The tenders of the "Roebuck," the "Liverpool" and the "Kingfisher" attempted to seize the cattle and stock which the Tories had stored for the British at Indian River, "but were prevented by Barry's brig," as they called her, thus indicating that the alertness and success of the "brave Captain Barry" had become conspicuously known to the Tories of lower Delaware, a nest of Loyalists.
The brig "Nancy" bringing supplies from St. Croix and St. Thomas for Congress account and having 386 barrels of gunpowder, 50 firelocks, 101 hogsheads of rum, 62 of sugar and bales of dry goods, on June 29, 1776, while making for Cape May, was pursued by six British men-of-war but, getting assistance from Captain Barry's "Lexington," she was run ashore and 268 barrels of the powder and most of the other stores saved. Powder was, by Barry's order, placed in the cabin and in the mainsail, in the folds of which fire was put. The British boarded the brig. An explosion soon took place and "blew the pirates into the air." It "was supposed forty or fifty were destroyed by the explosion."
On July 2, 1776, the day the Resolution declared the Colonies free and independent, John Hancock, President of the Congress so declaring, notified Captain Barry that as "the frigate you are to command is not yet launched, her guns and anchors not yet ready," it was but "a piece of justice due to your merit to allow you to make a cruise in the 'Lexington' for one or two months, in hopes that fortune may favor your industry and reward it with some good prizes." On this cruise Barry met that "fortune" which his industry merited. He captured several prizes of which record have been discovered.
SIGNATURES TO BARRY'S ORDERS
On August 2d the "Lady Susan," "an armed vessel, was taken by Captain Barry at sea," reported Cæsar Rodney to his brother at Dover the next day. This was "a privateer of eight four-pound carriage guns commanded by another of those famous Goodriches of Virginia." She was loaded with naval stores from Bermuda. After an "obstinate engagement" of an hour and a half "she struck." Nearly all of her crew of twenty-five after their capture took service under Barry.
The "Betsy," a sloop of fifty tons, commanded by Samuel Kerr, was also at this time captured by the "Lexington" under Barry. Both prizes were condemned to Captain Barry on September 26th by the Court of Admiralty, but an appeal in the case of the "Betsy" was taken to Congress.
The newly built "Effingham" being ready, Captain Barry surrendered, on October 18, 1776, the "Lexington" to Captain Henry Johnston and took command of the "Effingham," named in honor of Lord Effingham, who had resigned his commission in the British Army rather than take arms against the Colonies, because of his "strict adherence to those principles of the Revolution of 1688," which he declared the Colonies were contending for and for so doing the merchants of Dublin, on July 17, 1775, approved of his conduct in "honestly and spiritedly resigning," and for his "noble efforts in support of American Liberty."