d obliged him to
defend his occupancy of Charleston. General Clinton, on December 26,
1778, sailed from New York and a month later, delayed by storms, reached
Savannah, the base of his operations against Lincoln. This obliged
Congress to abandon its projected expedition against East Florida. So
Captain Barry's "extraordinary demands" or the jealousies of the
Southern naval officers were, by the course of events, set aside. The
aggressive movement of Sir Henry Clinton had frustrated the intended
invasion and so all the minor considerations involved therein.

But the high esteem in which Barry was held was proven by the
appointment to command the expedition and this, too, immediately after
the loss of the "Raleigh." His defense of the "Raleigh" was so bravely
performed that the appointment to the Southern expedition was given him
as the best testimonial of worth and of fidelity to duty. The loss of
the "Raleigh" and the abandonment of the invasion of East Florida left
Captain John Barry without an available Continental ship. But such a
brave and active seaman could not be listless nor idle while an
opportunity could be found or made for doing service for his country.
When the "Effingham" and other vessels were tied up in the Delaware,
Captain Barry became a landsman and did shore duty, leading a company of
volunteers in the Trenton and Princeton campaign.

Now that his country had no ship to give him to do duty for America, he
entered the service of his adopted State, Pennsylvania, and became "a
bold privateer" by becoming commander of the Letter-of-Marque, the brig
"Delaware," owned by Irwin & Co., of Philadelphia. His commission bears
date of February 15, 1779. It is in the Lenox Library, New York.

The "Delaware" was a new brig of 200 tons, built to replace the schooner
of the same name, which had been driven on the New Jersey shore and set
on fire to escape the British early on the morning of November 21, 1777,
when the State's Navy had passed up the Delaware River after the attack
on Fort Mifflin.

The new "Delaware" carried ten guns and forty-five men when
commissioned, but Captain Barry increased the force to twelve guns and
sixty men.

The day he was commissioned he stood sponsor and his wife a witness to
the baptism of Anna, daughter of Thomas, his brother, born on that
morning. On July 21st following, Captain Barry's wife, Sarah Austin
Barry, became a Catholic and was baptised, conditionally, Anna Barry,
w