privateers had more
fun than anybody.

Madison was re-elected, thus showing that his style of administration
suited one and all, and the war was prosecuted at a great rate. It
became a sort of fight with Canada, the latter being supported by
English arms by land and sea. Of course the Americans would have
preferred to fight England direct, and many were in favor of attacking
London: but when the commanding officer asked those of the army who had
the means to go abroad to please raise their right hands, it was found
that the trip must be abandoned. Those who had the means to go did not
have suitable clothes for making a respectable appearance, and so it was
given up.

Three divisions were made of the army, all having an attack on Canada as
the object in view,--viz., the army of the Centre, the army of the
North, and the army of the West. The armies of the Centre and North did
not do much, aside from the trifling victory at York, and President
Madison said afterwards in a letter to the writer's family that the two
armies did not accomplish enough to pay the duty on them. The army of
the West managed to stand off the British, though the latter still held
Michigan and threatened Ohio.

[Illustration: BUILDING THE FLEET, MEANTIME BOARDING HIMSELF.]

September 10, Perry's victory on Lake Erie occurred, and was well
received. Perry was twenty-seven years old, and was given command of a
flotilla on Lake Erie, provided he would cut the timber and build it,
meantime boarding himself. The British had long been in possession of
Lake Erie, and when Perry got his scows afloat they issued invitations
for a general display of carnage. They bore down on Perry and killed all
the men on his flag-ship but eight. Then he helped them fire the last
gun, and with the flag they jumped into a boat which they paddled for
the Niagara under a galling fire. This was the first time that a galling
fire had ever been used at sea. Perry passed within pistol-shot of the
British, and in less than a quarter of an hour after he trod the poop of
the Niagara he was able to write to General Harrison, "We have met the
enemy, and they are ours."

Proctor and Tecumseh were at Malden, with English and Indians, preparing
to plunder the frontier and kill some more women and children as soon as
they felt rested up. At the news of Perry's victory, Harrison decided to
go over and stir them up. Arriving at Malden, he found it deserted, and
followed the foe to the