John Barry

“ On April 11, 1783, Congress, by Proclamation, ordered the "cessation of arms as well by sea as by land." But, one month prior, Captain John Barry had the final encounter on the ocean in defense of the Liberty and Independence of the United States. He had thus commanded the first Continental cruiser, the "Lexington" and also commanded the last Continental frigate, the "Alliance"; bringing to Congress the first prize brought to Philadelphia and defending and saving the last Continental war money brought to the country on the last armed vessel of the new Nation. ”

“ Two days later, while Douglas Briggs was smoking his after-dinner cigar in the library and chatting with Fanny Wallace, whose presence in the house greatly relieved the embarrassment of his strained relations with his wife, Michael entered and announced Mr. Farley. “There are two gentlemen with him, sir,” said Michael, “Mr. De Witt and Mr. Saunders.”
Briggs flushed. “Ah!” he said, as if the callers had suddenly assumed importance in his eyes. ”

“ The only known portraits of Barry represent him [340] as Timon and Macheath. They were taken before he entered upon his last ten years, in London;—years of gradual, noble, but irresistible decay. Like Betterton, Barry suffered excruciatingly from attacks of gout; but, like Betterton, and John Kemble in this respect resembled them both,—he performed in defiance of physical pain: mind triumphing over matter.
On the 8th of October 1776, he played Jaffier to the Pierre of Aikin, and the Belvidera of his wife. ”

“ Had the voyage to Amsterdam been made, Barry would have stopped at London. Robert Morris gave him a (July 24, 1783) letter of introduction to Messrs. Bewickes & Mourgue of that city stating that: "He has proved himself a brave and deserving officer in the service of his country and a worthy man in every station of life." (Crimmin's Autographs.) He also had a letter from John Paul Jones to friends in Paris.
In pursuance of the Act, Robert Morris, Agent of Marine, appointed as surveyors Captains John Barry and Thomas Read and Messrs. ”

“ Then she glanced at Guy. “Do you suppose he’ll be like that when he’s forty?”
“I’ve had a list of guests prepared for the newspaper people,” said Guy to Douglas Briggs. He liked to ignore Fanny’s jokes when they reflected on his personal appearance. “It’ll save a lot of time. And I’ve arranged to have them take supper in a room by themselves. They’ll like that better.”
Briggs, however, had turned to the servant, who had just come into the room. “Take the men up to the big room over the front door, Michael. That’ll be the best place,” he went on, to his wife. ”

“ On the night of the election Farley stood at the telephone in Douglas Briggs’s library. “Oh, hello! hello!” he called. “Yes, this is Mr. Briggs’s house. Yes, Congressman Briggs. What?” He glanced at Guy, who sat at the table in the centre of the room. “They’ve shut me off!” he said, disgusted. He rang impatiently. Then he rang again. “Hello! Is this Central? Well, I want Central. Who are you? No, I rang off long ago. Well then, ring off, can’t you?” He turned toward Guy. “Damn that girl!” Then an exclamation in the telephone caused him to say, hastily, “Oh, excuse me.” He smiled at Guy. ”

“ John Jerome Rooney, who will read a poem which he has composed and dedicated to our Society.
Mr. John Jerome Rooney: Mr. President, “Ballad of Saucy 101Jack Barry.” The incident which is the subject of these lines is one of the picturesque incidents in the life of John Barry, the father of the American Navy.
The incident occurred in the winter of 1778, February 26, and the scene was the Delaware River. The British were occupying Philadelphia at the time, and a British fleet was anchored in the Delaware, opposite the city of Philadelphia. ”

“ Briggs had taken his seat at the desk and had begun to work again. “Never mind,” he said. “It’ll keep. The drive’ll do you good.”
Guy hesitated between pleasure and duty. “Oh, well,” he said, glancing from his employer to his employer’s niece.
“You come with us, auntie,” Fanny urged, with an air that made Guy’s coming inevitable.
“No, I mustn’t,” Helen replied, decidedly. “I have too much to do this morning.”
As Fanny turned to the door Michael entered. “Mr. Burrell’s in the library, sir,” he said to Douglas Briggs. “He didn’t want to disturb you till he was sure you weren’t busy. ”

