With remarkable energy the young captain put a large force of wood-choppers and ship carpenters at work for months near Erie, Pa., felling huge trees and building war vessels of the green timber. Soon he had launched nine, with fifty-four cannon--more vessels than the enemy, but fewer guns. One beautiful September morning the British fleet was seen on the horizon. "Sail ho!" rang out from the masthead of the American flagship. "Enemy in sight!" "Get under way!" was the signal sent to each vessel. Perry stripped his flagship, the Lawrence, for action. At her masthead he raised a blue battle-flag, upon which had been painted in large white letters the dying words of the brave Lawrence, "Don't give up the ship." "My brave lads," said Perry, "this flag has on it the dying words of Captain Lawrence. Shall I hoist it?" "Aye, aye, sir," shouted every man, and cheer after cheer echoed and reechoed through the fleet. This was the signal for battle. The enemy's fire was directed mostly upon Perry's vessel, which fought the two largest British ships till the Lawrence was almost a helpless wreck--cannon dismounted, masts shot away, and most of the crew either killed or wounded. Should Perry surrender? NOT HE! Taking his motto banner, he sprang into his only open boat, with his little brother and four stout sailors, and standing erect with his battle-flag half folded about him, balls flying all around him, he was rowed through the thickest of the fight to another of his ships, the Niagara, half a mile distant. A mighty shout went up from all our fleet at the sight of this heroic deed. "Fire upon that boat," ordered the British commander. The enemy at once poured a hail of cannon-balls, grapeshot, and musket bullets around the men in the open boat. Strange to say, not a person was hurt. Perry sprang on board of the Niagara, took command, sailed his vessels into the enemy's line, and thundered a series of broadsides right and left into five of their best ships. [Illustration: OLIVER HAZARD PERRY.] In fifteen minutes from this moment the work was over! For the first time in history an American fleet had met a British fleet in a fair fight--and captured it! The battle had lasted three hours. The victory was complete. Then with singular pride Perry returned to the shattered Lawrence and there received the enemy's surrender! When he was sure of victory, he wrote in pencil on the back of an old letter, resting the paper on his cap, and sent to General Harrison (afterwards President in 1841) that remarkable despatch, the first sentence of which has been so often repeated: "WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND THEY ARE OURS!" This victory, so astonishing for its daring act of valor, turned the scales of war. It saved the western states from further inroads by the British, and paved the way for General Harrison to recover what was lost in General Hull's surrender of Detroit.