives the 
 
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proceedings of the inauguration of the Perry Statue 
 which now stands in Wade Park not far from Euclid 
 Avenue. 
 
 And, by the way, the reading of these proceedings 
 reveals the fact that the fire of patriotism burned strong 
 in the hearts of the people in 1 860. The statue was 
 then placed at the Public Square, and the occasion 
 of the unveiling was one of the greatest events in the 
 history of Cleveland. 
 
 The Governor of Rhode Island and his staff were 
 present; the officers of the state of Rhode Island; the 
 members of the Rhode Island legislature, and the 
 famous Providence Light Artillery. Also Governor 
 Dennison of Ohio, and his staff were present. And 
 many relatives and descendants of Commodore Perry, 
 and many surviving soldiers of the War of 1812, 
 were the guests of the city of Cleveland for the auspi- 
 cious occasion. There were two or three who had been 
 with Perry in his engagement. One of these was Dr. 
 Usher Parsons, the surgeon of the flagship. He 
 made an address to the assembled multitude, describing 
 the scenes on board the Lawrence during and after the 
 fierce conflict. 
 
 To this inauguration of the Perry statue the people 
 flocked from every nearby town and hamlet. They 
 came in every conceivable kind of conveyance. In 
 1860 the population of Cleveland was only 43,417. 
 
And for this celebration there were 100.000 visitors 
 in Cleveland! 
 
 The account reads like a fairytale. "For two or 
 three days previous the railroads had been bringing 
 in large trains loaded down with people to attend the 
 great celebration * * * The crowds poured in at 
 such a rate that it seemed as if there would be no room 
 left for the crowds that were to arrive on Monday. 
 On Monday morning the trains came in loaded down, 
 inside and outside, and on the top. Never before did 
 cars come into Cleveland so densely packed with 
 people. The masses of humanity clinging to them, 
 wherever foothold or handgrip could be obtained, 
 could be likened to nothing but a swarm of bees on 
 a bush * * * Steamboats from Buffalo, Detroit and 
 Sandusky * * * Teams came pouring in, in endless 
 procession, and undoubtedly brought more than all the 
 railroads added together * * * Thousands * * * 
 came in on foot.** 
 
 And at that gathering stories were told, by those 
 who were living at the time of the victory, — forty 
 years previous — of how the news was carried, and 
 how it was received by the people. Quoting again 
 from this fascinating account — "Captain Johnson says 
 that on the morning of the memorable 10th, (1813) 
 he and a gang of men were just putting the finishing 
 touches to the first court house and jail, which stood 
 
right in front of the present First Presbyterian Church. 
 They thought they heard thunder, but looking out of 
 the windows saw no clouds, and concluded it was the 
 roar of cannon. They were expecting to hear news, 
 knowing that Perry's fleet had passed up the lake. 
 They all went to the bank of the lake * * * All the 
 villagers assembled there, numbering perhaps thirty. 
 They could distinguish between the reports of the 
 larger and smaller guns. They staid on the bank 
 until the reports ceased, and the last four or five 
 reports being from heavy guns, and it being known that 
 the Americans had the heaviest ordnance, they con- 
 cluded that the victory was ours, and then on the spot 
 they gave cheers for Perry.*' 
 
 A letter written from Buffalo, dated September 
 1 9th, 1813, reads as follows: "You can easily imagine 
 the effect of this news upon our villagers, and the 
 soldiers stationed in this vicinity. I cannot describe 
 it to you. Be assured we all breathe easier, for we 
 believe that a blow has been struck by our noble tars 
 that will be felt throughout our whole frontier * * * 
 This evening every tenement of the village, that has 
 a window, is to be brilliantly illuminated." 
 
 Probably this "brilliant illumination" was by means 
 of candles. 
 
 How many citizens of Cleveland have seen the 
 Perry statue which was erected in Cleveland in 1860? 
 
How many know who was the sculptor of the statue, 
 and how the money for it was raised by gifts of the 
 people? 
 
 How many have seen the oil portrait of Oliver 
 Hazard Perry which hangs in the Council Chamber, 
 at the City Hall? How many know that this portrait 
 was presented to the city of Cleveland by the son of 
 Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry as a token of appre- 
 ciation of the honor shown his father's memory by 
 the people of Cleveland? How many know that this 
 portrait is a copy made by a Mr. Lawson of Lowell, 
 Massachusetts, from the celebrated original painting 
 by Gilbert Stuart? 
 
 How many know that there is another copy of the 
 Stuart portrait of Perry hanging on the walls of the 
 Western Reserve Historical Society? 
 
 Oh, Citizens of Cleveland, pause for a brief space 
 in the mad rush of life! Turn your thoughts back- 
 ward to 1812; gather about the firesides of your 
 homes the members of your families, old and young, 
 and read aloud — and discuss — the thrilling accounts 
 of the War of 1812; the events which led up to the 
 Battle of Lake Erie, and those which followed; instill 
 into the minds of your sons and daughters the meaning 
 of that war, its causes, and its far-reaching results. 
 Study the maps, and realize what a different tale 
 might have been told had not the dauntless Perry 
 
 6 
 
PLASTER CAST OF THE PERRY STATUE 
 
 By William Walcutt, 1860 
 
opened the way to the later victories that resulted 
 in the present boundary line between Canada and the 
 United States. 
 
 Then you will need no urging to respond to the call 
 to add your mite to help" the coming Cleveland cele- 
 bration a brilliant success ; one which shall be recorded 
 on the pages of Cleveland's history as having been 
 as stirring and as wonderful for the year 1913 as 
 was the one attending the inauguration of the Perry 
 statue in 1860! 
 
 The Western Reserve Historical Society possesses 
 many rare publications on the War of 1812. It has 
 also published a series of Tracts on the subject. These 
 are now very scarce and out of print. 
 
 In addition to the painting already mentioned as 
 being on the walls of the Society's building, the Muse- 
 um contains the original plaster cast of the Perry 
 statue; and the plaster relievo which depicts the Com- 
 modore as he passes in a rowboat from the Lawrence 
 to the Niagara. 
 
 The Museum also contains the sextant taken by 
 Commodore Perry from Commodore Barclay in the 
 engagement on Lake Erie, as well as a piece of wood 
 from the hulk of the Lawrence, and a few pieces of 
 
cannon balls. The frame on the oil painting of the < 
 burial scene is said to be made from a heavy oak 
 timber of the same ship. 
 
 The Society's collection of books on the War of 
 1812 will be open to adult readers, for reference only, 
 daily, excepting Sundays, from nine a. m. to five p. m. 
 The customary fee, of ten cents, for consulting the 
 historical library, will not be charged for the use of 
 this special collection during the coming year, by 
 courtesy of the Western Reserve Historical Society. 
 Annette P. Ward, 
 Librarian, Western Reserve Historical Society. 
 

The collection of manuscripts belonging to the So- 
 ciety is a notable one; including hundreds of letters, 
 orders, forage papers, petitions and muster rolls. 
 Among the official documents is the original manu- 
 script of Hull's "General Orders" to his army, con- 
 taining the articles of capitulation, which give the 
 details of the surrender of Detroit to the British, 
 August 16, 1812. 
 
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