“ John Barry’s attachment to me. He left me when I lived at Nacton, and came out here among the earliest free settlers in the country, and has prospered beyond his utmost anticipations. He found me out here by accidental inquiries of my dear Mrs. Palmer, and obtained for me my free pardon. My wishes to return again to my native land became absorbed in the sense of duty and obligation to my benefactor, who, when he had obtained that pardon, gave me the option of sharing my life and freedom with him, or of being independent here or elsewhere. Noble [Pg 409] generosity! Does it not win your heart? ”

“ Michael tapped on the door and entered with the soft step of one bearing important news. “A boy just come in with this telegram, sir.”
“Open it, Guy,” said Briggs.
Guy tore the envelope. “These are the figures [Pg 330] Farley gave me,” he said. He passed the telegram to Briggs.
“It’s all up with me!” said Briggs, just as Helen appeared.
“But they haven’t heard yet from the Nineteenth District,” Guy interposed. “We can count on a two-hundred majority there.”
“No; West has spent more money there than anywhere else. I shall be surprised if—” Briggs stopped at the sound of the telephone bell. ”

“ With her fine sense of character, a sense he had never known to err except with regard to himself, she must long ago have learned to appreciate the journalist’s character. Briggs wondered if she suspected that he was trying to use Farley. Once the thought made him boldly accuse himself. But he found a vindication in the thought that he was fighting his way against odds toward an honorable goal. Once elected to Congress, he would do everything in his power to atone for the wrong he had done. His future life would be not merely an expiation, but a vindication. ”

“ Then, as he somewhat nervously, after the long absence, eyes the white bobbing disc in the binnacle, and squints aloft at the dark piles of canvas, it suddenly bursts upon him. Whilst he has been asleep the wind has shifted into the west. It blows now as if it meant to stay there. They are bound round Cape Horn after all.
‘Mind your hellum, you booby,’ roars the mate, just [285] come on deck. ‘Where are you going to with the ship—back to Adelaide? I’ll keep an eye on you, my lad,’ lurching aft, and glancing first at Jack’s face and then at the compass. ”

“ Briggs,” the old lady broke out, “I knew a talk with you would make my husband feel right. He’s been groanin’ all Summer because he couldn’t get at you. He ain’t no hand at writin’ letters, an’ I jest wouldn’t let him go down to Washington while the weather was so hot. It was bad enough down to Auburn, though, as I tell everybody at home, no matter how hot it is, there’s always a cool spot in our house. You see, I keep the house closed all day long jest so’s the heat can’t get in.” Mrs. Burrell began to laugh. “Father often takes his paper an’ goes down cellar. ”

“ Miss Wing and Miss Moore rose and walked to the farthest corner of the conservatory. By some physical expression they seemed to wish to indicate that a marked difference existed between themselves and the shabby, careworn little figure in black.
Mrs. McShane looked relieved. Her face brightened. “It’s a beautiful reception, isn’t it?” she said to Farley, in an awe-stricken voice.
Farley looked vaguely about the room, as if making an estimate. “Yes,” he said, slowly. “It must have cost Briggs a tidy bit of money.” ”

“ She followed him into the hall. When he entered the drawing-room he closed the door behind him. West was standing in front of the mantel; he wore a long frock coat, and a pair of yellow gloves hung from one hand. On seeing Briggs he came forward, smiling, and offering his hand.
“Glad to catch you in,” he said. “I came over in a tremendous hurry. I——”
He stopped. Briggs stood in front of him, looking him sharply in the face, with hands clasped behind his back.
“West!”
Franklin West let his hand drop. His eyes showed astonishment. “What’s the matter?” he gasped. ”

“ You can’t. You women never can.”
She dried her eyes and was about to leave the room. “Since you are determined not to have him here,” her husband remarked, with a resumption of reproach in his tone, “I’ll not ask him to stay. I’ll offer some excuse.”
During the rest of the day they did not refer to West again. The next morning Briggs looked for a letter from him from Boston, but none came. Two days later he received a brief note that West had dictated to his stenographer in Washington. Pressing business had called him home; he had not even stopped over in New York. ”

