On Monday, the 15th of November,
attended by the faithful crew that rowed him to the Niagara, he arrived
in Newport, by way of the south-ferry. Here, he was received upon his
arrival in a manner alike worthy of his neighbors and friends and of
himself.
August 23d, 1819, at the age of thirty-four, he died of yellow fever,
at Port Spain in the Island of Trinidad. His remains were brought to
Newport in a government ship, and were interred December 4th. 1826. They
were conducted to their final resting place by a funeral cortege such as
up to that time had never been equalled and since that time has here
never been surpassed.
This is but a glance at the man, and the event to which we are here
to-day to rear this tribute of our gratitude. There are other names and
other figures that come up to view in the memory and gather around the
name of Perry, of men who were efficient auxiliaries in the conflict,
shared the dangers, and participated in the glory of the battle of Lake
Erie, and who are inseparably connected with that event.
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