Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry - Newport

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was raised in Newport and would become one of the most celebrated naval heroes in 19th century America. During the War of 1812 he was given command of U.S. Naval forces on Lake Erie. He supervised the building of a small fleet at what is now Erie, Pennsylvania. Perry's fleet defended against an attacking British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie earning him the nickname "Hero of Lake Erie". His battle report after victory included the famous statement, "We have met the enemy and they are ours.”

Major General Ambrose E. Burnside - Bristol

Ambrose Burnside was born in 1824 in Liberty, Indiana, but moved to Bristol in 1857. After graduating from the US Military Academy, he serve served in the Mexican American War and in several campaigns against the Native Americans. He became the Union army commander during the Civil War and would later serve as governor of Rhode Island and United States Senator. He is also known to have grown whiskers on the sides of his face while shaving his chin, a style that became known during the day as "burnsides" and today as "sideburns."