Edward Buttevant Barry
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Edward Buttevant Barry (October 20, 1849 â€“ November 27, 1938) was a
rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
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 ...
. A popular and mostly successful sailor, Barry took part in the Spanish–American and Philippine–American wars and commanded various ships, including the and . In November 1910, Barry was appointed as
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet The Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), is the title of the United States Navy officer who commands the United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT). Originally established in 1907 as a two-star rear admiral's billet, the position has been ...
. He served there until January 1911, when a scandal erupted due to his suspected homosexuality. Despite his request for an early retirement being accepted, pressure from his subordinates and President
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
led Barry to resign "for the good of the service".


Early life

Edward B. Barry was born on October 20, 1849, as the second son in an
Irish Catholic Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...
family in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. His father, Garrett Robert Barry, was a successful Navy
purser A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. ...
, who served as
paymaster A paymaster is someone appointed by a group of buyers, sellers, investors or lenders to receive, hold, and dispense funds, commissions, fees, salaries (remuneration) or other trade, loan, or sales proceeds within the private sector or public secto ...
for the
New York Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York, U.S. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...
(now the Brooklyn Navy Yard) during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. He studied at St. Francis Xavier College in New York City before entering 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 ...
on July 21, 1865, through being an officer's son. Barry's stay at the naval academy was mediocre, being demerited for various incidents, including "very disorderly humming" and reading a newspaper during
fencing Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...
lessons. Nevertheless, following three practice cruises aboard the and , Barry graduated on June 4, 1869, 48th in his 74-man class.


Naval career


Early career

A year following his graduation to
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
in 1869, Barry was promoted to
ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
. Following a special cruise aboard the , his first mission was aboard , delivering humanitarian supplies to France during the
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
. Despite his undistinguished performance in the naval academy, Barry proved to be a capable officer, rapidly rising through the ranks of the Navy. In 1875, Barry was selected for a position on a board reorganizing the Navy training system, a role considered impressive for a 26-year-old officer. Barry was aboard the during the
blockade of Callao The Blockade of Callao was a military operation that occurred during the War of the Pacific or the Salitre War and that consisted of the Chilean squadron preventing the entry of ships to the port of Callao and the neighboring coves between 10 A ...
in 1880, witnessing the
scuttling Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel ...
of
Peruvian Navy The Peruvian Navy (, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Additional missions include ...
ships and . Following various stints in the
Asiatic Squadron The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron (naval), squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron w ...
,
South Atlantic Squadron The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When t ...
, and the
Office of Naval Intelligence The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is the military intelligence agency of the United States Navy. Established in 1882 primarily to advance the Navy's modernization efforts, it is the oldest member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and serv ...
, war with Spain was looming. In 1897 Barry was promoted to lieutenant commander, and on August 2 of that year was transferred to the , serving as her
executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
. He took part in the United States' first attack of the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
on April 27, 1898, bombarding Spanish
artillery batteries In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...
at the entrance of the harbor of
Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...
. Barry took part in the blockades of
Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, as well as negotiating with Manuel Macías y Casado, the Governor-General of Puerto Rico, for an armistice.


