JOHN BARRY. COMMODORE JOHN BARRY, one of the fathers of the American navy, was a native of Ireland. He was born in the County of Wexford, in the year 1745. His father is spoken of as a highly respectable farmer, under whose roof the son received "the first impressions of that ingenuousness, and that high-toned magnanimity which were conspicuous attributes of his character." He exhibited an early inclination for the sea, was placed by his father on board a merchantman, and became a sailor when he was quite a boy, acquir ing what was thought a good practical education in the intervals of his voyages. In his fourteenth or fifteenth year he reached America, and determined to make the country his home. He became acquainted with some of the leading merchants of Philadelphia, and was employed by them in voyages to Europe. He commanded, at one time, the Black Prince, a valuable ship in the London trade, afterwards purchased by Congress as a vessel of war. On the breaking out of the Revolution, his excellent character and seamanlike qualities recommended him to the national service, and through these advantages, and doubtless with the aid of his mercantile friends, he received an early appointment in the infant navy of the country. He is said, in the account of his life published in the "Port Folio," to have received the command of the brig Lexington, of sixteen guns, the first Continental vessel that sailed from the port of Philadelphia, in February, 1776. This, however, was found by Mr. Cooper, who adopted the statement in the first edition of his "Naval History," to be an error. In a later edition, he states the fact to be that Barry was preceded by the fleet of Commodore Hopkins, in its famous cruise to New Providence, and that he was second in time out of the Delaware. Barry sailed a few weeks after, with a crew of seventy men, and signalized his cruise by the capture, off the capes of Virginia, on the 17th of April, of the Edward, an armed tender of the Liverpool. The action, a very close one, lasted nearly an hour; the Lexing ton having four of her crew killed and wounded, and her adversary suffering severely. This was the first capture of any vessel of war ever made, says Mr. Cooper, by a regular American cruiser in battle. Of the twenty-four captains in the navy, enumerated in the resolution of Congress of October 10, 1776, establish ing the order of precedence, John Barry has the seventh place, James Nichol dress in the late attack upon the ene my's ships," adding, “although circumstances have prevented you from reaping the full benefit of your conquest, yet there is ample compensation in the degree of glory which you have ac quired."1 Barry was soon after appointed to the command of the Raleigh, 32, and sailed from Boston on the 25th Septem son being placed at the head of the list.' He was assigned the command of the Effingham, 28, then building at Philadelphia, one of the vessels which was subsequently removed up the river to escape the British fleet on the occupation of Philadelphia. While in this enforced durance, he planned an attack upon the enemy below, which he carried out with great boldness and proportionate success. Manning four row-ber, with a brig and sloop under conboats of the frigates at Burlington, with a force of only twenty-eight men, about the beginning of March, 1778, he pulled down with the tide at night, passed the numerous hostile craft before the city with some danger, and reached Port Penn, where he found a schooner of the enemy, "mounting eight doublefortified four-pounders, and twelve four-pound howitzers, and manned with thirty-three men, together with two ships, transports from Rhode Island, loaded with forage, one mounting six four-pounders, with fourteen hands each." He boarded and carried the schooner, and the whole capitulated. The ladies on board, with their baggage, were to be sent to Philadelphia. The arrival of two cruisers compelled Barry to burn his prizes, and escape by land. He had the satisfaction of cheering Washington at head-quarters, at this disheartening period of the war, with the intelligence of his brave adventure, in a letter which he sent to the commander-in-chief. Washington, in his reply, dated March 12, 1778, congratulates him "on the success which has crowned your gallantry and ad ' Cooper's Naval History, I. 57. voy. He had been but a few hours at sea when two strange sail hove in sight, which proved to be his majesty's ships, the Experiment, 50, and Unicorn, 22. They gave chase to the Raleigh, which bent every effort, sailing with the wind northeasterly, for escape, holding herself, meanwhile, in readiness for action. Her men were at quarters the whole night; the next day was partly hazy, but disclosed the enemy in pursuit; a second night passed, and the following