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.[7] 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]
Career
Barry received his first captain's commission in the Continental Navy on March 14, 1776, 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 and always made sure they were properly provisioned while at sea.[9]
Captain Barry's first American command was
USS Lexington, of 14 guns, which began on December 7, 1775. It was the first official military commission issued by 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
brigNancy, 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]
In 1778, Barry assumed command of
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 a 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]
Barry was successful in suppressing three
mutinies during his career as an officer in the Continental Navy.[20]
Commodore commission
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]
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]
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 U.S. Revenue Cutter
Commodore Barry, captured off Maine during the War of 1812.
Commodore Barry Park in
Brooklyn,
New York. It is the oldest park in the borough. It was renamed for Commodore Barry in 1951, due to its location next to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which Barry helped found.
A large statue of Barry stands directly in front of the formal entrance to
Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
There is a large portrait of Commodore Barry at the
Rhode Island State House in Providence; and Title 16 of the Rhode Island Statutes (§ 16-20-3 – Days of special observance) requires observing September 13 as Commodore John Barry Day.
A
statue of Barry overlooks the Crescent Quay in
Wexford town in Ireland. It was a gift to the town from the United States and was delivered by a
United States Navydestroyer,
USS John R. Pierce (DD-753). The statue was unveiled in 1956, and each year a parade and wreath-laying ceremony takes place at the statue to celebrate "Barry Day", commemorated by the
Irish Naval Service and the Minister for Defence.
Commodore John Barry Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commodore John Barry Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois
Commodore John Barry Division of Ancient Order of Hibernians, Annapolis, Maryland
Commodore John Barry Division of Ancient Order of Hibernians, National Park, New Jersey
Commodore John Barry Division of Ancient Order of Hibernians, Syracuse, New York
John Barry Bar, Grand Hyatt Muscat, Muscat, Oman
September 13, Commodore John Barry Day in New Jersey public schools
Commodore John Barry Memorial Plaque at Staten Island Borough Hall
A new plaque with a cannon was dedicated on March 10, 2007, in Port Canaveral.
A plaque stands in the city of Boston on Boston Common.
A plaque commemorating Barry and his crew of the Alliance for the final naval battle of the American Revolution is located at Jetty Park in
Cape Canaveral, Florida.
A stone plaque commemorating his grave site is located at Old St. Mary's Church in Philadelphia, PA.
The visitor entrance to the
United States Naval Academy, from Downtown Annapolis to the Visitor's Center, commemorates Commodore John Barry. Inside the entrance is a monument to Commodore Barry with a plaque with an image of his commission, Number 1 in the United States Navy. Both the gate and the monument were erected by the
Ancient Order of Hibernians[27][28]
There is a plaque and bust commemorating Commodore Barry on the main floor in the
Rickover Hall classroom building at the
United States Naval Academy.
Fink, Leo Gregory (1962). Barry or Jones, "Father of the United States Navy"; Historical Reconnaissance. Jefferies & Manz, Inc, Philadelphia. p. 138.
URL
Gurn, Joseph (1933). Commodore John Barry: Father of the American Navy. P. J. Kennedy & Sons. p. 274.
URL
Ignatius, Martin; Griffin, Joseph (1897). The history of Commodore John Barry. Published by the Author, Philadelphia. p. 261.
URL
Ignatius, Martin (1903). Commodore John Barry: "the father of the American navy". Published by the Author, Philadelphia. p. 424.
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