John Barry (March 25, 1745 – September 13, 1803) was an Irish-born American naval officer who served in the

Continental Navy The Continental Navy was the navy of the United Colonies and United States from 1775 to 1785. It was founded on October 13, 1775 by the Continental Congress to fight against British forces and their allies as part of the American Revolutionary ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

and in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...

. He has been credited by some as "The Father of the American Navy", sharing that moniker with

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

and

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

, and was appointed as a captain in the Continental Navy on December 7, 1775. Barry was the first captain placed in command of an American warship commissioned for service under the Continental flag. After the Revolutionary War, he became the first commissioned American naval officer, at the rank of commodore, receiving his commission from President

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

in 1797.

Early life and education

Barry was born on March 25, 1745, in Ballysampson, Tacumshane,

County Wexford County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

to a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

family. When Barry's family was evicted from their home by their

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

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 A cabin boy or ship's boy is a boy or young man who waits on the officers and passengers of a ship, especially running errands for the captain. The modern merchant navy successor to the cabin boy is the steward's assistant. Duties Cabin boys ...

on commercial vessels. He later served in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, 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. 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 The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

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 John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot of the American Revolution. He was the longest-serving Presi ...

, president of the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress (1775–1781) was the meetings of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolution and American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War, which established American independence ...

. Barry, a Catholic, 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. 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 , 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. ''Lexington'' sailed on March 31, 1776. On April 7, 1776, off the Capes of Virginia, Barry fell in with ''Edward'', a

ship's tender A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat or ship used to service or support other boats or ships. This is generally done by transporting people or supplies to and from shore or another ship. A second and distinctly different ...

servicing the British man-of-war , and after a desperate fight of one hour and twenty minutes captured and brought ''Edward'' into Philadelphia. On June 28, the Pennsylvania

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

''Nancy'', carrying 386 barrels of powder in her hold, ran aground while attempting to elude British blockader . 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 seven members of a boarding party from ''Kingfisher'' which had just climbed aboard ''Nancy''. This engagement became known as the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet. Barry retained command of ''Lexington'' until October 18, 1776. He was noted for his success in capturing several

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

s operated by

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

crews to help enforce the British blockade.

Command of ''Delaware''

In 1777, Barry was assigned to command , a brig sailing under a

letter of marque A letter of marque and reprisal () was a Sovereign state, government license in the Age of Sail that authorized a private person, known as a privateer or French corsairs, corsair, to attack and capture vessels of a foreign state at war with t ...

to prey on British naval shipping in the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

Command of ''Raleigh''

In 1778, Barry assumed his third command, , 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. 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.

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''. He and his crew of the USS ''Alliance'' fought and won the final naval battle of the

south of

Cape Canaveral Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...

on March 10, 1783. Barry was successful in suppressing three

mutinies Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, b ...

during his career as an officer in the Continental Navy.

Commodore commission

On February 22, 1797, he was issued Commission Number 1 by President

, backdated to June 4, 1794. His title was thereafter "commodore". He is recognized as not only the first American commissioned naval officer but also its first

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...

Command of ''United States''

Appointed senior captain upon the establishment of the U.S. Navy, he commanded the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

''United States'' in the

with

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. This ship transported commissioners William Richardson Davie and

Oliver Ellsworth Oliver Ellsworth (April 29, 1745 – November 26, 1807) was a Founding Father of the United States, Attorney at law, attorney, jurist, politician, and diplomat. Ellsworth was a framer of the United States Constitution, United States senator fr ...

to France to negotiate a new Franco-American alliance. Barry's last day of active duty was March 6, 1801, when he brought into port, but he remained head of the Navy until his death on September 13, 1803, from

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

. Barry died childless.

Later life and death

Barry died at Strawberry Hill in present-day

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

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.

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 New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. 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.

Commemorations

* The U.S. Revenue Cutter ''Commodore Barry'', captured off Maine during the War of 1812. * Commodore Barry Park in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, 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 Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence, Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were debated and adopted by the Founding Fathers of ...

in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. * Four U.S. Navy ships ** USS ''Barry'' (DD-2) (1902–1920) ** USS ''Barry'' (DD-248) (1921–1945) ** USS ''Barry'' (DD-933) (1956–1983) ** USS ''Barry'' (DDG-52) (1992–present) * * There is a large portrait of Commodore Barry at the

Rhode Island State House The Rhode Island State House, the capitol of the state of Rhode Island, is located at 82 Smith Street just below the crest of Smith Hill, Providence, Rhode Island, Smith Hill, on the border of Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island, downtown in Prov ...

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 Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...

town in Ireland. It was a gift to the town from the United States and was delivered by a

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

, 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. *A statue of Barry by Eugene Kormendi is placed in the west court of Dillon Hall at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

. * Commodore Barry Bridge, which crosses the

from

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...

. * John Barry Hall at

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

, hosting University ROTC programs * Commodore Barry Club (Philadelphia Irish Center) Emlen Street and Carpenter Lane,

Mount Airy, Philadelphia Mount Airy is a neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Geography Mount Airy is bounded on the northwest by the Cresheim Valley, which is part of Fairmount Park. Beyond this lies Chestnut Hill. On the we ...

, Pennsylvania * Barry Township, Schuylkill County,

* 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

, Florida. * A stone plaque commemorating his grave site is located at Old St. Mary's Church in Philadelphia, PA. * A six-foot bronze statue of '' Commodore John Barry'' stands in Franklin Square (between I and K streets on 14th St. N.W.) in Washington, D.C. * Barry Hall is one of six military barracks facilities at the

United States Merchant Marine Academy The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academies, United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipman, midshipmen (as students at the academy are called) to serv ...

in commemoration of him. * The visitor entrance to the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

, 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 *

There is a plaque and bust commemorating Commodore Barry on the main floor in the Rickover Hall classroom building at the

. File:Independence Square.jpg, Statue at

File:JFK-John Barry Memorial.jpg, John F. Kennedy visiting the John Barry Memorial at Crescent Quay in

, Ireland File:Statue of Commodore Barry, Wexford - geograph.org.uk - 1249171.jpg, 1956 statue of Barry in Wexford File:Jones & Barry, 1c, 1936 issue.jpg, Barry and

on a U.S. postage stamp, Issue of 1936 File:Eire, John Barry stamps.jpg, Barry on Irish postage stamps,
Issue of 1956

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

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External links

*

(Macmillan Company, New York 1938, 503pp.; full-length biography)

Barry-Hayes Collection
papers at Independence Seaport Museum,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, digitized by

's Digital Library, Villanova, Pennsylvania.
The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, John 1745 births 1803 deaths 18th-century American naval officers 18th-century Irish people 18th-century Roman Catholics 19th-century American naval officers 19th-century Irish people 19th-century Roman Catholics American military personnel of the Quasi-War American Roman Catholics Catholics from Pennsylvania Continental Navy officers Irish-American history Irish emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Irish sailors in the United States Navy Military personnel from County Wexford People from colonial Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Revolution United States Navy commodores People on Irish postage stamps