morning again brought the English ships into view. They were now off the coast of Maine, and the Raleigh was in a fair way of outsailing her an tagonists, when the wind moderated, and the Unicorn, which mounted fourteen guns of a side, came within fighting distance of the Raleigh. It was about five o'clock in the afternoon when the first shots were exchanged. Unhappily, at the second fire Barry's ship lost her fore-topmast and mizzen top-gallant mast, and consequently was at a disadvantage in the subsequent sailing manœuvres. The Unicorn now avoided the broadside of her antago nist, engaging at a distance, and when Sparks' Washington, V. 27.. the Raleigh attempted to board, easily, with her advantages of canvas, baffled the effort. In the meanwhile the Experiment was coming up. Barry, now seeing escape hopeless, called a council of his officers, and determined to run his frigate on the neighboring land. He was pursued, in this attempt, till near midnight, when some respite was given after seven hours' severe fighting. The chase by both vessels was shortly, however, resumed, and his wished for escape among the islands of the coast prevented, the enemy pouring in their fire. The Raleigh now grounded, and the vessels hauled off, when her commander attempted a landing on a rocky island called the Wooden Ball, about twenty miles from the mouth of the Penobscot. While he was landing a part of his force, the ship was surrendered by a petty officer. Barry, with a portion of his crew, escaped, with various hardships, to the main land. The Unicorn was much injured, losing ten men killed; the American killed and wounded were twenty-five.1 The gallantry and address of Barry, in this escape of his crew, preceded by the unequal contest so spiritedly maintained, were not lost upon the country. Washington received the news with his accustomed equanimity, balancing the loss of the frigate by the heroism of its commander. Barry now made several voyages to the West Indies in letter-of-marque vessels, and in 1781, having succeeded the unhappy Landais in command of the Alliance, 32, sailed in February in that vessel on a mission to France, taking out with him Colonel John Laurens. On his return he sailed from Lorient, in company with the Marquis de Lafayette, 40, and having together made some captures of English priva teers, they parted company, and the Alliance pursued her course alone. On the 28th May she came in sight of two strange vessels, which proved to be the sloop-of-war Atlanta, 16, and the brig Trepassy, 14. They were evidently bearing towards her, and the following day, by the aid of their sweeps, came up and took position in the dead calm on the quarters and stern of the Alliance, which, unable to use her sails, "lay almost a log on the water." The American frigate was consequently unable to bring her broadside to bear, and for more than an hour suffered this disadvantage. The action commenced at noon, and about two o'clock Captain Barry was carried be low, wounded in the shoulder by a grape-shot. The fire of the two ships was kept up, and victory appeared to be on their side, when the flag of the Alliance was shot away, and the enemy, manning the shrouds, gave three cheers. The fight, however, was not yet over. The gallant commodore, though lying wounded in the cockpit, would listen to no suggestions to surrender. "If the ship can't be fought without," he said, "I will be carried on deck." His resolve animated the crew anew. The flag was again hoisted, a light breeze came to the rescue, the Alliance gained the use of her guns, and so well were they han dled that both vessels of the enemy were compelled to surrender. The liberty; and he requested me to com action terminated at three o'clock. municate this acknowledgment to Con When Captain Edwards of the Atlanta gress." presented his sword to Captain Barry, The next important affair in which confined in the cabin of his vessel, he Barry was engaged was in 1782, in the immediately returned it to the British West Indies, whither the Alliance was officer, complimenting his bravery, say- sent to the Havana, in quest of specie. ing the king should give him a better The frigate was on her return from this ship. The Alliance had, in this engage- embassy, in company with the Louzun, ment, eleven killed and twenty-one a ship loaded with supplies, when a wounded; her adversaries sustained a joint loss of forty-one killed and wounded. The Trepassy was sent to England, as a cartel, with the prisoners; the Trepassy was retaken off Boston.1 superior force of the enemy came in sight, and a chase ensued. When the Alliance and her companion were in flight, a French two-decker, a fifty-gun ship, made her appearance, and was The Alliance, a favorite ship on signalled by Barry for the