BARRY, JOHN an Irish-American naval officer, was born in Tacumshane, Co. Wexford, Ireland, in He went to sea as a boy and thus got to Philadelphia. He eventually became master of a vessel there and acquired a fortune. When the Revolution began he volunteered for service and was put in command of the "Lexington." With this ship in 1776, he captured the "Edward"—the first British naval vessel taken by the Americans. Then he commanded the "Effingham" and, for a time, served in the land forces at Trenton. During this period he took one British ship, but lost the "Effingham" and, in 1778, the "Raleigh" also. In 1781 he took Col. Lauren's mission to France in the "Alliance" and later, with the same ship, captured the "Trepassy" and the "Atalanta." He was wounded in this en gagement but made another voyage to France with Lafayette and Noailles. In 1794 he was appointed commodore and built and commanded the frigate "United States." He died in Philadelphia on Sept. 13, 1803.
See Barry's report of the capture of the "Edward" in the Penn sylvania Gazette of April 1 7, 1 776 ; J. Frost, Am. Naval Biog. (Phil., 1844) ; M. T. J. Griffin, The History of Commodore John Barry (Phil., 1897) ; ib., "John Barry and not Paul Jones the Founder of the Am. Navy" in Am. Cath. Hist. Soc. Res., new ser. I. (19os) pp. 214-219 ; Joseph Taggart, Biog. Sketches of eminent Am. Patriots (Kansas City, 1907) ; and W. B. Meany, Commodore John Barry, the Father of the Am. Navy (1911).