The New York herald., 1868-03-08
Sketches of the Great Commanders Of
the Past and Present.
Naval AsyluMs, Ordnance and
Personnel.
SIDES OF OAK AND IRON-SIDES.
THE NAVY OF THE FUTURE.

involved in so much obscurity that at this remote
day 1t Is difficult to from oblivion the frag
mentary data that still floating on the vast ocean
OF Time. But 1t must be borne In mind that during
the greater part Of the Revolutionary period all the
records pertaining to the organization Of the navy
were confded to the care OF temporary boards and
committees, and therefore lost in the confusion and
irresponsibty incident to inexperienced legislators.
The first step taken by the Continental Congress
the subject Of a navy was In October, 1775, when
two small cruisers were ordered to be equipped for
sea, and all merchantmen were forbidden to ny o
pennant. Later December 13 Of that year. thirteen
vessels, corresponding in number with the thirteen
colonies were directed be built. These ships were
armed with nine and twelve-pounders, and with
fours and skies aft and forward. They averaged
from 600 to 500 tons burden, and their spar decks
were formed OF gratings At that time the
models assimiated to the French, Spanish and
Greek, with high poops square sterns and
ponderous quarter galleries. Live oak, which was
first used in ship building at Charleston in 1850,
formed most of the frames of these new vessels;
but copper was not then in general use for the pro-
lection of bottoms and this rendered them Of little
service in tropical atiudes cruisers. The great
obstacle which Congress now had to encounter
in the selection Of officers and the enlistment Of
seamen; the first, because there none to
choose from who had been trained to the of
discipline and the control Of large bodies Of men,
and the second because few sailors would enlist for
more than single short cruise while the authorized
capture Of British vessels by privateers held out
many inducements for gain. Added to this was the
multiplied character of the appointing power Of off,
GERS. Under these circumstances 1t was impossible
not to bunder, but these errors were more than
compensated for by the selection Of such men as
Nicholson Bddle Barry and that most intrepid Of
naval heroes John Paul Jones. 1t is said that we
lose nothing because history repeats ITSELF and it is
perhaps equally true that history loses nothing when
we repeat it.
COMMODORE JOHN BARRY,
who is called the 'Father OF the Navyn was native
OF Wexford Ireland, and to an accidental meeting
with Washington in Philadelphia, at the house of
Mr.. Meredith, merchant, for whom Barry COM
manded London packet called the Black Prince,
the country is indebted for his selection naval
offcer. Washington, with that unerring judgment
OF character for which he remarkable, discovered
in that rough and hardy Irish sailor the elements OF
great professional skin, undaunted courage and the
most innexibe integrity and patriotism Nor did
Barry fail TO exhibit in all the trying circumstances
of the revolution this high estimate of his manhood.
His continual self-sacrifce and his noble example in
spired his followers with the most enduring love OF
country and the highest conception OF duty. After
the close OF the war in 1888, and until his DEATH
twenty years later, he constantly engaged In
experimenting the progress of the navy and the in
PRODUCTION OF many wholesome reforms. In 1874 he
rose to the rank OF senior officer in the service and
he died in Philadelphia September is, 1903, bequeath-
ing the bulk OF his property to the orphan children
OF that city.
The difficulty OF obtaining men for the navy has
already been referred TO- and this was of the
evils that Commodore Barry sought to remedy.
Being himself Irshman by birth, he used every
effort to induce the seafarlng portion OF his country
men to emigrate TO the United States and during the
rebellion in Ireland in '9S large number came over
and joined the navy. Subsequently, in 1902, the
period OF enlistment was made two years. and
thenceforward there was no lack Of men, All of the
pupils OF Commodore Barry, whom he delighted to
call his boysr became distinguished naval heroes,
as Barron, Blakely, Dale, Shaw, Chauncey, McDon-
ough, Lawrence, Hull, Decatur, Stewart, somers and
Porter These were the naval architects who laid
upon the rolling deep the foundations OF that super
structure which the American people have ever since
regarded as the right arm of our national defence.
But shining pre-emnently In the galaxy OF reyolu-
tlonary heroes Is
JOHN PAUL JONES.
Like Commodore Barry, he a foreigner. lie
was the youngest OF five sons OF a Scotch gardener
named John Paul, and was born July 0, 1747, at Ar
bgland on the Firth OF Solway. In early life he
master trading between Scotland and Virginia,
where subsequently his elder brother settled
on O plantation near Fredericksburg Passing
the events OF his youth, history first discovers
him travelling on foot In the depths OF winter In
1775 from Fredericksburg to Philadelphia, alone and
friendless but nerved with the resolve to fight for
the liberties Of his adopted country. Here he pre-
sented himself before the Marine Committee and Of
fercd his services In the navy then about to be
formed. But he had affixed the name OF Jones to
that Of John Paul, and although he was known to
Richard Henry Lee, member OF Congress, for some
time his identity doubtful II is not easy to dis
cover now why this name assumed, but tradition
has II that years previously Paul had been in
Htrumental to the death of a mutineer in the West
Indies, and he probably feared the consequences Of
legal investigation. BE this as 1t may, John Paul
Jones was commissioned as senior lieutenant OF the
American navy, with rank from December I, 1875.
Two months afterwards TO this oilcer belongs the
high honor OF having hoisted board Of the rigate
Alfred, In the Delaware, the first nag Of the United
Colonies. This is represented to have borne
the device OF q rattlesnake in coil, with
the motto "Dont tread me-" worked
on field OF yellow silk. A duplicate
OF this nag was displayed In the Andria Doria,
Captain Biddle; and on the occasion Of his visit to
the Island OF St. Eustatia In the fall OF 1T16 1t was
sauted by the forts, and thus, for the first time was
the American nag acknowledged by regular gov
ernment. But this mark Of recognition cost the
Dutch Governor his high office, and he was dismissed
1t was not until June IA, 1777 that the present ma
tional colors adopted by Congress, and Paul
Jones again the first to hoist the standard
OF the stars and Stripes from the masthead Of the
Ranger.
In 1870 Jones rose to the rank OF captain, and
although engaged In many perilous adventures and
had fought battles the Atlantic seaboard, he was
at the same time, either personally by letter. the
chosen adviser OF the Marine Committee, to whom
he suggested many Improvements in shpbuildng,
equipments and naval discipline. But his restive
spirit and the comprehensive views he expressed to
Congress Of the necessity for innctng tho greatest
annoyance upon the British nation gave rise