The Double Hero

This is a catalog note about "The Double Hero; or, The Lieutenant and the Major's Daughter," a serialized novel by O. G. Iron published in Beadle and Adams's dime novel series. The installment opens with Chapter II, "The Building of the Ship," set in July 1812 at Presqu'isle (Erie), Pennsylvania, where Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry supervises construction of two naval vessels, the Lawrence and the Niagara, intended for combat against a British fleet on Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The narrative details the resourcefulness required to build warships in wilderness conditions, the strategic problem posed by the harbor's sand bar, and the American fleet's successful escape from blockade when the British Commodore Barclay abandons his post to attend a dinner in Canada. The story emphasizes patriotic determination and naval conflict.