We have met the enemy, and they are ours

Cultural  

1. A message sent from the naval Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812, announcing a victory for the United States. The naval commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, addressed the words to the American land armies.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

We have met the enemy, and they are ours

It seems to me that the words ascribed to Perry ran: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours."

From Time Magazine Archive

Oliver Hazard Perry made American history with his famous phrase, "We have met the enemy and they are ours," after his defeat of the British squadron on Lake Erie on September 10, 1813.

From Time Magazine Archive

During the war, however, the U. S. Canadian operations were a dismal failure, relieved chiefly by Perry's famed "We have met the enemy and they are ours" victory on Lake Erie.

From Time Magazine Archive

Perry announced his victory in words that have become historic: "We have met the enemy and they are ours."

From Stories of Our Naval Heroes Every Child Can Read by Hurlbut, Jesse Lyman

"We have met the enemy and they are ours," wrote Perry to General Harrison.

From The Story of Our Country Every Child Can Read by Hurlbut, Jesse Lyman