<P> In the days preceding the battle, Perry told his friend, Purser Samuel Hambleton, that he wanted a signal flag, or battle flag, to signal to his fleet when to engage the enemy . Hambleton suggested using the dying words of Perry's friend Captain James Lawrence of the frigate USS Chesapeake, "Don't Give up the Ship". Hambleton had the flag sewn by women of Erie, and presented it to Perry the day before the battle . The flag would become an icon in American naval history . </P> <P> On the morning of 10 September, the Americans saw Barclay's vessels heading for them, and got under way from their anchorage at Put - in - Bay . The wind was light . Barclay initially held the weather gauge, but the wind shifted and allowed Perry to close and attack . Both squadrons were in line of battle, with their heaviest vessels near the centre of the line . </P> <P> The first shot was fired, from Detroit, at 11: 45 . Perry hoped to get his two largest brigs, his flagship Lawrence and Niagara, into carronade range quickly, but in the light wind his vessels were making very little speed and Lawrence was battered by the assortment of long guns mounted in Detroit for at least 20 minutes before being able to reply effectively . When Lawrence was finally within carronade range at 12: 45, her fire was not as effective as Perry hoped, her gunners apparently having overloaded the carronades with shot . </P> <P> Astern of Lawrence, Niagara, under Elliot, was slow to come into action and remained far out of effective carronade range . It is possible that Elliott was under orders to engage his opposite number, Queen Charlotte, and that Niagara was obstructed by Caledonia, but Elliot's actions would become a matter of dispute between him and Perry for many years . Aboard Queen Charlotte, the British ship opposed to Niagara, the commander (Robert Finnis) and First Lieutenant were both killed . The next most senior officer, Lieutenant Irvine of the Provincial Marine, found that both Niagara and the American gunboats were far out of range, and passed the brig General Hunter to engage Lawrence at close range . </P>

Who was the commanding officer that won the battle of lake erie