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John Barry (naval officer)

John Barry (March 25, 1745 – September 13, 1803) was an Irish-born American naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War. He has been credited by some as "The Father of the American Navy", sharing that moniker with John Paul Jones and John Adams, and was appointed as a captain in the Continental Navy on December 7, 1775.[1][2] Barry was the first captain placed in command of an American warship commissioned for service under the Continental flag.[3] After the Revolutionary War, he became the first commissioned American naval officer, at the rank of commodore, receiving his commission from President George Washington in 1797.

Early life and education

Barry was born on March 25, 1745, in Ballysampson,[4][5] Tacumshane, County Wexford, Ireland to a Catholic family.[6] When Barry's family was evicted from their home by their Anglo-Irish landlord, they moved to Rosslare on the coast, where his uncle worked a fishing skiff. As a young man, Barry determined upon a life as a seaman, and he started out as a cabin boy on commercial vessels.[7] He later served in the Royal Navy, gaining invaluable command experience. Being raised in the Barony Forth, his first language was Yola, as that was the only language used for daily communication at that time in the area.[8]

Barry eventually left his native country and immigrated to the American colonies, where merchant fleets were in need of experienced sailors. When the American Revolution began, Barry found himself sympathetic to the Patriot cause and decided to volunteer his services.

Career

Barry was formally commissioned as a captain in the Continental Navy on March 14, 1776; his warrant was signed by John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress. Barry was a religious man and began each day at sea with a reading from the Bible. He had great regard for his crew and their well-being, making sure they were properly provisioned while at sea.[9]

During his naval career, Barry commanded the U.S. warships Delaware, Lexington, Raleigh, Alliance and United States.

Command of Lexington

Captain Barry's first American command was USS Lexington, of 14 guns, which began on December 7, 1775. He was the first officer, army or navy, to receive a commission from the Continental Congress.[10] Lexington sailed on March 31, 1776. On April 7, 1776, off the Capes of Virginia, Barry fell in with Edward, a tender servicing the British man-of-war HMS Liverpool, and after a desperate fight of one hour and twenty minutes captured and brought Edward into Philadelphia.[11]

On June 28, the Pennsylvania brig Nancy, carrying 386 barrels of powder in her hold, ran aground while attempting to elude British blockader Kingfisher. Barry ordered the precious powder rowed ashore during the night, leaving only 100 barrels. A delayed action fuse was left inside the brig, exploding and killing the British boarding party that had just seized Nancy.[12] This engagement became known as the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet.[13]

Barry retained command of Lexington until October 18, 1776. He was noted for his success in capturing several privateers operated by Loyalist crews to help enforce the British blockade.[14]

Command of Delaware

In 1777, Barry was assigned to command USS Delaware, a brig sailing under a letter of marque to prey on British naval shipping in the Delaware River.[15]

Command of Raleigh

In 1778, Barry assumed his third command, USS Raleigh, capturing three prizes before being run aground while fighting an action on September 27, 1778. He and his crew escaped and scuttled the ship, but she was raised by the British, who refloated and converted her into a Royal Navy vessel.[16]

Eager to improve the fighting capabilities of the Continental Navy, Barry authored the first American navy signal book, published in 1780, to improve communications at sea among American vessels traveling in formation.[17]

Command of Alliance

Barry was seriously wounded on May 29, 1781, while taking part in the capture of HMS Atalanta and her sister ship Trepassey.[18]

He and his crew of the USS Alliance fought and won the final naval battle of the American Revolution 140 miles (230 km) south of Cape Canaveral on March 10, 1783.[19]

Barry was successful in suppressing three mutinies during his career as an officer in the Continental Navy.[20]

Commodore commission

Barry receiving commodore commission from Washington

On February 22, 1797, he was issued Commission Number 1 by President George Washington, backdated to June 4, 1794. His title was thereafter "commodore". He is recognized as not only the first American commissioned naval officer but also as its first flag officer.[21]

Command of United States

Appointed senior captain upon the establishment of the U.S. Navy, he commanded the frigate United States in the Quasi-War with France. This ship transported commissioners William Richardson Davie and Oliver Ellsworth to France to negotiate a new Franco-American alliance.[22]

Barry's last day of active duty was March 6, 1801, when he brought USS United States into port, but he remained head of the Navy until his death on September 13, 1803, from asthma. Barry died childless.[23]

Later life and death

Coat of Arms of John Barry

Barry died at Strawberry Hill, in present-day Philadelphia on September 13, 1803, and was buried in the graveyard of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church.

The executors of his estate were his wife Sarah, his nephew Patrick Hayes and his friend John Leamy.[24]

Personal life

On October 24, 1768, Barry married Mary Cleary, who died in 1774. On July 7, 1777, he married Sarah Austin, daughter of Samuel Austin and Sarah Keen of New Jersey.[25] Barry had no children, but he helped raise Patrick and Michael Hayes, children of his sister, Eleanor, and her husband, Thomas Hayes, who both died in the 1780s.[citation needed]

Commemorations

The Commodore John Barry statue by John Boyle has been exhibited in Washington, D.C.'s Franklin Square since 1914

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Captain John Barry. Naval History and Heritage Command.[dead link]

Footnotes

  1. ^ "John Adams I (Frigate) 1799–1867". USA.gov. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  2. ^ Williams, 2008 p. 5
  3. ^ Meany 1911, p. 1.
  4. ^ FUSIO. "BALLYSAMPSON, County Wexford". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  5. ^ Congress, United States (1967). Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  6. ^ Blessing, Patrick J. (1980). "Irish". In Thernstrom, Stephan (ed.). Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. 527. ISBN 978-0674375123.
  7. ^ Fredriksen, John C. (2006). Revolutionary War Almanac. Infobase Publishing. p. 268. ISBN 9780816074686.
  8. ^ Griffin, Martin I. J. (Martin Ignatius Joseph) (1902). Commodore John Barry, "the father of the American navy"; the record of his services for our country . Harvard University. Philadelphia, The author.
  9. ^ Williams, 2008 p. 73
  10. ^ Williams, 2008 p. 72
  11. ^ Meany 1911, pp. 10–11.
  12. ^ "Lexington". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
  13. ^ "The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet". Wildwood Crest Historical Society. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  14. ^ Ignatius, Griffin, 1897 p. 16
  15. ^ Meany 1911, p. 22.
  16. ^ Ignatius, Griffin, 1897 pp. 42–44
  17. ^ Woods, D. & Sterling, C. Signaling and communicating at sea. Arno Press, 1980. p. 195
  18. ^ Ignatius, Griffin, 1903 pp. 137–141
  19. ^ Brotemarkle, Ben (November 15, 2017). "Revising Cape Canaveral history mean giving up some lore". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 14A.
  20. ^ "Alliance". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
  21. ^ Specifically issued by a Joint Congressional Resolution and proclaimed by President George W. Bush on December 22, 2006.
  22. ^ Joseph, 1933 pp. 274–275
  23. ^ Meany 1911, pp. 56–57.
  24. ^ "Will of Commodore John Barry". American Catholic Historical Researches. 12 (2): 157–158. October 1895. JSTOR 44373894.
  25. ^ Ignatius, Griffin, 1897 pp. 6, 40
  26. ^ Archives, Notre Dame (June 17, 2011). "Campus Statue Project". Notre Dame Archives News & Notes. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  27. ^ Carswell, Simon. "Reputation of Wexford-born founding father of US navy buoyed". The Irish Times. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  28. ^ "High time to meet at the Barry Gate". Irish Echo. July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2019.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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