Commodore John Barry

On February 22, 1797, at the Presidential Mansion in Philadelphia, President George Washington formally presented Irish-born John Barry with Commission Number One in the newly formed United States Navy, backdated to June 7, 1794, reaffirming his trust in Barry's leadership to establish the Navy under the Constitution. Barry directed the construction of the Navy's first frigate, USS United States, commanded it, trained many of the Navy's first officers, and later commanded a naval squadron as Commodore. In 2005 Congress recognized him as the first flag officer of the Navy, and he served as the first uniformed head of the Navy under Presidents George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson until his death in 1803. Born in 1745 in County Wexford, Ireland, Barry went to sea at age 9 and immigrated to Philadelphia at age 15. During the Revolution, he accepted a captain's commission in the Continental Navy on March 14, 1776, took command of the brig Lexington, won one of the first American victories at sea by capturing the English tender Edward on April 7, 1776, and in all captured 20 English ships that generated over $3 million at auction for the Continental Congress. Commanding the Alliance in May 1781, though seriously wounded, he returned to the deck and rallied his sailors to victory by capturing two English ships near Nova Scotia, and in March 1783 he won the last sea battle of the war near Cape Canaveral, Florida. At Valley Forge he fought with the Continental Army as aide to Colonel John Calwalader with his brigade of Pennsylvania Associators and a contingent of Continental Marines, where he helped rally the troops with General Washington to secure victory at the 1777 Battle of Princeton. After the war, Barry served as a merchant marine captain, led an important inaugural trade voyage to China, and in 1794 accepted President Washington's appointment as the first commissioned naval officer under the United States Constitution. His life was presented as reflecting the ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty: Admiral Lord Howe offered him a bribe of 15,000 guineas in gold and a captain's commission in the Royal Navy to desert his country, but Barry refused, declaring that he had devoted himself to the cause of his country. After a lifetime of service, he died at his home in Philadelphia on September 3, 1803, at age 58, and was buried in Philadelphia's Old Saint Mary's Catholic Churchyard.

Naval Academy, Maryland · United States