Mr. Speaker, on September 16, the Fairfield County Ancient Order of Hibernians celebrated the official recognition of Commodore John Barry as the First Flag Officer of the United States Navy. In…
Mr. Speaker, on September 16, the Fairfield County Ancient Order of Hibernians celebrated the official recognition of Commodore John Barry as the First Flag Officer of the United States Navy. In 2005, the House passed, and the President signed into law, H.J. Res. 38, which made this recognition official, and I was proud to support this legislation. I am happy to submit the text of Master Chief Richard Iannucci's informative address
at this ceremony to be entered into the Record.
Selectmen, honored guests, veterans, citizens of Fairfield,
stalwarts of Gaelic descent, and shipmates
This is a replica of the First Navy Jack. This flag, more
properly this ``jack,'' was flown by Commodore John Barry and
at the bow of ships of the Continental Navy.
This same jack was ordered flown on the jackstaff of every
US Navy warship on 9/12/2001. This jack had not be flown by
an American warship at war in over two hundred years.
At sea a flag or jack always signifies something. This
jack, the jack of Commodore Barry and the Continental Navy,
signifies that the US Navy is today functioning at its
grimmest, most deadly earnest level of national survival.
Barry and the men who fought alongside him, were heroes in
the traditional sense of the word. They were not victims as
the word ``hero'' seems to be evolving today, but men of
courage who voluntarily thrust themselves ``in harm's way''
to use a phrase made famous by another Continental Navy
captain, John Paul Jones.
This flag symbolizes John Barry and the Continental Navy's
proud and courageous legacy.
Barry: The First Crucible
John Barry, the father of the United States Navy, was fired
in three crucibles. His legacy is a function of those three
crucibles and the trials they represented.
The first crucible was the unsettled nature of the country
of his origin, Ireland. John Barry was born in 1745, in a
cottage in County Wexford, Ireland, the southeasternmost part
of Ireland. Wexford had a strong maritime tradition, but
Barry's father was a poor tenant farmer who was eventually
evicted from his farm by his British landlord. The family was
forced to relocate to the village of Rosslare. It would have
been at an early age that Barry learned of the bloody fall of
Wexford to an invading British force led by Oliver Cromwell
in 1649.
Barry had to be aware of his countrymen's general fear of
British oppression and governmental administration. Today
there are people who parrot that thought that ``there is
nothing worse than war.'' John Barry knew there was at least
one thing worse than war . . . losing a war and he only
needed to look around himself in Ireland to draw that
conclusion. Today you hear the cant, ``War never accomplishes
anything.'' John Barry would have known that to be a
wrongheaded conclusion.
Personally, as a descendant of highlanders and seafarers
forced to leave the Isle of Raasey of the Inner Hebrides, on
the western coast of Scotland, during the Highland
Clearances, I am aware of the strong formative influence of
having to leave your home under the cloud of a sense of
injustice.
The plight of his native land had to have left its mark on
John Barry.
Barry: The Second Crucible
The second crucible was the demanding, unforgiving nature
of the sea. John Barry's uncle was the captain of a fishing
skiff, and at an early age he chose to follow his uncle as a
seafarer. The sea meant freedom and independence. It was
easier to jump ship, if life became unfair or oppressive,
than move from one farming tenancy to another. Barry started
as a cabin boy, and worked his way up. Going to sea was no
easy career choice, but it gave a young man independence, and
opportunities tied to merit, for the sea holds little regard
for nationality or economic status. Only performance counts.
A sea captain sailed one of the technological marvels of the
day. A captain had to know sophisticated mathematics,
astronomy, meteorology, navigation, carpentry, metal working,
oceanography, chemistry, physics, civil engineering, business
law, and psychology, among other disciplines. A merchant ship
was the second most complex convergence of technology of the
18th Century. He had to learn all this, control and lead
dozens of men at a time, fight the elements, and turn a
profit. He was an established ship's captain by the age of
30, plying the trade route between Philadelphia and the West
Indies.
What was the most complex convergence of technology of the
18th Century? A naval warship was the first most complex
convergence of technology, because it carried the added
element of naval guns and other weaponry.
Barry: The Third Crucible
In 1775, John Barry was dropped into his last and third
crucible, when he offered his services to the Continental
Congress. His ship Black Prince was purchased by the
Continental Congress and renamed Alfred. His lieutenant was a
fiery Scotsman, named Jones, John Paul Jones.
John Barry was then given command of Lexington, 14 guns, in
December of 1775. Lexington sailed in March of 1776. That
April, off the Capes of Virginia, John Barry engaged Edward,
tender to the British man-of-war Liverpool. After a heated
battle he captured Edward, the first American naval prize of
the war and brought her into Philadelphia. He captured
several private armed British ships not long after.
His next command was Effingham, which was only partially
completed and used her to patrol the Delaware Bay and Capes.
A British agent offered Barry 20,000 pounds sterling to
change sides and bring Effingham with him. In the 18th
Century, 20,000 pounds was a fortune. Barry would not turn
his coat.
In October of 1776. the Continental Congress assigned the
rankings of officers of the Continental Navy, ranking John
Barry No. 7 among Continental Navy captains.
