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15-07-2007, 22:07
Undoubtedly good descent is an advantage; and if a man, who has rendered his name illustrious by services to his country, derives reflected splendour from his ancestry, few have stronger claims on that score than the subject of the present biography. His great ancestor, Edmund Perry, was born in Devonshire, England, and was one of the earliest settlers of the then colony of Massachusetts. He was a public speaker of the society called Friends, and was compelled to quit that colony on account of his religious opinions, and to seek a residence in south Kingston, Rhode Island. He had three sons, Samuel, James and Benjamin, which inherited the same religious principles with their father. Benjamin, the great grandfather, was born in the year 1673. Freeman his youngest son, by a second marriage, was born in South Kingston, on the second day of February in 1732, and in 1756 married the daughter of Oliver Hazard, Esq., brother to the Hon George Hazard, lieutenant governor of the then colony of Rhode Island. The grandfather, Freeman Perry, was for many years clerk of the court, member of the legislature, judge, etc. In his native state, the duties of which various offices he discharged with great credit and ability. He died at South Kingston in October 1813, in the eighty-second year of his age. Christopher Raymond Perry, the father, was born December 4th 1761. Notwithstanding his youth, at the commencement of the American Revolution, he took a very active part, and was often found fighting both by land and sea in the service of his country. He always acquitted himself to the satisfaction of his commanders; the post of danger was with him the post of honour. In October 1784, he was married to Sarah Alexander, a lady born in Ireland, but of Scotch extraction; descended, on the maternal side, from the Wallaces, so celebrated in the annals of Scotland;-a name which Oliver would have borne had it not been changed to Hazard, in consequence of the sudden death of a beloved uncle. This excellent woman devoted herself to the education of her children, and formed their youthful minds to early habits of virtue and religion. So successful was she in these attempts that neither the glare of arms, and the pomp and bustle of a military life were able to seduce the mind of Captain Perry from those salutary impressions, which he received in early youth. At the age of seven years, he was placed at Mr Fraiser’s school, in Newport, and under that able and excellent teacher he made considerable progress in his studies. In april 1799, he received a midshipman’s warrant, and was attached to the United States ship General Greene, under the command of his father, with whom he sailed until the reduction of the navy.
On the breaking out of the Tripolitan war, Mr Perry was ordered to join the frigate Adams, commanded by Captain Campbell, with whom he sailed for the Mediterranean. This frigate was then lying in the harbour of Newport, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 13th of July 1802. Here Commodore Morris, in the Chesapeake, and Lieutenant Sterret, of the Enterprise, met them. After waiting a month at this place they proceeded as far as Malaga, with a convoy of merchant ships, and then returned to watch a Tripolitan lying at the rock of Gibraltar. Here they lay for ten months watching the Tripolitans, at which time Commodore Preble, with the Constellation, accompanied by the New York, John Adams, and the Enterprise. Commodore Preble here shifted his flag from the Constellation to New York, and ordered the Constellation, then commanded by Captain Barron, to the United States. On the 7th of April, Mr Perry sailed from Gibraltar for the United States, in the frigate Adams, with a convoy of ten sail of merchantmen. They touched at Malaga, Alicant, Barcelona, and after staying a few days at the latter place, proceeded for Leghorn, and thence to Naples. During this cruise, and on his birthday (at seventeen years of age) he was promoted to an acting lieutenancy. While on the Mediterranean station, Lieutenant Perry embraced an opportunity afforded by the indulgence of his commander, of visiting many of the capital cities, and examining many of the curiosities bother of Italy and Spain. He had also an opportunity of seeing whatever was worthy of notice in the Italian islands, as well as on the Barbary side. He was at Tangiers, Ceuta, Algiers, Tunis, Derne and Tripoli. From Naples the frigate sailed to Stromboli. Lieutenant Perry remained in the Mediterranean until Commodore Morris left that station, and with him he returned to the Unites States. On Lieutenant Perry’s return to Newport, from this long and fatiguing cruise, he strenuously applied himself to the study of mathematics.
