"The cannons roar from shore to shore,
The small arms make a rattle;
Since war's began, I'm sure no man
E'er saw so strange a battle."
The Loyalists, however, considered the battle as "a most astonishing instance of the activity, bravery and military skill of the Royal Navy of Great Britain. Officers and men exhibited the most unparalleled skill and bravery on the occasion, while the citizens stood as solemn witness of their prowess."
This occurred on Monday, January 5, 1778, a day ever distinguished in history for the memorable "Battle of the Kegs."
CHAPTER VI.
Barry Attacks the British Supply Ships below Philadelphia—Captures Three—Sends Supplies to Washington at Valley Forge—Thanks of Washington—Was Barry Offered a British Command?
The expedition assigned to Captain Barry which he came near being deprived of by Congress was a cruise in the Delaware River. The Marine Committee, not being directed not to employ Barry, on January 29, 1778, directed him to fit out the pinnace and barges belonging to the frigates for "a cruise in said river under your command." He was empowered to "receive stores and employ such Continental Navy officers and call the number of men necessary for officering, manning, victualing and equipping the boats." He was directed to have frequent occasion to land on each side of the Delaware and to restrain his men from plundering or insulting the inhabitants. The Navy Board was directed to supply "everything necessary for your little fleet" and money to procure supplies. He was directed to inform General Washington of such stores as he might capture which are necessary for the use of the army. He was to sink or destroy the vessels which he could not remove to safety. His "despatch, activity, prudence and valor," were relied on to bring success. If Barry's project to destroy British shipping by explosive machines did not succeed, another form of endeavor dependent more upon skill and bravery would accomplish results as satisfactory as had been hoped for by the floating "score of kegs or more that came floating down the tide."
The Supreme Executive Committee of Pennsylvania, then at Lancaster, on February 7, 1778, notified the Navy Board, then at Burlington, New Jersey, that "a spirit of enterprise to annoy the enemy in the river below Philadelphia had discovered itself in Captain Barry and other officers of the Continental Navy, which promised considerable advantage to the adventurous as well as to the public."
The Council had waited to find Captain Barry's example inducing the officers and men of the State fleet to engage in the enterprise—of taking all they could get from the enemy, so that any benefit arising from the plan should accrue to those who signalized themselves in the time of danger. So Captain Barry during the night, with four rowboats with twenty-seven men, started from Burlington and succeeded in passing Philadelphia undiscovered and so unmolested by the British. Barry was acting under orders of General Anthony Wayne, a fellow-member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, who sent a detachment from Washington's army to aid in the enterprise. After passing Philadelphia, Barry began the destructive work of destroying forage. On February 26, 1778, he arrived off Port Penn and from there, that day, wrote General Washington at Valley Forge that he had "destroyed the forage from Mantua Creek to this place," amounting to four hundred tons. He would have proceeded further but "a number of the enemy's boats appeared and lined the Jersey shore, depriving us of the opportunity of proceeding on the same purpose." Barry discharged all but four of Washington's men, whom he kept to assist in getting the boats away, as his men were rendered incapable through fatigue.
On March 7, 1778, off Bombay Hook, Barry with twenty-seven men in five rowboats captured the "Mermaid" and the "Kitty," transports from Rhode Island, laden with supplies for the British. He stripped the vessels and sent the supplies northward through New Jersey and burned the vessels. The "Alert," a British schooner with eight four-pounders, twelve four-pound howitzers and thirty-three men properly equipped for an armed vessel, came in sight while Barry was engaged in the encounter with the supply vessels. Barry sent a flag to Captain Morse, of the "Alert," demanding a surrender, promising that the officers would be allowed their private baggage, whereupon the "Alert" was "delivered up" to Captain Barry, who granted parole to the Captain to go to Philadelphia for a fortnight. "The schooner is a most excellent vessel for our purpose," wrote Captain Barry to General Washington two days later, when sending him a "cheese and a jar of pickled oysters" from the store of wines and luxuries intended for General Howe's table. He also sent a plan of New York "which may be of service," which he had taken on the "Alert."