Honoring John Barry

The Ancient Order of Hibernians deserves a full cannonade of credit for its effort to secure a lasting memorial to Commodore John Barry in the most appropriate of places, that being the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Barry is a true American hero and though long recognized as the de facto "father" on the United States Navy, received full recognition as first flag officer of the navy by virtue of a presidential signature, that of George W Bush. Barry, who was born in Wexford in1745, received his commission from the very first Congress. He took command of his first ship, the 14-gun brig Lexington, on December 7th, 1775.

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It was a command that would give the British cause to cry "infamy." In April 1776, as captain of the Lexington, Barry captured the sloop HMS Edward, thus securing his position in history as the first American naval officer to lay hands on one of King George's ships of war.

The end of the war resulted in a brief pause in Barry's naval career, though he remained at sea in the merchant service. But President George Washington had other plans for a man who, though he was still under 40, more than qualified for old sea dog status.

In June 1794, Barry was put in charge of training the first cadets in the earliest version of the U.S. Naval Academy. By virtue of this posting, Barry was now senior captain in the new federal navy.

He was formally awarded Commission Number One in the United States Navy by President Washington in February, 1797. The commission was backdated to 1794.

In addition to overseeing the academy, Barry was also assigned the job of building the 44-gun frigate United States, in its day the most powerful ship in the fleet. Barry would command the United States in the Caribbean during what became known as the Quasi-War with France between 1798 and 1801.

It was during this time that he attained the honorific rank of commodore because he commanded the U.S. Navy's entire force assigned to the West Indies station. There was no rank of admiral in the navy at the time and in fact such a rank would not come into being until the Civil War.

After returning to Philadelphia, Barry continued to serve shore duty until his death on Sept. 13, 1803, a day long since recognized by the Ancient Order of Hibernians as Commodore John Barry Day. Barry rests at Old St. Mary's Churchyard in Philadelphia. He is, of course, remembered in places other than the city of Brotherly Love, his native Wexford for one and now, most appropriately, on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy itself, the most appropriate anchorage of all.

 

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