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ANECDOTES OF THE LAKE ERIE AREA

WAR OF 1812

This is the fourth volume in a projected series of transcriptions dealing with the War of 1812 in the Northwest. For obvious reasons, the well-known items dealing with the war on Lake Erie are omitted. Instead several interesting and worthwhile items have been included which shed new light and give more detail to the naval war of the Northwest. Included are: Robert Heriot Barclay and the Battle of Lake Erie, consisting of extracts from the court martial proceedings of the British naval commander on lake Erie, taken from the transcripts in the Canadian Public Archives (p. 1); Usher Parsons' account of his service as naval surgeon aboard the Lawrence during the battle (p. 53); David Bunnell's description of the Battle of Lake Erie from the point of view of a gunner aboard the Lawrence (p. 56); and Isaac Roach's narrative of the capture of the Caledonia from the British.

As aforesaid, the Barclay court martial materials come from the Canadian Public Archives. The Usher Parsons' account was published by him in the New England Journal of Medicine, (Oct., 1818). David Bunnell's romantic narrative is included in his autobiography, and the Isaac Roach Diary excerpts are from the collections of the Buffalo Historical Society, microfilm courtesy of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. All of the materials, with the exception of the Parsons' accounts were microfilmed through funds granted from the U.S. Daughters of the liar of 1812 and the Ohio State University Development Fund. The film is de- posited both at the Ohio State Museum Library and the Ohio State University: Library.

Richard C. Knopf,
Historical Editor &
Research Historian.
December, 1957.