The Irish standard., 1902-09-27

'eA AoiNe, pulCuitSeu Two vessels, ule
Lexington and the Rcprisll, and or
dered them fitted out as prvateers,
Barry was appointed as captain of the
Lexington, and was thus the first Of.
ficer appointed to tlre command Of the
first vessel. Under Barry, the Lexing-
ton eluded two British vessels of great
ly superior force and ram out Of the
Delaware river to sea.
On April Z, 1776, Barry, in the LEX
iIgton, attacked the British sloop Ed
ward and captured her after desper-
ate battle OF an hour and Il lmlf He
| returned to Philadelphia with his
prize. Mus john Barry was tllc first
officer commissioned by the Continen-
tai Congress, commanding the first
vessel fitted out, and flying THE first
Continental flag raised at sea, that cap.
tured the first naval prize under the
authority of Congress-.
Barry captured many prizes in the
Lexington and the sums raised from
the disposal of THESE prizes materially
s'idcd the American cause. In October,
177G, Barry was assigned TO the com.
mand of tlle Elinglmm, a much larger
vessel than tire Lexington.
The fortune of tlle Revolutionary
forces was slowly waning at t1lis time
and Barry lGld little to do. Washing
ton, pressed by Cornwallis, was forced
to retreat steahily from Fort Lee
through New Jersey. News reached
Philadelphia that Washingtons army
was so hard pressed that defeat and
capture Were imminent. John Barry,
having no naval work of consequence,
organized a company Of volunteers,
and with Thomas Fitzsfmms, another
Catholic who led another company,
hastened to the relief of Washington.
Washington came to Philadelphia
and, in company with Barry and Fitz.
sinlOns, recrOssed the Delaware on
that memorable Christmas OF 1776,
and, aided by Barry's and Fitusimon's
volunteers, fell upon the HessMns at
Princeton and Trenton and won those
signal victories In rapid succession,
greatly strengthening the American
cause.
Later, in 1777, the British forced
Washington to leave Philadelphia and
retreat to Valley Forge, where the
darkest moments Of the Revolution
We're endured by the soldiers of free
dom. Barry was in communication
| with Washington. The success of the
British had caused the abandonment
Of the few vessels owned by Congress,
and among them the Efiingham, Bar
RVS ship, which, by order of Con-
gress, Barry was Obliged to sink, much
! against his will.
Without a ship the unquencllable
spirit of Barry longed to strike a blow
| for the American cause. Learning
that the supplies for the British troops
In Philadelphia were conveyed Through
the lower Delaware, Barry resolved to
W NlcSlAOy
these supplies. With twenty-seven
men in four rowboats Barry set out to
steal past the city and reach the river
below. ...
| Although every effort was made to
get under cover of the darkness, the
expedition was discovered and fired
upon and chase given, but Barry's
men elllded their pursuers and ltaached
Port Penn, below the city. Here they
attacked, captured and burned two
ships, seized the supplies and tried to
escape with the schooner Alert. Pur-
sued by fieeter vessels, they aban-
dOned the schooner and escaped, de-
strOying considerable quantity of the
supplies, but taking as much as they
could carry. And these supplies, as
those subsequently captured, in every
instance at the risk of their lives, Bar
ry and his daring men sent to Valley
Forge, where the starving soldiers ate
the food and warmed their slliyering
bodies with the fruits Of blankets Sc
cured by the daring courage of John
Barry