On the 5th of July 1804, Lieutenant Perry was again ordered to the Constellation, under his old commander, Captain Campbell. This frigate was then fitting out at Washington, and destined to join our squadron at Malta, then under the command of Commodore Barron. He remained onboard the Constellation until he was ordered by Captain Campbell as first lieutenant onboard of the Nautilus, during the time that Captain Evans and Captain Dent assumed the command. He was attached to the Nautilus until Commodore Rodgers assumed the command of the American squadron, by whom he was ordered onboard of his own ship, the Constitution, where he remained until the conclusion of peace with the regency of Tripoli. Afterwards Commodore Rodgers shifted his flag to the Essex, retained Mr Perry with his as the second lieutenant, and with him he returned to the United States.
After this second Mediterranean cruise, Lieutenant Perry applied himself with redoubled diligence to the study of mathematics, and to the rudiments of navigation. He had already been conversant with practice, and he was enabled to read and to compare what he read with his own experience, and to improve himself both by theoretical and practical knowledge. During the embargo, he was appointed to the command of seventeen gunboats, stationed at the harbour of New York, the duties of which he executed with his usual promptitude, industry and perseverance.
In all these incidents we may discover rather a narrative of occurrences, than a description of the character of Lieutenant Perry. None of these events have served to throw out his peculiar and distinguishing characteristics. It is time to come to more specific detail, and we shall find an intrepidity, which no misfortune could disturb, surpassed only by the modesty with which it is surrounded. In the year 1810, Lieutenant Perry superseded Captain Jones in the command of the United States schooner Revenge, attached to the squadron commanded by Commodore Rodgers. Lieutenant Perry received the orders of his commander to commence a survey, beginning at the westernmost extreme of Gardiner’s bay, on a parallel to extend five leagues south of the south side of Long Island, and north, so as to intersect the Connectieut shore; thence as far eastward as to include the whole of Connecticut as far as the easternmost extremity of Newport, and the harbours adjacent thereto; from which the north and south parallel of the eastern boundary of the chart was to extend so far south that the intersecting east and west parallel, forming the southern margin of the chart, would take in gay head not block island. He was by the orders of his commander, first to survey the harbour of Newport, and then to return to New London. In the execution of this duty, the schooner was wrecked on a reef of rocks, called Watch-hill reef, at the entrance of Fisher’s island sound. By the indefatigable exertions of the officers and crew, almost everything of value was saved from the wreck, and the life of every person onboard was preserved, notwithstanding the heavy swell rendered the approach extremely difficult and hazardous. A court of inquiry was ordered by the Commodore, consisting of Captain Isaac Hull, and Lieutenant Charles Morris and Charles Ludlow; names dear to the memory of Americans. Lieutenant Perry, on his examination before the court, gave a modest and perspicuous detail; but cautiously and modestly concealed his own individual agency in attempting to save the stores and the men. In the examination of the junior officers, this fact is stated, which the court would never have learned from his own lips: “At sunset the wind changed to the northward, and blew heavy on the reef, when the sea increasing, and the vessel going fast to pieces, it was determined to leave her; and the Captain, and such part of the officers as remained onboard, landed at Watch-hill-Captain Perry being the last person that left the wreck!” It seldom happens that an officer is first recommended to the notice and favourable regards of his government by his misfortunes. Such, however, was the case in the present instance, and Lieutenant Perry, from that hour, became a favourite in the navy department. He laid the foundation of his future celebrity in his misfortune. The following letter from the Secretary of the Navy, to the Commodore, sanctions these ideas, and one particular passage appears to be beautifully prophetic.
On the breaking out of the Tripolitan war, Mr Perry was ordered to join the frigate Adams, commanded by Captain Campbell, with whom he sailed for the Mediterranean. This frigate was then lying in the harbour of Newport, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 13th of July 1802. Here Commodore Morris, in the Chesapeake, and Lieutenant Sterret, of the Enterprise, met them. After waiting a month at this place they proceeded as far as Malaga, with a convoy of merchant ships, and then returned to watch a Tripolitan lying at the rock of Gibraltar. Here they lay for ten months watching the Tripolitans, at which time Commodore Preble, with the Constellation, accompanied by the New York, John Adams, and the Enterprise. Commodore Preble here shifted his flag from the Constellation to New York, and ordered the Constellation, then commanded by Captain Barron, to the United States. On the 7th of April, Mr Perry sailed from Gibraltar for the United States, in the frigate Adams, with a convoy of ten sail of merchantmen. They touched at Malaga, Alicant, Barcelona, and after staying a few days at the latter place, proceeded for Leghorn, and thence to Naples. During this cruise, and on his birthday (at seventeen years of age) he was promoted to an acting lieutenancy. While on the Mediterranean station, Lieutenant Perry embraced an opportunity afforded by the indulgence of his commander, of visiting many of the capital cities, and examining many of the curiosities bother of Italy and Spain. He had also an opportunity of seeing whatever was worthy of notice in the Italian islands, as well as on the Barbary side. He was at Tangiers, Ceuta, Algiers, Tunis, Derne and Tripoli. From Naples the frigate sailed to Stromboli. Lieutenant Perry remained in the Mediterranean until Commodore Morris left that station, and with him he returned to the Unites States. On Lieutenant Perry’s return to Newport, from this long and fatiguing cruise, he strenuously applied himself to the study of mathematics.
