BARRY APPOINTED TO COMMAND DEFENSIVE OPERATIONS IN DELAWARE BAY AND
RIVER--CAPTURES BRITISH SUPPLIES AND PROTECTS AMERICAN--SAVES THE
CARGO OF THE "NANCY" AND EXPLODES HER WHEN THE BRITISH BOARD
HER--CAPTURES THE "LADY SUSAN" AND THE "BETSY"--APPOINTED TO THE
"EFFINGHAM."
The "Lexington" was not in a condition to then proceed on another
expedition, as she needed fitting up. Yet Captain Barry was not
permitted to be idle. On May 8th, Robert Morris, for the Marine
Committee of Congress, directed him to go down the Delaware River in the
sloop "Hornet," commanded by Captain Hallock, and to take the officers
and men of the "Lexington" to supply the Provincial armed ship,
commanded by Captain Read, the Floating Battery and the "Reprisal,"
under Captain Wickes, with men sufficient to have these vessels "fit for
immediate action," and to give the "utmost exertions" of himself,
officers and men in defending the pass at Fort Island so as to prevent
the British coming to Philadelphia; and also to take, sink or destroy
such as attempted to do so as well as pursue those he thought it
advisable to follow. This made Captain Barry the Commodore or ranking
officer in the naval operations in Delaware Bay. The next day Captain
Barry reported to Mr. Morris, urging the fitting out of the "Lexington"
so "she might be of service. The more there is the better," said the
Captain, though adding, "We shall keep them in play."
So the "Lexington" was fitted out and sent down the Bay to Barry where
the "Roebuck" and "Liverpool," British frigates, were "in and about."
Barry joined the rest of the fleet at Cape May. The "Liverpool" "was
scared away" when the Americans went "in quest of the pirates."
At this time the thirteen vessels ordered in December to be built for
the Marine Committee were being completed at Philadelphia, Boston and
Baltimore. Captain Barry was appointed to the command of one being built
at Philadelphia--the "Effingham" being assigned him in October.
All the while, however, Barry was in command of the "Lexington" in the
Delaware Bay and off the Capes, giving protection to the Continental
supply vessels coming to Philadelphia, which had been sent out for
necessaries. One arrived at Philadelphia with 7,400 pounds of powder as
well as a number of firearms. Barry also sent up to Philadelphia the war
stores he captured. On June 12, 1776, the Secret Committee of Congress
directed that Colonel Megraw's Battalion be given the 191 firearms "sent
up by Captain Barry." She narrowly escaped capture by the "Liverpool,"
but two of the Continental vessels protected her and a French schooner.
Other French vessels from the West Indies, bringing molasses, coffee,
linen and other supplies were also saved from capture by Captain Barry
and the other Continental and Provincial commanders under his authority.
On June 10th the "Kingfisher," British man-of-war, captured a brigantine
from Wilmington, but "before the pirate boarded her our brave Captain
Barry had been on board of her and taken out some powder and arms," was
the report Henry Fisher, of Lewistown, sent the Committee of Safety by
whale-boat to New Castle and thence by land because the Tories of the
County had cut off all horse express communication.
The tenders of the "Roebuck," the "Liverpool" and the "Kingfisher"
attempted to seize the cattle and stock which the Tories had stored for
the British at Indian River, "but were prevented by Barry's brig," as
they called her, thus indicating that the alertness and success of the
"brave Captain Barry" had become conspicuously known to the Tories of
lower Delaware, a nest of Loyalists.
The brig "Nancy" bringing supplies from St. Croix and St. Thomas for
Congress account and having 386 barrels of gunpowder, 50 firelocks, 101
hogsheads of rum, 62 of sugar and bales of dry goods, on June 29, 1776,
while making for Cape May, was pursued by six British men-of-war but,
getting assistance from Captain Barry's "Lexington," she was run ashore
and 268 barrels of the powder and most of the other stores saved. Powder
was, by Barry's order, placed in the cabin and in the mainsail, in the
folds of which fire was put. The British boarded the brig. An explosion
soon took place and "blew the pirates into the air." It "was supposed
forty or fifty were destroyed by the explosion."
On July 2, 1776, the day the Resolution declared the Colonies free and
independent, John Hancock, President of the Congress so declaring,
notified Captain Barry that as "the frigate you are to command is not
yet launched, her guns and anchors not yet ready," it was but "a piece
of justice due to your merit to allow you to make a cruise in the
'Lexington' for one or two months, in hopes that fortune may favor your
industry and reward it with some good prizes." On this cruise Barry met
that "fortune" which his industry merited. He captured several prizes of
which record have been discovered.
[Illustration: SIGNATURES TO BARRY'S ORDERS]
On August 2d the "Lady Susan," "an armed vessel, was taken by Captain
Barry at sea," reported Caesar Rodney to his brother at Dover the next
day. This was "a privateer of eight four-pound carriage guns commanded
by another of those famous Goodriches of Virginia." She was loaded with
naval stores from Bermuda. After an "obstinate engagement" of an hour
and a half "she struck." Nearly all of her crew of twenty-five after
their capture took service under Barry.
The "Betsy," a sloop of fifty tons, commanded by Samuel Kerr, was also
at this time captured by the "Lexington" under Barry. Both prizes were
condemned to Captain Barry on September 26th by the Court of Admiralty,
but an appeal in the case of the "Betsy" was taken to Congress.
The newly built "Effingham" being ready, Captain Barry surrendered, on
October 18, 1776, the "Lexington" to Captain Henry Johnston and took
command of the "Effingham," named in honor of Lord Effingham, who had
resigned his commission in the British Army rather than take arms
against the Colonies, because of his "strict adherence to those
principles of the Revolution of 1688," which he declared the Colonies
were contending for and for so doing the merchants of Dublin, on July
17, 1775, approved of his conduct in "honestly and spiritedly
resigning," and for his "noble efforts in support of American Liberty."