Ir a man, who has rendered his name illustrious by services to his country, derives any reflected splendor from his ancestry, few have stronger claims on that score than the subject of the present biography. His great ancestor, Edmund Perry, was born in Devonshire, England, and was one of the earliest settlers of the then colony of Massachusetts. He was a public speaker of the society called Friends, and was compelled to quit that colony on account of his religious opinions, and to seek a residence in South Kingston, Rhodeisland. He had three sons, Samuel, James and Benjamin, who inherited the same religious principles with their father. Benjamin, the great grand-father, was born in the year* 1673. Freeman, his youngest son, by a second marriage, was born in South Kingston, on the second day of February in 1732, and in 1756 married the daughter of Oliver Hazard, esquire, brother to the honourable George Hazard, lieutenant-governor of the then colony of Rhodeisland. The grand-father, Freeman Perry, was for many years clerk of the court, member of the legislature, judge, &c. in his native state, the duties of which various office's nd.

VOL. II.

he discharged with great credit and ability. He died at South Kingston, in October, 1813, in the eighty-second year of his age. Christopher Raymond Perry, the father, was born December 4, 1761. Notwithstanding his youth, at the commencement of the American revolution, he took a very active part, and was often found fighting both by land and sea in the service of his country. He always acquitted himself to the satisfaction of his commanders; the port of danger was with him the port of honour. In October, 1784, he was married to Sarah Alexander, a lady born in Ireland, but of Scotch extraction; descended, on the maternal side, from the Wallaces, so celebrated in the annals of Scotland; a name which Oliver would have borne had it not been changed to Hazard, in consequence of the sudden death of a beloved uncle. This excellent woman has ever devoted herself to the education of her children, and formed their youthful minds to early habits of virtue and religion. So successful has she been in these attempts, that neither the glare of arms, and the pomp and bustle of a military life have been able to seduce the mind of captain Perry from those salutary impressions which he received in early youth. At the age of seven years, he was placed at Mr. Frasier's school in Newport, and under that able and excellent teacher he made considerable progress in his studies. In April 1799, he received a midshipman's warrant, and was attached to the United States' ship General Greene, under the command of his father, with whom he sailed until the reduction of the navy. At this time his father received the following letter from the honourable secretary of the navy:

"SIR,

"Navy Department, April 3, 1801.

"The act providing for the peace establishment of the navy of the United States, has imposed on the president a painful duty. It directs him to select nine gentlemen from amongst the captains of the navy of the United States, and to permit the remaining commanders to retire from public service, with the advance of four months extra pay. I have deemed it a duty, therefore, as early as possible to inform you, that you will be amongst those whose services, however reluctantly, will be dispensed with. You will

transmit to the accountant of the navy a statement of your account, for pay and subsistence, &c. to the twentieth instant, inclusive; on receipt of which it will be adjusted, and the balance due you, including the four months extra pay, will be transmitted to you, or paid to your order. Permit me to assure you, that the president has a just sense of the services rendered by you to your country, and that I am, with sentiments of respect,

"Your most obedient servant, "By order of Henry Dearborn, acting Secretary of the Navy, "S. SMITH.

"Captain CHR. R. PERRY."

On the breaking out of the Tripolitan war, Mr. Perry was ordered to join the frigate Adams, commanded by captain Campbell, with whom he sailed for the Mediterranean. This frigate was then lying in the harbour of Newport, and arrived at Gibralter on the thirteenth of July, 1802. Here they were met by commodore Morris in the Chesapeake, and lieutenant Sterret of the Enterprise. After waiting a month at this place, they proceeded as far as Malaga, with a convoy of merchant ships, and then returned to watch a Tripolitan ship lying at the rock of Gibraltar. Here they lay for ten months watching the Tripolitans, at which time they were joined by commodore Preble, with the Constellation, accompanied by the Newyork, John Adams, and the Enterprise. Commodore Preble here shifted his flag from the Constellation to the Newyork, and ordered the Constellation, then commanded by captain Barron, to the United States. On the seventh of April, Mr. Perry sailed from Gibraltar for the United States, in the frigate Adams, with a convoy of ten sail of merchantmen. They touched at Malaga, Alicant, Barcelona, and after staying a few days at the latter place, proceeded for Leghorn, and thence to Naples. During this cruise, and on his birth-day (at seventeen years of age) he was promoted to an acting lieutenancy. Whilst in the Mediterranean station, lieutenant Perry embraced an opportunity afforded by the indulgence of his commander, of visiting many of the capital cities, and examining many of the curiosities both of Italy and Spain. He had also an opportunity of seeing whatever was worthy of notice in the Italian islands, as well as on the Barbary side. He was.