As commanding officer

Following the end of the war, Barry was assigned his first command role aboard the collier , stationed in the New York Navy Yard. Shortly after, he was promoted to
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
, and in March 1900 took command of the recently recommissioned , taking her on a short spell in the Atlantic before moving to the
Asiatic station The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron (naval), squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron w ...
. In the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
, Barry's ''Vicksburg'' took part in an expedition to
Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...
, led by
Frederick Funston Frederick Funston (November 9, 1865 â€“ February 19, 1917), also known as Fighting Fred Funston, was a General officer, general in the United States Army, best known for his roles in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American ...
, in order to capture Filipino president
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
. The mission was a major success, with the capture being made on March 23, 1901. Five days later, the ''Vicksburg'' returned to U.S.-held
Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace (, ), officially known as Malacañán Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila district of San Miguel, Manila, San Miguel, along Jose Laurel S ...
with Funston and Aguinaldo on board. The accomplishment further strengthened Barry's reputation, and he was commended by General
Arthur MacArthur Jr. Arthur MacArthur Jr. (June 2, 1845 â€“ September 5, 1912) was a lieutenant general of the United States Army. He became the military Governor-General of the American-occupied Philippines in 1900; his term ended a year later due to clashes wi ...
for his conduct in the operation. After the conclusion of the war, ''Vicksburg'' switched her focus to
East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
, moving between China, Japan, and Korea. In January 1902, while docked at Nieu-Chwang (now Yingkou), multiple fights erupted between garrisoned Russian soldiers and American sailors from the ''Vicksburg'', leading to Russian ambassador to China Paul M. Lessar submitting a complaint to his American counterpart
Edwin H. Conger Edwin Hurd Conger (March 7, 1843 – May 18, 1907) was an American Civil War soldier, lawyer, banker, Iowa congressman, and United States diplomat. As the United States' minister to China during the Boxer Rebellion, Conger, his family, and ...
. Following further investigation by Barry, he came to the conclusion the Russian garrison was at fault, and demanded reparation from Russia, with an apology being subsequently given. On April 15, 1903, Barry returned to the New York Navy Yard as aide to commandant
Frederick Rodgers Rear Admiral Frederick W. Rodgers (3 October 1842 – 3 November 1917) was an officer in the United States Navy. He fought in the American Civil War and rose to be the last commander of the Asiatic Squadron. He was a grandson of U.S. Navy Comm ...
. With Rodgers's retirement in October 1904, Barry departed his role too, being replaced by Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Tappan. He then served as a member of the
Board of Inspection and Survey The Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) is a United States Navy organization whose purpose is to inspect and assess the material condition of U.S. Navy vessels. The Board is currently headquartered at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virg ...
. Following the retirement of Rear Admiral A.S. Barker, Barry was promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
on March 31, 1905. Shortly thereafter Barry returned to command, succeeding Captain William J. Barnette as commander of the battleship . On leaving the yard, the ''
Brooklyn Eagle The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''Kings County Democrat'', later ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' before shortening title further to ''Brooklyn Eagle'') was an afternoon daily newspaper published in the city ...
'' wrote that "with the departure for
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
of the battleship Kentucky to-morrow morning, one of the best liked officers who have ever did duty there will leave the Navy Yard". Unlike on ''Vicksburg'', Barry's performance on the ''Kentucky'' was uninspiring. Only a week after taking command of the ship, on January 7, the ''Kentucky'' was exiting
Tompkinsville Tompkinsville may refer to: *Tompkinsville, Kentucky *Tompkinsville, Maryland *Tompkinsville, Staten Island, New York ** Tompkinsville (Staten Island Railway station) {{geodis ...
in a fleet with four other ships when she ran aground. The blunder created a
chain reaction A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events. Chain reactions are one way that sys ...
effect, with the following intentionally grounding herself, before the ensuing delivered a glancing blow to ''Kentucky''. There was initial belief Barry would be completely absolved from blame due to his reputation as an excellent navigator. Nonetheless, Barry was blamed for a "slight mistake" during ''Kentucky'''s grounding, with the majority of the fault going to an "incompetent helmsman". Following a lackluster stint in command, Barry was eventually ordered to relinquish command of the ship to then-Captain
Walter C. Cowles Walter Cleveland Cowles (July 11, 1853 – November 27, 1917) was an admiral in the United States Navy. He served as commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and commander in chief of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet. Biography Born in Connecticut, C ...
. Shortly before the passing of the torch, Barry's ''Kentucky'' again ran aground, this time near
Lambert's Point Lambert's Point is a point of land on the east shore of the Elizabeth River near the downtown area of the independent city of Norfolk in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia, United States. It includes a large coal exporting faci ...
. On November 1, 1907, Barry left the ''Kentucky'' to manage the largest Naval Recruiting Station, headquartered in New York City. The ''Kentucky'', under the command of Cowles, would go on to be part of the notable
Great White Fleet The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the group of United States Navy battleships that completed a journey around the globe from 16 December 1907, to 22 February 1909, by order of President Foreign policy of the Theodore Roosevelt ...
just a month after Barry's detachment. In December, Barry departed the recruiting station and became the supervisor of the naval auxiliaries of the Atlantic coast. There he participated in multiple inquiries, including the
court-martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...
of Commander Charles C. Marsh, who accidentally led to the sinking of . Following the retirement of Rear Admiral William J. Barnette, Barry was promoted to
rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
on February 1, 1909. A few months later, despite initially being promised command of the fourth division of the
United States Atlantic Fleet United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
, Barry was reassigned to command the second division of the
United States Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harborâ ...
after the division's predecessor, Rear Admiral
Uriel Sebree Uriel Sebree (February 20, 1848 â€“ August 6, 1922) was a career officer in the United States Navy. He entered the Naval Academy during the Civil War and served until 1910, retiring as a rear admiral. He is best remembered for his ...
, became
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet The Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), is the title of the United States Navy officer who commands the United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT). Originally established in 1907 as a two-star rear admiral's billet, the position has been ...
.


Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Barry was promoted to
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet The Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT), is the title of the United States Navy officer who commands the United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT). Originally established in 1907 as a two-star rear admiral's billet, the position has been ...
(CINCPACFLT) on November 1, 1910, with the serving as his
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
. He succeeded the retiring rear admiral, Giles B. Harber, and immediately left for battle practice. Barry's time as commander-in-chief of the fleet was short-lived. His notable actions included being bitten by an English Bull Terrier named "Bunk" who served as mascot of the and communicating with
Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early a ...
regarding a possible
naval aviation Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seab ...
experiment. (Bunk apologized with a lick and was subsequently let off without reprimand). On January 14, 1911, Barry made an unexpected request for retirement nine months before he was set to pass the
mandatory retirement Mandatory retirement also known as forced retirement, enforced retirement or compulsory retirement, is the set age at which people who hold certain jobs or offices are required by industry custom or by law to leave their employment, or retire. A ...
age. Initial speculation for the early timing was due to ill-health, but this was quickly dissipated the following day when the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
'' reported on Barry's officers discovering him a week before in a situation "of such a nature as to forbid explicit statement in print". Barry's suspected
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
was not explicitly reported in the newspapers, which instead referred to the matter as "concerning his moral character" and "the same vice which caused the downfall of
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
". His sexual orientation was already suspected for months and he was shunned by his officers during his time on the ''West Virginia''. The officers considered sending a loaded
revolver A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
to Barry's room with a suggestion to use it before settling on allowing him the opportunity to resign. Barry's move to instead retire was considered unacceptable by the officers, and after increasing pressure and a request from President
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
, on January 28 Barry resigned from the navy "for the good of the service". Poet
T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...
referred to Barry in a letter to
Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an List of poets from the United States, American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Ita ...
on August 30, 1922:


Personal life

Edward B. Barry married Mary J. Clitz, daughter of Navy officer John M. B. Clitz, on April 7, 1875. The couple had a son, born in 1876, and a daughter in 1877. Mary died in Washington, D.C., on June 25, 1906. Barry died aged 89 in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
on November 27, 1938, after returning to his room following a
church service A church service (or a worship service) is a formalized period of Christian communal Christian worship, worship, often held in a Church (building), church building. Most Christian denominations hold church services on the Lord's Day (offering Su ...
. Following a service in St. Ignatius Church, Barry was buried in
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...
on November 29. He was a member of the
University Club of New York The University Club of New York (also known as University Club) is a gentlemen's club, private social club at 1 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street and Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Founded to celebra ...
and
Army and Navy Club The Army and Navy Club, commonly known as The Rag, is a private members' club in London that was founded in 1837 for officers of the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. Barry's signature and penmanship were frequent targets of teasing during his time in the navy yard. ''
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''Kings County Democrat'', later ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' before shortening title further to ''Brooklyn Eagle'') was an afternoon daily newspaper published in the city ...
'' wrote a piece titled "Naval Academy Enrolls
arry Arry is the name of the following communes in France: * Arry, Moselle, in the Moselle department * Arry, Somme, in the Somme department 'Arry is also a nickname, an example of H dropping in the name Harry. Those with such a nickname include: * Har ...
as the Only Student Who Couldn't Read His Own Writing", and labelled his signature as the "weirdest in the Navy".


Dates of rank

:
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 ...
Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
– June 4, 1869


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Edward B. 1849 births 1938 deaths Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 19th-century American naval officers 20th-century American naval officers Naval War College alumni United States Naval Academy alumni Military personnel from New York City United States Navy rear admirals American military personnel discharged for homosexuality