Changes

Perry returned to active duty in May of 1812 when the threat of a war with [[Britain]] was looming. He was appointed to the position of master-commandant. One month later, Congress declared war on Britain, beginning the [[War of 1812]], and Perry took was put in command of a 12 gunboat fleet based at Newport, [[Rhode Island]] and New London, [[Connecticut]]. The job was not active enough for Perry's tastes however and he was on his request redeployed on February 1813 to Great Lakes, where both sides were engaged in a construiction race to build fleets to control the lakes.  

Perry returned to active duty in May of 1812 when the threat of a war with [[Britain]] was looming. He was appointed to the position of master-commandant. One month later, Congress declared war on Britain, beginning the [[War of 1812]], and Perry took was put in command of a 12 gunboat fleet based at Newport, [[Rhode Island]] and New London, [[Connecticut]]. The job was not active enough for Perry's tastes however and he was on his request redeployed on February 1813 to Great Lakes, where both sides were engaged in a construiction race to build fleets to control the lakes.  

===Lake Erie===

===Lake Erie===

Perry was deployed to Erie, [[Pennsylvania]] in March 1813.  His assignment was building brigs from scratch; he worked with Noah Brown, an expert shipbuilder, to get the job done quickly. By July 1813,  six warships were ready; they were soon joined by six more from Buffalo, [[New York]].

Perry was deployed to Erie, Pennsylvania in March 1813 with the rank of Master Commandant.  His assignment was building brigs from scratch; he worked with Noah Brown, an expert shipbuilder, to get the job done quickly. By July 1813,  six warships were ready; they were soon joined by six more from Buffalo, [[New York]].

Sailing master Daniel Dobbins and Captain Isaac Chauncey were the moving forces behind the construction of the American fleet. Perry assumed command of the operation as the ships were being constructed, and he struggled to recruit a capable crew from the pool of manpower available in that theater of operations. When his squadron of nine ships moved against the British on western Lake Erie on 10 September 1813, Perry commanded 533 men. Some were volunteers from land forces who had never experienced sea duty. British commander Robert Barclay also encountered serious problems with his six-ship force.<ref> See Altoff (1988)</ref>

Sailing master Daniel Dobbins and Captain Isaac Chauncey were the moving forces behind the construction of the American fleet. Perry assumed command of the operation as the ships were being constructed, and he struggled to recruit a capable crew from the pool of manpower available in that theater of operations. When his squadron of nine ships moved against the British on western Lake Erie on 10 September 1813, Perry commanded 533 men. Some were volunteers from land forces who had never experienced sea duty. British commander Robert Barclay also encountered serious problems with his six-ship force.<ref> See Altoff (1988)</ref>