The total guns carried were 54, with a force of 490 men.
The British squadron consisted of six vessels, with an aggregate of 63 guns and 502 men.

They were under the command of Commander Robert H.
Barclay, who had fought under Nelson at Trafalgar, and in another battle lost an arm.

It was less than three months before that the dying Lawrence had uttered the appeal, "Don't give up the ship!" and Perry hoisted a flag with the words displayed in large letters.

As it floated in the breeze from his vessel it was received with enthusiastic cheers.
It was on the 10th of September, 1814, that the two squadrons met at the western end of Lake Erie.

When a mile apart, the _Detroit_, the British flagship, fired a shot to test the distance.