“ He says he ain’t nothin’ but a tricky politician. I s’pose the truth is, he feels kind of too stuck up to get down to every-day business.”
They all laughed, and Mrs. Burrell exclaimed: “Well, stuck up is about the last thing I’d ever think of you, Mr. Briggs. Now if you’d ’a’ said that about some of those other politicians we used to see down to Washington, Alpheus!”
Mrs. Burrell looked from her husband to her hostess, and then at Douglas Briggs. “Well, if you two men have finished your business, I s’pose we’ve got to go.” She turned appealingly to Helen, as if hoping to be urged to stay. ”

“ Barry also sent up to Philadelphia the war stores he captured. On June 12, 1776, the Secret Committee of Congress directed that Colonel Megraw's Battalion be given the 191 firearms "sent up by Captain Barry." She narrowly escaped capture by the "Liverpool," but two of the Continental vessels protected her and a French schooner. Other French vessels from the West Indies, bringing molasses, coffee, linen and other supplies were also saved from capture by Captain Barry and the other Continental and Provincial commanders under his authority. ”

“ He’s nearly dead. He’s been rushing it without a break since the campaign opened. Seven speeches last night! Think of that! Eh? No, we don’t propose to deny the story. We’ve had a string of reporters here all day long, and we’ve steered them all off. They haven’t even seen Briggs.” He burst out laughing. Then he suddenly became serious. “All right. That’s the [Pg 295] way to talk to ’em. Call me up if you get anything important.”
“What story?” Guy asked, when Farley had rung off.
“That nasty lie published in the Chronicle this morning,” Farley replied, dropping into a big chair near the desk. ”

“ Why don't you let people alone? They'd be a good deal happier, and so would you. Her husband probably likes to have her do it."
"Well, I shall go to see her anyway," Mrs. Tate cried with determination. "Then I can find out all about her for myself."
For the next three weeks Mrs. Tate was absorbed by various duties in connection with her charitable societies. One morning, however, she suddenly realized that she had [pg 202] neglected to comply with Father Dumény's request, and she resolved to put off her other engagements for the afternoon and call at once on the acrobat ”

“ Is it to come before the New York courts?”
The old man nodded. “Those New York men have infringed on my patents, confound ’em! Mrs. Briggs, there ain’t anybody else I’d trust as I do your husband. He’s been a brick to me ever since I come here. He’s the only one of the big fellows in Congress that’s taken any notice of me, an’ I guess I appreciate it. An’ the girls, they think you’re just perfect.”
“I’m only sorry I couldn’t do more for you, Mr. Burrell,” said Helen, with a smile.
Mrs. Burrell led the way toward the staircase, the others following, with the exception of Carrie Cora. ”

“ Thank the Lord we ain’t goin’ round the Horn! I wonder if he knowed me? He’s the mate. An’ Bill was right; he is a Horse. Damn deep water!’
‘Now then, fore-top, there, shift your pins or I’ll haze you,’ came up in a bellow from the deck, making poor [284] Jack jump again as he stared ruefully down at the fierce upturned face, its red beard forking out like a new swab.
‘Thank the Lord, we ain’t goin’ round the Horn!’ said Jack Ashby, as, with tremulous fingers, he loosened the gaskets and let the stiff folds of canvas fall, and sang out to sheet home. ”

“ Captain Barry gave no answer but continued on his way, beating up with tide and flood and wind, when a gun was fired from the frigate and a boat, manned, left her and came towards the "Delaware." Captain Barry directed that the officers of 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 to be cast off, which, however, was not done. Captain Barry asked whether they were sent to take command of his vessel. ”

“ Barry, concerning whose origin nothing is known, except that he was of gentle birth and Irish extraction, is supposed to have died soon after the production of his play. The sole evidence in favour of this is that a promise made in his preface that if ‘Ram Alley’ met with public approval, he would ‘never cease his brain to toil’ until he had produced
Conceits so new, so harmless free,
That Puritans themselves may see,
is not known to have been kept. ”

“ A shriveled little man with thin white hair and beardless, wrinkled face, enlivened by a pair of keen eyes, walked loosely behind.
Fanny nodded to the girls and rose from her seat. The Frenchman greeted her with an elaborate bow. Guy looked uncomfortable, but Fanny did not try to relieve his embarrassment [Pg 108] by introducing him. It was Mrs. Burrell who broke the silence.
“Ain’t it fine here to-night?” she said. “Well, Washington’s a wonderful place! Here’s Emeline’s been speakin’ French to Musseer de Lange on one side, and Gladys has been talking German to—” She looked round at the girls. ”