Joshua Barney Joshua Barney ( 6 July 1759 – 1 December 1818 ) was , born in Baltimore , Maryland , and served in the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War . He later achieved the rank of commodore in the United States Navy and also served in the War of 1812 . Revolutionary War . Barney served in the Continental Navy beginning in February 1776 , as master ' s mate of " Hornet " where he took part in Commodore Esek Hopkins ' s raid on New Providence . Later he served on the " Wasp " and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant for gallantry in the action between the " Wasp " and a British brig , the tender " Betsey " . While serving on " Andrew Doria " he took a prominent part in the defense of the Delaware River . Barney was taken prisoner and exchanged several times . In 1779 he was again taken prisoner and imprisoned in Old Mill Prison , Plymouth , Devon , England until his escape in 1781 . He wrote an account of this in " The Memoirs of Commodore Barney " , published in Boston , 1832 . Battle of Delaware Bay . In 1782 , he was put in command of the Pennsylvania ship , " Hyder Ally " , in which in April he captured HMS General Monk , a warship that was much more heavily armed than the " Hyder Ally " . He was given command of the " Monk " and sailed for France with dispatches for Benjamin Franklin , returning with news that peace had been declared . After the Revolution Barney joined the French Navy , where he was made commander of a squadron . War of 1812 . Chesapeake Bay Flotilla . At the outbreak of the War of 1812 , after a successful but unprofitable privateering cruise as commander of the Baltimore schooner " Rossie " , in which he captured the Post Office Packet Service packet ship " Princess Amelia " , Barney entered the US Navy as a captain , and commanded the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla , a fleet of gunboat s defending Chesapeake Bay . He authored the plan to defend the Chesapeake , which was submitted to Secretary of the Navy , William Jones and accepted on August 20 , 1813 . The plan consisted of using a flotilla of shallow - draft barges , each equipped with a large gun which would be used in large numbers to attack and annoy the invading British , then retreating to the safety of shoal waters abundant in the Chesapeake region . On June 1 , 1814 , Barney ' s flotilla , led by his flagship , the sloop - rigged , self - propelled floating battery USS " Scorpion " , mounting two long guns and two carronade s , were coming down Chesapeake Bay when they encountered the 12 - gun schooner HMS " St . Lawrence " ( the former Baltimore privateer " Atlas " ) , and boats from the 74 - gun Third Rates HMS " Dragon " and HMS " Albion " near St . Jerome Creek . The flotilla pursued " St Lawrence " and the boats until they could reach the protection of the two 74s . The American flotilla then retreated into the Patuxent River where the British quickly blockaded it . The British outnumbered Barney by 7 : 1 , forcing the flotilla on 7 June to retreat into St . Leonard ' s Creek . Two British frigates , the 38 - gun HMS " Loire " and the 32 - gun HMS " Narcissus " , plus the 18 - gun sloop - of - war HMS " Jasseur " blockaded the mouth of the creek . The creek was too shallow for the British warships to enter , and the flotilla outgunned and hence was able to fend off the boats from the British ships . Battles continued through June 10 . The British , frustrated by their inability to flush Barney out of his safe retreat , instituted a " campaign of terror , " laying waste to " town and farm alike " and plundering and burning Calverton , Huntingtown , Prince Frederick , Benedict and Lower Marlboro . On June 26 , after the arrival of troops commanded by U . S . Army Colonel Decius Wadsworth , and U . S . Marine Captain Samuel Miller , Barney attempted a breakout . A simultaneous attack from land and sea on the blockading frigates at the mouth of St . Leonard ' s creek allowed the flotilla to move out of the creek and up - river to Benedict , Maryland , though Barney had to scuttle gunboats No . 137 and 138 in the creek . The British entered the then - abandoned creek and burned the town of St . Leonard , Maryland . The British , under the command of Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane then moved up the Patuxent , preparing for a landing at Benedict . Concerned that Barney ' s remarkable flotilla could fall into British hands , Secretary of the Navy Jones ordered Barney to take his squadron as far up the Patuxent as possible , to Queen Anne , and scuttle the squadron if the British appeared . Leaving his barges with a skeleton crew under the command of Lieutenant Solomon Kireo Frazier to handle any destruction of the craft , Barney took the majority of his men to join the American Army commanded by General William Henry Winder where they participated in the Battle of Bladensburg . Frazier scuttled all but one of the vessels , which the British captured , of the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla . Battle of Bladensburg . During the Battle of Bladensburg , Barney and 360 sailors and 120 Marines made a heroic defense of the national capital — fighting against the enemy hand to hand with cutlasses and pikes . The battle raged for four hours but eventually the British defeated the greatly outnumbered Americans . The defenders were forced to fall back after nearly being cut off , and the British went on to burn the Capitol and White House . Barney was severely wounded , receiving a bullet deep in his thigh that could never be removed . During the battle President James Madison personally directed the marines led by Barney . ( Prior to the battle , Madison had narrowly avoided capture . ) This battle is one of only two instances of a sitting president exercising direct battlefield authority as Commander - in - Chief , the other having occurred when George Washington rode out and personally crushed the Whiskey Rebellion . Death . Commodore Barney died in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania on December 10 , 1818 en route to Kentucky , from complications related to the wound he received at the Battle of Bladensburg . He is buried in Allegheny Cemetery . Namesake and honors . Four US Navy ships were named for him : A replica of a gunboat of Barney ' s Chesapeake Bay Flotilla today sits in a waterside park in Bladensburg . A traffic circle on Pennsylvania Ave . , SE , in Washington , D . C . is named for Barney . A road , Commodore Joshua Barney Drive , NE , in Washington , D . C . is named for Barney .