The Irish standard., 1906-05-26
A Bill Appropriating $4,000 For This Pur-
pose Has Passed the Senate and is
Before the House.
Commodore Barry's Body Now Lies in old St.
Mary's Catholic Cemetery in the
City of Pittsburg.

"i the American Navy" is to
have Il $4,000 monument. Thus
will his memory receive Il Just
reward. says Il Philadelphia cor
respondent of the Pittsburg Dispatch.
The bill apprnpriating this r.oney
has already passed the Senate and is
NOW before the House. Representative
McCleary. of Minnesota. is its sponsor
there, and only Il few days ago he had
i, reported favoraby from the Library
Committee. 1t is known that Prcsi
the bill and will undoubtedly sign it.
The decision to honor Barry is
deemed particularly appropriate at the
time when honor has so lately been
done to the memory of Paul Jones the
other early hero of the American navy.
Two factions have long been divided
as to which Of the two can really be
said to have headed the long list Of
lighters that bear the names of such
men as l'arragut. Porter and Dewey.
But ii is an undeniablc fact that Barry
was the senior the commanding officer
"f the navy. ana that at one time
Jones served under him. The monu-
mcnt is not proposed in order t" pro-
yoke u controversy with those who
give the laurels To Jones. but merely
In, l., fl,,,t Il,
like Jones. achieved wonders for the
infant nation and deserves we'll Of the
mighty giant into which it has now
grown.
Barry was a good lrishmGln. and
hailed from the county of Wexford.
He came to the United States when he
was fifteen years Of age. and as he
had elected to make the sea his pro-
fcSSiol. naturally went to Phila-
delphia. at that time the leading Sea-
port of the new world.
FIRST TO FLY THE CONTINENTAL.
FLAG
Among the early merchants of the
Quaker City Barry soon took rank as
81 seHman of rare ability, and he was
entrusted with the care of many big
was the Black Prince. which Congress,
at the outbreak of the war, at B:irry'S
suggestion. purchased for use ns Il
fighting ship
The opening of the Revolution saw
Barry one of the most competent men
in the country to take Il place of power
in the infant navy. He consequently
received n commission to command the
brig Lexington. of sixteen guns.
This ship left Philadelphia in 1916,
ana was the first vessel to fly the
Continental flag. TO this he quickly
added the glory of capturing the first
vessel ever taken by an American
warship i'll an engagement. His prize
WAS the Edward. an armed tender of
he Liverpool. The action lasted about
an hour, ana four of Rarry's crew of
seventy men were killed. This is said
t" have been the first blood shed in
the naval service of the United States.
After the Lexington Barry took COM
nEtnd Of the Efinghnm. and was forced
by the advance of the British to seek
retreat on the upper Delaware when
he forces of Lord Howe took possess
sion of the Quaker City.
Although nominalIy the EfHngham
was in retreat its crew did splendid
service in the cause of the Continental
arms. With only twenty men in row.
boats Barry rowed down the Delaware
from Burlington to where a British
schooner of twenty guns lay. Barry
ana his men surprised and captured
the schooner and would have made off
with her had not two British cruisers
arrived. Barry burned the ship, to the
dsmay of the British. and made his
escape without losing q man.
This victory came just at the most
disheartening period of the war and
carried great hope to Washington, who
warmly congratulated Barry on feat
of exceptional daring.
Barry was soon after appointed com.
lnander of the Raleigh. His period
with this frigate was marked by the
notable. If unequal. battle with two
British men of war, the Experiment