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Last updated on Wednesday, April 4, 2018
(BEDFORD) - The Lawrence County Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday morning honoring Captain James Lawrence.
A ceremony and unveiling of a commemorative marker was held Tuesday morning by the Bicentennial Committee and county officials at the courthouse honoring Captain James Lawrence.
The marker is located on the southside of the courthouse.
James Lawrence was an American naval officer. During the War of 1812, he commanded USS Chesapeake and left port on 1 June 1813 and immediately engaged the blockading Royal Navy frigate Shannon in a fierce battle.
Although slightly smaller, the British ship disabled Chesapeake with gunfire within the first few minutes. Captain Lawrence, mortally wounded by small arms fire, ordered his officers, "Don't give up the ship. Fight her till she sinks." Or "Tell them to fire faster; don't give up the ship." The order is still a popular naval battle cry.
Men carried him below, and his crew was overwhelmed by a British boarding party shortly afterward. James Lawrence died of his wounds on June 4, 1813, while his captors directed Chesapeake to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
After Lawrence's death was reported to his friend and fellow officer Oliver Hazard Perry, he ordered a large blue battle ensign, stitched with the phrase "Don't Give Up The Ship" in bold white letters.
The Perry Flag was displayed on his flagship during a victorious engagement against the British on Lake Erie in September 1813. The original flag is displayed in the Naval Academy Museum and a replica is displayed in Memorial Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. A replica is also on view at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, on South Bass Island, Ohio.
Other upcoming Bicentennial events include:
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