Driving his flagship, the _Lawrence_, right in among the enemy's ships, Perry made them turn all their cannon against it. The loss of life was dreadful, but Perry kept cool. When the last gun of the _Lawrence_ could no longer be fired, he ordered a boat to be lowered and with some brave men rowed through a storm of shot and shell to the _Niagara_, another of Perry's large ships. Then he drove this ship into the midst of the fight. In fifteen minutes the two largest British ships struck their colors. The remainder of the fleet then surrendered. [Sidenote: =Broke British power in the West=] This victory broke the British power in the West. Congress voted resolutions in praise of Perry and ordered a gold medal struck in his honor. Wherever he went the people paid him great attention, and at his home he was given a royal welcome. ANDREW JACKSON, THE VICTOR OF NEW ORLEANS [Sidenote: =Jackson a Scotch-Irishman=] =125. How a Poor Boy Began to Rise.= Andrew Jackson was born of Scotch-Irish parents who had emigrated from Ireland to South Carolina. His father died and his mother moved to North Carolina to be among her own people. Here, a few days after his father's death, in the same year in which England passed the Tea Act (1767), Andrew was born. [Sidenote: =Learns from the woods=] Schools were few and poor. In fact, Andrew was too poor himself to do anything but work. He learned far more from the pine woods in which he played than from books. At nine he was a tall, slender, freckle-faced lad, fond of sports, and full of fun and mischief. But woe to the boy that made "Andy" angry! [Sidenote: =Learns to hate the British=] When thirteen, he learned what war meant, for it was in the days of the Revolution when Colonel Tarleton came along and killed more than a hundred and wounded one hundred fifty of Jackson's neighbors and friends. Among the killed was one of the boy's own brothers. Andrew never forgave the British. [Illustration: JACKSON REFUSES TO SHINE THE OFFICER'S BOOTS] [Sidenote: =A prisoner of war=] [Sidenote: =Loses his mother=] At fourteen he was taken prisoner by the British. "Boy," shouted an officer, "clean these boots!" "I will not," replied Jackson. "I am a prisoner of war, and claim to be treated as such." The officer drew his sword and struck Jackson a blow upon the head, and another upon the hand. These blows left scars which Jackson carried to his grave. He was taken a prisoner to Camden, where smallpox killed his remaining brother and left Andrew poor and sickly looking. His mother had come to Camden to nurse her sons. A little later she lost her life in caring for American prisoners on British ships in Charleston Harbor, so Jackson was now an orphan of the Revolution. [Illustration: THE HERMITAGE NEAR NASHVILLE _This historic house, the home of Andrew Jackson, is now owned by the state of Tennessee_] [Sidenote: =A lawyer before twenty=]