THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY GABIG, JULY 20, 2009

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JULY 20, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Designating September 13, 2009, as "Commodore John Barry Day" in

Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Commodore John Barry was born at Ballysampson in

Tachumshin Parish, County Wexford, Ireland, in 1745 and

immigrated to Philadelphia at 15 years of age, finding

employment with a shipping firm where he prospered and became

master of several merchant vessels; and

WHEREAS, Commodore Barry's first command came in 1766 aboard

the schooner "Barbadoes" sailing out of Philadelphia, which he

adopted as his home port; and

WHEREAS, At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War,

Commodore Barry, like many of his fellow Irish Americans who

constituted nearly 40% of the continental forces, joined the

battle for American independence; and

WHEREAS, Upon the outbreak of war, the Continental Congress

commissioned Commodore Barry as Captain of the ship "Lexington,"

which on April 7, 1776, captured the British sloop "Edward," the

first war prize taken by the Americans; and

WHEREAS, On December 24, 1776, with his fleet unable to reach

open water, Commodore Barry left his ships behind to recruit a

company of volunteers with whom he rushed to the aid of General

George Washington on the banks of the Delaware River and

participated in the American victories at Princeton and Trenton;

and

WHEREAS, During the course of the American Revolutionary War,

Commodore Barry boldly and skillfully engaged and captured many

British vessels and was wounded in service to his country; and

WHEREAS, In 1781, the Catholic Citizens of France sent to the

Americans the sum of $6 million, entrusting the safe transport

of those vital funds as well as clothing and munitions to

Commodore Barry aboard his ship "Resolute," which he

successfully delivered, enabling General Washington to sustain

his army through the critical showdown at Yorktown; and

WHEREAS, On March 10, 1783, Commodore Barry, commanding the

"Alliance," won the last sea battle of the Revolution when,

while escorting a shipment of vital funds, he engaged and

avoided capture by the British ship "Sybille"; and

WHEREAS, Commodore Barry was instrumental in the effort to

persuade the Pennsylvania General Assembly to ratify the

Constitution of the United States, providing observers with a

compelling example of persuasive lobbying; and

WHEREAS, After the American Revolutionary War and the

dissolution of the Continental Navy, Commodore Barry reentered

the maritime trade, helping to open commerce with China and the

Orient; and

WHEREAS, Commodore Barry was socially active as a member of

the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Hibernian Fire Company,

the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Order of the Cincinnati,

the military brotherhood of officers of the Continental Army,

Navy and Marines; and

WHEREAS, Under President Washington's guidance, the Navy was

revived as a permanent entity, and on February 22, 1797,

President Washington conferred Commission Number One in the Navy

upon John Barry, designating him Commanding Officer of the

United States Navy with the rank of Commodore, the first in the

United States Navy; and

WHEREAS, Commodore Barry is generally recognized as the

Father of the United States Navy, a title bestowed upon him by

his contemporaries; and

WHEREAS, Commodore Barry's last day of active duty came on

March 6, 1801, and he remained head of the Navy until his death

on September 13, 1803; and

WHEREAS, Commodore Barry was given a full military burial in

Philadelphia's Old St. Mary's Churchyard; and

WHEREAS, The death of Commodore Barry was mourned by the

entire nation, and monuments honoring him have subsequently been

raised in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, New York, Boston and

Wexford, Ireland; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the

significance of the legacy of Commodore John Barry and his

monumental role in the American Revolutionary War that allowed

this nation to be founded on the principles of freedom and

opportunity for all people; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate

September 13, 2009, as "Commodore John Barry Day" in

Pennsylvania.