Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-08-08
LIFE OF COMMODORE BARNEY.

The Life Of Commodore Barney, which has
been long and anxiously lookea for by ma
nv, has at length been issued from the press Of
Mes.rs. Gray s. Bowen. of Boston. We copy
at random, as specimen Of the work, the ac-
count of the celebrated battle between the Hyder
Ally and General Monk:
AT the period OF Lieutenant Barney's return
TO his family, the Delaware Bay and River were
infested bs numerous refugee barscs and priva-
teers," which were committing the most extern
,ive depredations. not only upon the commerce
of Phi,a,Ielphi but upon the peaceab'e inhabit-
ants along the shores of every accessible stream
that emptied INTO these waters. la order TO
drive cd these piunderers. who were protected
by the presence Of several Of His Ma sry's ships,
and to offer that assistance to their distressed CT
tizens, which it was not in the power OF the gene
raj government to afford the state Of Pennsylva-
MIA hal determined to Fl out, at Its own expense,
number of armed vessels. the operations Of
which were TO be c0Dhned within the great tho
roughfare to their capital. Five days after Lieuen
ant Barney's arrival at Philadelphia, he was ho-
nored with the offer of the command Of one OF the
vessels to be equipped, small ship. mounting e
six Founders, and carrying 10 men, called the
| .Hyder Ally He did not, as may be supposed,
hesitate one moment to accept the command, and
to place himself at the disposal OF the state au-
thorities, from whom he had received 50 many
marks of kindness. He entered Immediately up
on the duties of the command; the ship was to
be yet equipped and manned, but with active SUI
perintendence and willing hands this is an affair
that may be soon despatched. On the 9th of
April, 1882, only eighteensdays after the happy
reunion with his family, and thirteen after he
took the command, the Hyder-Ally was ready to
proceed on her destined service. The instruc-
tons under which Captain Barney acted were We
~ plain aud circumscribed; he was to CONVOY
fleet of merchantmen to the capes. but on no &C
count to proceed to sea; it being the intention of
the state simply to protect its own people, within
its own waters, and chiefly from the annoyance
Of the refugee boats The convoy dropped
down to Cape May road; and while lying there,
waiting for fair wind to take them to sea. two
ships and brig were discovered standing for
them. Captain Barney, perceiving them to be
part of the enemy's force, made the signals to his
convoy to get under way Immediately and return
to the Bay, orders which they were not slow in
obeying, with the exception of one ship, which
was armed; and her commander very CALAMITY
determined to abide the issue; he hailed Captain
Barney, therefore, and made known his inten-
ton. in case OF an engagement, to stick 10y him!
"a promise. by the way, which, we might as
well say at once, he prevented himself from re-
deeming, by running his ship aground on the
Cape May shore, in his eagerness 10 gel TO sea as
soon as the action commenced: in this situation,
his crew jumped ashore from the end Of the jib
boom, and made their escape, and the ship fell
into the enemy's hands.
Captain Barney kept astern Of his convoy,
watching the motions of the enemy with all the
eagerness and anxiety natural to 50 important a
trust: he saw that the brig and one Of the ships
were following him into Cape May channel, while
the other ship IA frigate) was maneuvrins to run
ahead by the other channel and thus cut off the
progress Of the convoy up the bay. His only
hope for the safety Of his CONVOY was, that the
enemy would first direct their attention to him.
and that by desperate resistance he might en-
ploy them long enough to allow time for his
charge to get beyond their pursuit For this
purpose he would willingly have engaged the
whole Of the enemy's force at once, and If he
had had thousand lives, would have rated them
Ill as nothing. if BY their sacrifice he could gain
or his convoy the advantage of one hours start
The brig was the first to come up with him, but it