Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1876 — A Relic of Perry’s Victory. [ARTICLE]

A Relic of Perry’s Victory.

Tiieiie is a hammer at the undertaking establishment of J. F. Birch, Georgetown, “ and thereby hangs a tale.” Somewhere about the year 1800 a young man named Webster left Washington for Spain to superintend a mint. After having lived in Spain some years he started home with his savings, which amounted to about 1,600 Spanish doubloons. On his way to his native land the vessel on which he came was overt hauled by a British man-of-war. He was claimed as an Englishman, his money taken, and he pressed into service. After a few months he succeeded in making his escape, and returned home and joined the American navy, being determined, if possible, to be revengea for his loss. The war of 1812 was now in progress. It so happened that he was upaer Perry’s command, and participated in the’ famous victory on Lake Erie. In this engagement he used a cutlass, with which he severed the head of a British soldier entirely from his body, so that it fell between the two conflicting vessels. With the same instrument he also killed two other Britishers, besides doing other good service with it. The war being ended he returned home and presented his jeutlass to his younger brother, William Webster, as a memento of the victory. His brother, who was an upholsterer by trade, after having kept it for many years, finally had it made into a handsome upholsterer’s hammer, and at his death bequeathed it to. Mr. George Birch, who has sacredly kept it, valuing it very highly on account of its historic connections.— Washington Star.