Barry was a thorough warrior. Barry's contribution to the
war was not limited to sea duty. He could have stuck with
Effingham and his naval specialization, but in December of
1776. Barry recruited a company of volunteers for landing
party duty. He and his company took part in the Trenton
campaign. He organized the boatmen and assisted George
Washington in his famous crossing of the Delaware. Barry
subsequently assisted in the defense of Philadelphia and
operations in the upper Delaware.
When the British took possession of Philadelphia in
September 1777, Captain Barry was ordered to take his
uncompleted frigate Effingham up the Delaware River to a
place of safety. In October, the ship was ordered sunk or
burned. Barry scuttled her in November, near Bordentown, New
Jersey, to deny her use to the British.
In March of 1778, Captain Barry captured the British
schooner Alert of 20 guns, and two ships loaded with supplies
for the British Army using a fleet of small boats.
Taking command of Raleigh, 32 guns, he sailed from Boston
in September 1778, and two days later was chased and attacked
by three of Royal Navy vessels. After a nine hour running
battle, he ran Raleigh ashore on an island near the mouth of
Penobscot Bay in what is now known as Maine, but was foiled
by a turncoat crewman and unable to completely destroy
Raleigh. He escaped to the mainland with most of his crew. He
then assumed command of the privateer Delaware, 10 guns.
In November of 1780, Barry was ordered to command Alliance,
32 guns, and took John Laurens, Special Commissioner, to
France. Alliance would be his most famous command. To and
from France, he captured the British Privateers Alert, 12
guns; Mars, 26 guns; and Minerva, 10 guns.
In May of 1781, Barry engaged the British sloops-of-war,
Atlanta, 20 guns, and Trepassy, 14 guns. This was to be
Barry's most famous engagement. Barry conducted a relentless
defense from the quarterdeck until a projectile of langridge
(broken nails and metal fragments) or canister (small
spherical projectiles) struck him in the left shoulder. He
remained on deck bleeding from many wounds until losing
consciousness. He was carried below to the cockpit for
medical care by the ship's surgeon.
As the battle increased in intensity, Alliance's colors
were shot away. Barry's second in command, appeared before
him as his wounds were being dressed.
I asked you to bear with me. 18th Century dialogue sound
wooden and strangely formal to the 21st Century.
Barry's second in command stated, ``I have to report the
ship in frightful condition, Sir. The rigging is much cut,
damage everywhere great, many men killed and wounded, and we
labor under great disadvantage for want of wind. Have I
permission to strike our colors?''
Barry replied angrily.
``No Sir, the thunder! If this ship cannot be fought
without me, I will be brought on deck; to your duty, Sir.'' A
new flag was raised using the mizzenbrail for a halyard, and
the fight continued. Just as they reached the deck, a gust of
wind filled Alliance's sails. Replying to her helm, the
battered Alliance swung about and the officers and crew
pressed their new advantage to victory.
He continued in command of Alliance, taking numerous prizes
in 1782.
In 1783, John Barry fought the last Continental Navy
engagement of the Revolutionary War against the British man-
of-war Sybylle, 28 guns. Though the ship surrendered to him
he was obliged to abandon it to escape from the rest of the
squadron of which Sybylle was a part. At the time, Barry was
convoying Duc de Lauzane, carrying money and supplies from
the West Indies to the Colonies. His defense enabled Duc de
Lauzane to escape and reach the Colonies.
After the close of Revolutionary War, Captain Barry
returned to the merchant marine.
Upon reorganization of the Navy, in June of 1794, Captain
Barry was appointed No. 1 on the list of Captains and his
commission was signed by George Washington. As senior
captain, this status entitled him to the positional title of
``commodore'' in any group of US Navy ships. The US Navy
would have no admirals until the Civil War. The title
``admiral'' was thought to be to aristocratic and
undemocratic. The army could have generals, but the navy
would have only commodores.
Barry was ordered to superintend the building of the
frigate United States, 44 guns, and to command her when
finished. He fought in the Quasi-War with France, 1798-1801,
capturing a number of French vessels in the West Indies. By
the direction of the Navy Department he brought United States
to Washington, where she was laid up. This ended Barry's
active service.
He was employed in testing cannon for the Government 1801-
1802, and was selected to command the Mediterranean Squadron,
but was too ill to take the duty. He died at his country
residence near Philadelphia.
Commodore Barry was indeed the Father of the United States
Navy, he was there at the beginning and he stayed the course
through two wars. He set the example and what an example it
was. He was courageous, tenacious, and versatile.
Full Circle
Let's take one last look at this First Navy Jack. We have
come full circle.
On July 7, 1779, as you left Southport Harbor and looked
over your port beam (or larboard beam as Commodore Barry
would have known it), you would seen the smoke from the
British punitive raid on Fairfield. On September 11, 2001, as
you left Southport Harbor and looked over your starboard
beam, you would see the smoke from the burning towers of the
World Trade Center. Here we are in the Southport section of
Fairfield, a crossroads of history and yet even here in
Fairfield we failed to give due deference to history. The
Fairfield School system willfully fails to observe Veterans
Day, for example, as a holiday.
We are at war, but have we learned from history? It is all
to easy to put the present war aside and go about our
business. Let someone else address the problem. Perhaps
another John Barry will turn up, or perhaps it doesn't
matter.
We need more John Barrys, men of bravery and determination,
we can never have enough.
Barry knew there were things worse than war and his life
was determined by that knowledge. He knew there were things
far worse than war. Do we? He acknowledged that there were
objectives that war could accomplish, do we?
Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY)