On the 5th of July 1804, Lieutenant Perry was again ordered to the Constellation, under his old commander, Captain Campbell. This frigate was then fitting out at Washington, and destined to join our squadron at Malta, then under the command of Commodore Barron. He remained onboard the Constellation until he was ordered by Captain Campbell as first lieutenant onboard of the Nautilus, during the time that Captain Evans and Captain Dent assumed the command. He was attached to the Nautilus until Commodore Rodgers assumed the command of the American squadron, by whom he was ordered onboard of his own ship, the Constitution, where he remained until the conclusion of peace with the regency of Tripoli. Afterwards Commodore Rodgers shifted his flag to the Essex, retained Mr Perry with his as the second lieutenant, and with him he returned to the United States.
After this second Mediterranean cruise, Lieutenant Perry applied himself with redoubled diligence to the study of mathematics, and to the rudiments of navigation. He had already been conversant with practice, and he was enabled to read and to compare what he read with his own experience, and to improve himself both by theoretical and practical knowledge. During the embargo, he was appointed to the command of seventeen gunboats, stationed at the harbour of New York, the duties of which he executed with his usual promptitude, industry and perseverance.
In all these incidents we may discover rather a narrative of occurrences, than a description of the character of Lieutenant Perry. None of these events have served to throw out his peculiar and distinguishing characteristics. It is time to come to more specific detail, and we shall find an intrepidity, which no misfortune could disturb, surpassed only by the modesty with which it is surrounded. In the year 1810, Lieutenant Perry superseded Captain Jones in the command of the United States schooner Revenge, attached to the squadron commanded by Commodore Rodgers. Lieutenant Perry received the orders of his commander to commence a survey, beginning at the westernmost extreme of Gardiner’s bay, on a parallel to extend five leagues south of the south side of Long Island, and north, so as to intersect the Connectieut shore; thence as far eastward as to include the whole of Connecticut as far as the easternmost extremity of Newport, and the harbours adjacent thereto; from which the north and south parallel of the eastern boundary of the chart was to extend so far south that the intersecting east and west parallel, forming the southern margin of the chart, would take in gay head not block island. He was by the orders of his commander, first to survey the harbour of Newport, and then to return to New London. In the execution of this duty, the schooner was wrecked on a reef of rocks, called Watch-hill reef, at the entrance of Fisher’s island sound. By the indefatigable exertions of the officers and crew, almost everything of value was saved from the wreck, and the life of every person onboard was preserved, notwithstanding the heavy swell rendered the approach extremely difficult and hazardous. A court of inquiry was ordered by the Commodore, consisting of Captain Isaac Hull, and Lieutenant Charles Morris and Charles Ludlow; names dear to the memory of Americans. Lieutenant Perry, on his examination before the court, gave a modest and perspicuous detail; but cautiously and modestly concealed his own individual agency in attempting to save the stores and the men. In the examination of the junior officers, this fact is stated, which the court would never have learned from his own lips: “At sunset the wind changed to the northward, and blew heavy on the reef, when the sea increasing, and the vessel going fast to pieces, it was determined to leave her; and the Captain, and such part of the officers as remained onboard, landed at Watch-hill-Captain Perry being the last person that left the wreck!” It seldom happens that an officer is first recommended to the notice and favourable regards of his government by his misfortunes. Such, however, was the case in the present instance, and Lieutenant Perry, from that hour, became a favourite in the navy department. He laid the foundation of his future celebrity in his misfortune. The following letter from the Secretary of the Navy, to the Commodore, sanctions these ideas, and one particular passage appears to be beautifully prophetic.