BARRY APPOINTED TO COMMAND AN EXPEDITION AGAINST FLORIDA--EXPEDITION
ABANDONED, BARRY ENTERS THE PENNSYLVANIA PRIVATEER SERVICE--MAKES
CAPTURES--RESISTS THE IMPRISONMENT OF HIS CREW--"MY NAME IS JOHN
BARRY."
That the loss of the "Raleigh" brought no discredit upon Captain Barry,
but rather added to his reputation as a brave and skillful commander is
attested by the action of the Marine Committee in appointing him to
command an expedition against East Florida.
Major-General Lincoln was to command the Continental and State army
forces in the reduction of St. Augustine, Florida, as it "was of the
highest importance to the United States."
On November 10, 1778, Congress Resolved:
"That Captain John Barry be and is hereby directed to take command of
all armed vessels employed in the intended expedition, subject to the
order of the Commander-in-Chief in the Southern Department; and that
this commission continue in force till the expedition of the intended
invasion of the Province of East Florida or till the further order of
Congress; that he proceed with the utmost despatch to the State of
Maryland in order to expedite the equipment of the gallies to be
furnished by that State and proceed with them to Charleston in South
Carolina."
At Charleston armed gallies from Virginia were to be joined. "The
success of the expedition depended in the most essential manner on their
service." The Continental share of all property taken would be released
to the captors.
To prevent difference among officers of the respective States whose
gallies would be employed, Captain John Barry was appointed to command
the naval part of the expedition. Captain Barry "made some extraordinary
demands upon Congress for allowance of a table and a secretary, which
the House did not determine on," wrote Henry Laurens, President of
Congress, to General Lincoln; adding that "though Captain Barry is a
brave and active seaman, the intended service is not pleasing to him,
'tis possible, therefore, he may wish to avoid it and besides you will
find old commanders in the two Southern States who will be much
mortified should he actually proceed and take the command of them,
consequences will arise which will be disagreeable to you and which may
prove detrimental to the service."
The British probably became aware of the intended invasion and so
organized a counter-movement against General Lincoln and obliged him to
defend his occupancy of Charleston. General Clinton, on December 26,
1778, sailed from New York and a month later, delayed by storms, reached
Savannah, the base of his operations against Lincoln. This obliged
Congress to abandon its projected expedition against East Florida. So
Captain Barry's "extraordinary demands" or the jealousies of the
Southern naval officers were, by the course of events, set aside. The
aggressive movement of Sir Henry Clinton had frustrated the intended
invasion and so all the minor considerations involved therein.
But the high esteem in which Barry was held was proven by the
appointment to command the expedition and this, too, immediately after
the loss of the "Raleigh." His defense of the "Raleigh" was so bravely
performed that the appointment to the Southern expedition was given him
as the best testimonial of worth and of fidelity to duty. The loss of
the "Raleigh" and the abandonment of the invasion of East Florida left
Captain John Barry without an available Continental ship. But such a
brave and active seaman could not be listless nor idle while an
opportunity could be found or made for doing service for his country.
When the "Effingham" and other vessels were tied up in the Delaware,
Captain Barry became a landsman and did shore duty, leading a company of
volunteers in the Trenton and Princeton campaign.
Now that his country had no ship to give him to do duty for America, he
entered the service of his adopted State, Pennsylvania, and became "a
bold privateer" by becoming commander of the Letter-of-Marque, the brig
"Delaware," owned by Irwin & Co., of Philadelphia. His commission bears
date of February 15, 1779. It is in the Lenox Library, New York.
The "Delaware" was a new brig of 200 tons, built to replace the schooner
of the same name, which had been driven on the New Jersey shore and set
on fire to escape the British early on the morning of November 21, 1777,
when the State's Navy had passed up the Delaware River after the attack
on Fort Mifflin.
The new "Delaware" carried ten guns and forty-five men when
commissioned, but Captain Barry increased the force to twelve guns and
sixty men.
The day he was commissioned he stood sponsor and his wife a witness to
the baptism of Anna, daughter of Thomas, his brother, born on that
morning. On July 21st following, Captain Barry's wife, Sarah Austin
Barry, became a Catholic and was baptised, conditionally, Anna Barry,
wife of Thomas, being the only sponsor. At this time Captain Barry was
cruising in the West Indies. Judith, "the slave of Captain John Barry,"
an adult, was also baptised on August 19, 1779.
