BARRY
311
BARRY
nient until October, 1776, when he was assigned to the last encounter of the Revolutionary war at sea. Peace
"Effingham", 28 guns, then building in Philadelphia, was declared 11 April, 1783, the "Alliance" was sold,
During that time he performed efficient ser\'ice in and the countrj' was without a na\'y. The United
lower Delaware Bay; on 31 March, 1776, he put to sea, States na\-y was permanently organized by Act of
eluding the British man-of-war "Roebuck" on guard Congress, 27 March, 1794. Six captains were ap-
in Delaware Bay, and on 7 April fell in with the pointed by President Washington, "by and with the
"Edward", a tender of the British man-of-war consent of the Senate", and Bari-y headed the list.
"Liverpool". and after a sharp engagement captured His commission, signed by George Washington, Presi-
her; Barry brought his prize to Philadelphia, arriving dent, was dated 22 February 1797 and appointed him
11 April, 1776. This was the first war-vessel cap- captain in the navy "to take rank from the 4th day
tured by a commissioned Continental naval officer of June, 1794" — "Registered No. I". He was thus
that was brought to that city. He was officially con- made officially the ranking officer of the United
nected with the "Etfingham" until her destruction. States na\-j'. He superintended the building of the
7 May, 1778, by the British forces then in control frigate "United States", 44 guns, and made several
of Philadelphia. She had been sunk, by order of cruises in her with other vessels under his command.
Washington and the Naval Board, in the Delaware In 1801 the na\-y was reduced to a peace basis; nine
for some time previously and then raised only to be captains were retained Barry being at the head of
destroyed by the enemy. In December, 1776, Barry, the list. His sea service was ended, and being in poor
owing to the blockade of his ship in the Delaware by health he remained at his home in Ph'Iadelphia until
the English, with a company of volunteers joined the his death. Barry has often been referred to as "Com-
army under Washington and took part in the battles modore"; there was no such grade in the United
of Trenton and Princeton. He was aide to General States na\-y until 17 July, 1862. Captain was the
highest grade before that date, although the non- official title of commo- dore was generally ap- plied to a captain while in command of two or more vessels. Barry was married twice, both times to Protestants who sub- seriuently became con- verts to the Catholic faith. His first wife died in 1771, and on 7 July 1777 he married Sarah Austin who survived him. She died 13 November, 1S31. Both his wives were buried with him in the graveyard of St. Mary's Church, Philadel- p ia. There was no is- sue from either marriage. His epitaph was written by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declara- tion of Independence. A statue and foimtain were erected to his memory in 1S76, in Fairmoimt Park, Philadelphia, by the Catholic Total Ab- stinence Union of Amer- A portrait (copy of
Cadwallader and special
aid to General Washing-
ton, who held him in high
esteem. Returning to
his command, he carried
out many gallant and
daring boat expeditions
on the Delaware, suc-
cessfully annoying and
capturing vessels laden
with supplies for the
British army. In 1778
he was ordered to com-
mand the "Raleigh",
32 guns, and sailed from
Boston 25th September,
1778. On the 27th he fell in with two British frigates, the "Experi- ment", 50 guns, and "Unicorn", 22 guns, and after a gallant and un- equal engagement Barry ran his ship ashore and set her on fire, escaping with most of his crew. Being without a Con- tinental command Barry accepted, 18 Februarj-,
1779, command of the privateer "Delaware", 12 guns, and during the cruise captured the Brit- ish sloop of war "Harlem", 14 guns. In No- original by Gilbert Stuart) was presented to the vember, 1780, he was ordered to command the "Al- city of Philadelphia by the Friendly Sons of St. liance", 36 guns, at Boston, in which he sailed to Patrick, 18 March, 1895, to be placed in Independ- France, 1 1th February, 1781, with Col. John Laurens, ence Hall. In 1906 Congress passed a bill appropria- special commissioner to the French Government, ting .$.50,000 for the erection of a monument in Wash- On the return trip he captured the brig " Mars", 22 ington to the memory of Captain John Barry; and guns, and the brig "Minerva", 10 guns. On 28th May, 16 March, 1907, a bronze statue of him was erected in he fell in with the "Atalanta", 16 guns, and the Independence Square, Philadelphia, by the Friendly "Trepassey", 14 guns, and after a very sharp fight Sons of St. Patrick.
of three hours they struck their colours. In this fight Drake. Dictionan/ of American Biom-aphy (Boston, 1872);
Rirrvivao aoi'orolir,vr,iinf1oH in flip ttliniilHpr hv T D-nnp ALLEN. American Biog. Diet. (3d ed.. Boston, 1857); Abbot, lJarry\\asse\erely«oundeaintlieblioulderD> a grape j,^ ^„,,„, History of the U. S. (New York, 1896); Maclay, shot. On 23 December, 1781, he sailed from Boston History of the Navy (New York, 1895); Spears, The History for France with the Marquis de Lafayette as passenger, of Our Navy (New York, 1897); Lcssing, History of the U. S. onrl rotiirninrr nrri-^-nrl at Mo«- T r.nHnn 11 Mtv ^^f^'> ««'!/ (Hartford, 1870); Paullin, The Navy in the American ana returning arri\ed at Wew l^ondon lA May, l/»_ fi(.,.<,(„rton (Cleveland, Ohio, 1906); GRirrm. Historu of Commo- He sailed, 4 August, 1782, on the most successful rforeJoAn Barrj/ (Centennial ed.. Philadelphia, 1903); Preble, cruise of the war; the prizes he captured .sold for The Flag of (Ae I/. ^'. (Boston, 1880); Cooper, Naval History more than £600,000. Returning bv way of the West ^^'- , Fti„,.v
Indies and Havana, on 10 March, 1783, lie fell in with °^^ r urey.
the British frigate "Sybille", 38 guns, and after a Barry, John, second Bishop of Savannah, Georgia, sharp fight of forty-five minutes slie hauled off ap- V. S. A.; b. 1799 in the parish of Oylegate, Co. parently much injured and joined two other ships Wexford, Ireland; d. in Paris, 19 November, 1859 with which she had been in company. This was the He was accepted as an ecclesiastical student by
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John Barht, U.S.N.
