USS Lawrence was Oliver Hazard Perry’s original flagship at the Battle of Lake Erie. The American brig carried Perry’s broad pennant during the opening phase of the decisive naval battle on September 10, 1813.
Built at Erie, Pennsylvania, and named for Captain James Lawrence, the ship was one of two Niagara-class vessels constructed for service on the Great Lakes. Perry directed the American squadron from Lawrence as it engaged the British fleet commanded by Robert Heriot Barclay. The ship suffered intense fire, lost many crew members, and became largely unmanageable.
Perry then transferred to the sister ship USS Niagara, from which he broke through the British line and forced the entire opposing squadron to surrender. His famous message, “We have met the enemy, and they are ours,” reported the victory. A common mix-up is to name Niagara, because it was Perry’s command ship when the battle was won. Lawrence, however, was his original flagship, and the British surrender was formally received aboard the damaged vessel after the fighting ended.