Abandoned, Barry Enters the Pennsylvania Privateer Service-Makes C

ded to his reputation as a brave and skillful commander is attested by the action of

ate army forces in the reduction of St. Augustine, Florida,

0, 1778, Cong

n Department; and that this commission continue in force till the expedition of the intended invasion of the Province of East Florida or till the further order of Congress; that he proce

f the expedition depended in the most essential manner on their service." T

secretary, which the House did not determine on," wrote Henry Laurens, President of Congress, to General Lincoln; adding that "though Captain Barry is a brave and active seaman, the intended service is not pleasing to him, 'tis possible, therefore, he may wish to a

w York and a month later, delayed by storms, reached Savannah, the base of his operations against Lincoln. This obliged Congress to abandon its projected expedition against East Florida. So Captain Barry's "extraordinary demand

n him as the best testimonial of worth and of fidelity to duty. The loss of the "Raleigh" and the abandonment of the invasion of East Florida left Captain John Barry without an available Continental ship. But such a brave and active seaman could not be listless nor idle

nnsylvania, and became "a bold privateer" by becoming commander of the Letter-of-Marque, the brig "Delaware," owned

een driven on the New Jersey shore and set on fire to escape the British early on the morning of Novem

ive men when commissioned, but Captain Barry in

21st following, Captain Barry's wife, Sarah Austin Barry, became a Catholic and was baptised, conditionally, Anna Barry, wife of Thomas, being the only spo

ruise in the fall of 1779 in company with three other Letter-of-Marque brigs and one schooner. Of this fleet Captain Barry was made Commodore. He was always so appointed whenever two or more vessels were assigned to one cruise or expedition i

things were thrown overboard without firing a shot. The Captain, with ten men, went off in a whale-boat, "but," reported Captain Barry, "we have reason to think, is since overset." The prisoners were taken out, a prize crew put on board, the "Harlem" sent to Philadelphia and the men landed at Sinipaxan, V

y occurred except that a merchant ship from Liverpool was captured

e "Delaware." It alarmed them very much and many desired to be put on shore. Captain Barry addressed them saying, "My lads, if you have the spirit of freemen you will not desire to go ashore nor tamely submit against your wills to be taken away, although all the force of all the frigate's boats' crew were to attempt to exercise such a species of tyranny." This address, records Kessler, satisfied them, as it implied his consent to their defending themselves. They

f the boat should be admitted on board, but as to the men with them, the "Delaware's" crew could do as they pleased. The boat soon arrived and two officers, armed, jumped on board and on the quarterdeck, ordering the maintopsail halyards

by presenting their pistols at him, and finding it o

lared that if a rope-yard was injured he would give the "Confederacy" a whole broadside. A t

as "Lieutena

se you to desist from firing. This is the brig 'Delaware

o remain until assistance was sent from Philadelphia. After our arrival Barry left the command of the brig, he having been ordered to take charge of a Continental 74-gun ship then building in the State of New Hampshire," relates Kessler. James Collins, Fir