The Irish standard., 1907-03-30

day. I'VE are assembled here" he said,
mot to chant the miserere, or a dirge
for the dead, but in joyful numbers to
sing the praises Of one of the most
heroic characters of the time OF the
Revolution-of one who did as much
as, if not more than, any other man
to secure for you and for me-and let
us hope for our remotest posterity-
the liberty of this great Republic"
"The subject of our paeans today
was a Seaman in all that it means. An
officer of the navy before we had a
navy. A man in the acceptation of the
ancient and honorable meaning of the
word. He was no 'kid-gloved' mariner.
The man to whom I refer is Commo-
dore John Barry-'Old Jack Barry as
he was lovingly called by those who
knew him. But to us of later gen.
Grafton his name and the record of his
deeds make him Fighting Jack Barry
the Father of the American Navy
He it is whom we are assembled to
honor today by the dedication Of this
magnificent monument of bronze and
stone, the gift of the Society of the
Friendly Sons OF st. Patrick, which
counted among it's members George
washington as we'll as John Barry.
"John Barry was an Irfshman, born
in 1745 in the town Of Ballysampson
and lived in his boyhood days In the
townland OF Roostonstown, Wexford
County, in the Province of Leinster,
until the age of fifteen years. Then he
went to sea, probably first on his own
coast, and later to the West Indies.
Finally he arrived in Philadelphia, and
was, when about twenty-one years OF
age, honorably employed In his pro-
fession as master mariner by the lead
Ing merchants of Philadelphia, trading
to the West Indies. Thus, early in
life he showed the virility of man.
hood, with the power to command men
and to merit the respect of his em-
ployers.
"Captain Barry returned from sea
in his good ship the Black Prince in
October, 1775. when the first oppor-
tunity offered to consecrate his life
and great ability as seaman to the
cause of the American colonies. The
Black Prince was purchased by Con-
gress, fitted out as a privateer under
the command of Commodore Esek
Hopkins and Captain Saltonstall and
renamed the Alfred. 1t was at this
time in his history that Captain Barry
said ESQ we are tolO that he had
ship afloat and left the best employ
to cast his lot with the American COL
onies.
"He was idle but few weeks, for
Congress had voted to purchase and
equip two vessels, the Lexington and
the Reprisal, in December of the same
year. Captain Barry was honored with
the command of the Lexington. named
after the first battle of the American
Revolution.
"From the time of the fitting out of
the Lexington, in 1775. down to the
time of the declaration of peace, which
assured the liberation Of tho American
colonies from the thraldom of Great
Britain, Captain Barry was constantly
engaged on shore and afloat. He never
he was actually engaged in twenty sea
fights against superior fOrce-the field
of his operations ranging all the way
from the capes of the Delaware into
the West Indies, and as far east as the
coast Of Maine and newfoundland.
"At the time of tho British occupa-
tion Of Philadelphia our fleet was
obliged to retreat up the river above
Burlington, where, against the protest
of Captain Barry, but by order of the
naval commissioners, tho few vessels
composing it were scuttled and sunk
This was during those dark days of the
Revolution before the battles of Prince
ton and Trenton. before the historic
crossing. of the Delaware by Washing
ton and the dreary, discouraging days
of that terrible winter at Valley Forge
"It was under these circumstances
i that Barry becams closely associated
with Washington as one Of his staff
utilizing his resoucefulness as sea-
man in supplying and manning fotillas
,,.of boats on the upper Delaware tc
facilitate the transportation of men
and material Of war, and taking part
in the battles of Princeton and Tren-
ton.
=. "Then, in command Of the Alliance
4 Barry was assigned the signal duty Of
carrying aboard Colonel Laurens
special commissioner to France, on that
all-important mission of securing fol