The Battle of Lake Erie, also known as the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on September 10th, 1813, on Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio (just a short 5 hours from Rochester!). It took place during the war of 1812, and involved nine vessels of the US Navy defeating and capturing six vessels of the British Royal Navy. The first shot was fired, from Detroit, at 11:45AM.
The battle was closely contested for hours, with the war vessels floating in and out of range, with little control due to the light wind and heavy cannons on board. Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship Lawrence was reduced to a defenseless wreck, and four-fifths of the crew were killed or wounded. But, while the Lawrence was facing down two British vessels, the Niagara demolished the Queen Charlotte, killing both the Commander and the First Lieutenant. Perry, in the meantime, was crossing heavy lines of fire in a small brig to get to the Niagara.
When the Lawrence surrendered, firing died away briefly. Multiple ships were left virtually unmanageable, with damaged rigging and almost every officer killed or severely wounded. This caused the Detroit to collide with Queen Charlotte, along with a few other smaller British vessels. Nevertheless, the British expected Niagara to lead the American schooners away in retreat. But, they were surprised that once Perry was aboard Niagara, he dispatched the schooners back into the action, and steered Niagara closer to Britain’s damaged ships. Directly in the British line, he forced them to surrender through firing broadsides. Perry had won complete victory, at the cost of 27 Americans killed and 96 wounded (compared to the British casualties which were 40 dead and 94 wounded).
After the battle, Perry sent a famous dispatch to US General William Henry Harrison: “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.” This decisive battle forced the British to abandon Detroit, ensuring American control
This decisive battle ensured American control of the lake for the rest of the war, in turn allowing the Americans to recover Detroit, and later win the Battle of the Thames. It was one of the biggest naval battles of the War of 1812, and helped change the tide of the war.
You can find more information about the Battle of Lake Erie here: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Battle_of_Lake_Erie