In the "Delaware" Captain Barry made two cruises to Port-au-Prince. Of
his first voyage no record has been discovered, but of his second there
is sufficient in the account given by his Mate, John Kessler. The
"Delaware" sailed on its second cruise in the fall of 1779 in company
with three other Letter-of-Marque brigs and one schooner. Of this fleet
Captain Barry was made Commodore. He was always so appointed whenever
two or more vessels were assigned to one cruise or expedition in which
he engaged. When abreast of Cape Henlopen the British sloop-of-war the
"Harlem," with eighty-five men and fourteen four-pounders, was taken
without resistance, though the officers escaped in boats after heaving
overboard all the guns.
The "Harlem" was sent to Philadelphia. The crew was delivered to the
militia at Chincopague. Captain Barry reported to the owners that "the
commanders in our little fleet are very complaisant and obliging to each
other." That the "Harlem" had fourteen four-pounders and eighty-five
men. The guns and other things were thrown overboard without firing a
shot. The Captain, with ten men, went off in a whale-boat, "but,"
reported Captain Barry, "we have reason to think, is since overset." The
prisoners were taken out, a prize crew put on board, the "Harlem" sent
to Philadelphia and the men landed at Sinipaxan, Virginia, as they were
too many to keep with safety on board the little fleet. "We have every
reason in the world to think we shall catch more before long," reported
Barry. The "Harlem" was "a fine vessel and had been a cruiser since the
enemy took New York, but at present she is much out of tune," he added.
Of the rest of the voyage out and home nothing specially noteworthy
occurred except that a merchant ship from Liverpool was captured and
later retaken by the noted Goodrich and carried into Bermuda.
During the war there was often contention between the commanders of the
Continental and those of the States' service. The Continentals, when in
need of men, often impressed the seamen of the States' fleet and also
those of merchant vessels. On Captain Barry's return to the Delaware
River the Continental frigate "Confederacy" lay at Chester. She had been
impressing the crews of merchant vessels coming up the river. The pilot
gave this information to the crew of the "Delaware." It alarmed them
very much and many desired to be put on shore. Captain Barry addressed
them saying, "My lads, if you have the spirit of freemen you will not
desire to go ashore nor tamely submit against your wills to be taken
away, although all the force of all the frigate's boats' crew were to
attempt to exercise such a species of tyranny." This address, records
Kessler, satisfied them, as it implied his consent to their defending
themselves. They resolved to do it at all hazards, and for that purpose
put themselves under the command and direction of the boatswain and
armed themselves with muskets, pistols and boarding pikes, and thus
arrived within hailing distance of the "Confederacy." Her commander
ordered the brig's maintopsail to be hove to the mast. Captain Barry
answered that he could not without getting his vessel ashore. The
commander of the frigate then ordered that the brig should come to
anchor.
Captain Barry gave no answer but continued on his way, beating up with
tide and flood and wind, when a gun was fired from the frigate and a
boat, manned, left her and came towards the "Delaware." Captain Barry
directed that the officers of the boat should be admitted on board, but
as to the men with them, the "Delaware's" crew could do as they pleased.
The boat soon arrived and two officers, armed, jumped on board and on
the quarterdeck, ordering the maintopsail halyards to be cast off,
which, however, was not done. Captain Barry asked whether they were sent
to take command of his vessel. The boat's crew were about coming on
board when the "Delaware's" men threatened instant death to all who came
on board.
The officers after trying to intimidate our boatswain by presenting
their pistols at him, and finding it of no avail, hastily sprang into
their boats and left.
Another gun was fired from the "Confederacy." Captain Barry ordered the
guns cleared and declared that if a rope-yard was injured he would give
the "Confederacy" a whole broadside. A third gun was fired. Captain
Barry hailed and asked the name of the commander of the frigate.
The answer was "Lieutenant Gregory."
Captain Barry addressed him: "Lieutenant Gregory, I advise you to desist
from firing. This is the brig 'Delaware,' belonging to Philadelphia and
my name is John Barry."
"Nothing further was said or done by Lieutenant Gregory," recorded Mate
Kessler, who added: "Our whole crew arrived at Philadelphia, but the
other vessels of our fleet were obliged to anchor, as the pressing of
those who did not get on shore obliged them to remain until assistance
was sent from Philadelphia. After our arrival Barry left the command of
the brig, he having been ordered to take charge of a Continental 74-gun
ship then building in the State of New Hampshire," relates Kessler.
James Collins, First Lieutenant, became Captain Barry's successor in
command of the "Delaware," which had taken two prizes, the distribution
of which was made among the officers and crew, Kessler receiving "in the
threefold capacity of clerk, steward and captain of marines."