4 Oliver Hazard Perry Quotes on History

Oliver Hazard Perry quotes on history

2. We have met the enemy and they are ours- two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.

8. The personal conduct of Perry throughout the 10th of September was perfect. His keenly sensitive nature never interfered with his sweetness of manner, his fortitude, the soundness of his judgment, the promptitude of his decision. In a state of impassioned activity, his plans were wisely framed, were instantly modified as circumstances changed, and were executed with entire coolness and self-possession. The mastery of the lakes, the recovery of Detroit and the far West, the capture of the British army in the peninsula of Upper Canada, were the immediate fruits of his success. The imagination of the American people was taken captive by the singular incidents of a battle in which everything seemed to have flowed from the personal prowess of one man; and wherever he came the multitude went out to bid him welcome. ~ George Bancroft

9. He absolutely refused to admit, much less accept, defeat when he was literally beaten on Lake Erie. He was that rara avis in our history, the true hero-patriot. ~ Richard Dillon, in We Have Met the Enemy. (1978)

10. Against a tenacious enemy, this young commodore bequeathed a legacy of combat leadership to future generations of naval officers. ~ David Curtis Skaggs and Gerald T. Altoff, in A Signal Victory. (1997)