Barry was formally commissioned as a captain in the Continental Navy on March 14, 1776; his warrant was signed by
John Hancock, president of the
Second Continental Congress. Barry, a Catholic, was a religious man and began each day at sea with a reading from the Bible. He had great regard for his crew and their well-being, making sure they were properly provisioned while at sea. During his naval career, Barry commanded the U.S. warships
Delaware,
Lexington,
Raleigh,
Alliance and
United States.
Command of Lexington Captain Barry's first American command was , of 14 guns, which began on December 7, 1775. He was the first officer, army or navy, to receive a commission from the Continental Congress.
Lexington sailed on March 31, 1776. On April 7, 1776, off the Capes of Virginia, Barry fell in with
Edward, a
ship's tender servicing the British frigate , and after a desperate fight of one hour and twenty minutes captured and brought
Edward into Philadelphia. On June 28, the Pennsylvania
brig Nancy, carrying 386 barrels of powder in her hold, ran aground while attempting to elude the British
ship-sloop . Barry ordered the precious powder rowed ashore during the night, leaving only 100 barrels. A delayed action fuse was left inside the brig, exploding and killing seven members of a boarding party from
Kingfisher which had just climbed aboard
Nancy. This engagement became known as the
Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet. Barry retained command of
Lexington until October 18, 1776. He was noted for his success in capturing several
privateers operated by
Loyalist crews to help enforce the British blockade.
Command of Delaware In 1777, Barry was assigned to command , a brig which participated in ultimately unsuccessful American naval operations in the
Delaware River.
Command of Raleigh In 1778, Barry assumed his third command, , capturing three prizes before being run aground while fighting an action on September 27, 1778. He and his crew escaped and scuttled the ship, but she was raised by the British, who refloated and converted her into a Royal Navy vessel. Eager to improve the fighting capabilities of the Continental Navy, Barry authored the first American navy signal book, published in 1780, to improve communications at sea among American vessels traveling in formation.
Command of Alliance Barry was seriously wounded on May 29, 1781, while taking part in the capture of
HMS Atalanta and her sister ship
Trepassey. He and his crew of the
USS Alliance fought and won the final naval battle of the
American Revolution south of
Cape Canaveral on
March 10, 1783. Barry was successful in suppressing three
mutinies during his career as an officer in the Continental Navy.
Commodore commission On February 22, 1797, he was issued Commission Number 1 by President
George Washington, backdated to June 4, 1794. His title was thereafter "commodore". He is recognized as not only the first American commissioned naval officer but also its first
flag officer.
Command of United States Appointed senior captain upon the establishment of the U.S. Navy, he commanded the
frigate United States in the
Quasi-War with
France. This ship transported commissioners
William Richardson Davie and
Oliver Ellsworth to France to negotiate a new Franco-American alliance. Barry's last day of active duty was March 6, 1801, when he brought into port, but he remained head of the Navy until his death on September 13, 1803, from
asthma. Barry died childless. ==Later life and death==