ThebattleofLakeEriewasfoughtin1813duringtheWarof1812betweentheUSandBritain.TheBritishfleetconsistedofsixshipsarmedmostlywithcannons,whiletheUSfleetcomprisednineshipsarmedprimarilywithcarronades.
Duringthebattle,theUSflagshipwasreducedtoafloatingwreck.Everygunonherengagedsidewasdisabled,andfourofeveryfivemenwereeitherkilledorwounded.Makingabolddecision,OliverPerry,commanderoftheUSfleet,abandonedhisflagshipandrowedahalfmilethroughheavygunfiretotheUSSNiagara,andagainsailedtowardstheBritishline.HeeventuallydrovetheBritishfleettosurrender.
PerrythenwrotehisnowfamousmessagetotheMajorGeneralonthebackofanoldenvelope:"Wehavemettheenemyandtheyareours."
英美一八一二年戰爭爆發，至一八一三年有伊利湖之役。英國艦隊有六艘戰船，配備的武器多是大炮；美國艦隊則有九艘戰船，武器以射程較短的臼炮為主。
兩支艦隊交戰，美國旗艦被打得支離破碎，只是沒有下沉。旗艦作戰一舷的槍炮全被摧毀，艦上每五人就有四個或傷或死。艦隊司令奧立佛．伯理十分果敢，決定放棄旗艦，冒着連綿炮火，划小船划了半英里，登上美國戰艦尼加拉號，又向排列成陣的英國艦隊開去，英國艦隊終於投降。
伯理向少將報捷，捷報寫在一個舊信封背後，今天膾炙人口：「與敵接戰，敵已成擒。」