engagement. account of her excellent sailing quali- He then brought the Alliance into ties, was again in request at the close of action with the foremost British vessel, 1781 to carry the Marquis de Lafayette the Sybil, mounting thirty guns, while and Count de Noailles to France. the others occupied the Frenchman General Duportail and other French with their manoeuvres. The Sybil, officers accompanied them. On his getting the worst of her single encounarrival, Barry was in communication ter, signalled her companions to join with Franklin at Paris, anxious to get her, when Barry withdrew to call the some French sailors and be in a position Frenchman to his aid and renew the to renew his adventure of the previous fight. The latter, however, proved too cruise, and redeem more Americans dull a sailer to come up with her antafrom English prisons. It was about this time that Franklin, writing from Paris to Thomas McKean, President of Congress, communicated a message from the ambassador of Venice. "He was charged by the Senate," Franklin wrote, "to express to me their grateful sense of the friendly behavior of Captain Barry, commander of the Alliance, in rescuing one of the ships of their State from an English privateer, and setting her at Life of Barry, Port Folio, July, 1813. Cooper's History, I. 124-5. gonists, and the action was left suspended. The loss of the Alliance in this affair was three killed and eleven wounded. The commander of the British frigate engaged with the Alli ance is said afterwards generously to have admitted that he had never seen a ship so ably fought as his opponent, or come so near receiving a drubbing. This was Barry's last action during the war, which was now ap proaching its termination. The service of the Revolution was at an end. Its officers had done their work well, according to their means and opportuni ties, and none better than Commodore Of his personal character, we may be Barry. His good ship, the Alliance, assured by a glance at his portrait, as followed her commander into private it is handed down to us by the pencil life. She was sold, with reluctance, of Stuart-a countenance of great worth in 1785, and was converted into an Indiaman. and benevolence. The impression is confirmed by the testimony of his friends. His sound, moral qualities are dwelt upon by the writer in the "Port Folio," as greatly strengthening his skill in command. "He possessed courage without rashness, a constancy of spirit which could not be subdued, a sound and intuitive judgment, a On the revival of the navy, in 1794, preparatory to the struggle with the Barbary powers in the Mediterranean, Captain Barry was named the senior of the six called into service to command the new frigates. The United States, 44, fell to Barry, and we find him in service on the coast and in the promptitude of decision equal to the West Indies, protecting the commerce of the country from French depredations, and making various captures of privateers. He held this command till his ship was laid up in ordinary, at the beginning of Mr. Jefferson's administra tion. A year or two after, at the age of fifty-eight, he died, September 13, 1803, in Philadelphia, of an asthmatic affection, to which he had been long subject. The character of Barry as an efficient officer is stamped by his usefulness to his country. In the early operations of the war of the Revolution, when he was not able to get to sea, he served with the army in New Jersey on shore, and it is recorded by his biographers with just pride, that he patriotically resisted the overtures of General Howe, to gain him over from the American interest. The reply he is said to have given, was, "that he had devoted himself to the cause of his country, and not the value and command of the whole British fleet could seduce him from it." most trying emergencies, consummate skill, a generosity of soul which tempered the sterner qualities of the hero, and recommended him to the esteem of all-a humanity of feeling which made him no less attentive to the comfort and happiness of those whom the fortune of war threw into his power, than he had been ambitious to conquer them. Having spent the greater part of a long life upon the ocean, he had seen every possible variety of service; he knew how to sympathize, therefore, with those who were subjected to his command: to this it was owing, that though a rigid disciplinarian, he always conciliated the attachment of his sailors. It is worthy of remark, that no person who has sailed with him, as seaman, officer or passenger, has ever been heard to speak of him but with the most respectful gratitude; and, in regard to his seamen especially, with all the extravagance of eulogy. He never found any difficulty in making up a crew, and desertion from his ship was unknown." |