distress of Valley Forge, ill-fed and scantily clothed.
Barry was destroying forage and capturing supplies. General Wayne was
operating around Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey
in a like endeavor.

"For boldness of design and dexterity of execution, Barry's operations
were not surpassed, if equaled, during the war," says Frost's _Naval
Biography_.

"The gallant action reflects great honor on Captain Barry, his officers
and crew," wrote William Ellery, one of Massachusetts' delegates in
Congress.

Colonel Laurens wrote his father telling of the deeds of Captain Barry,
"to whom great praise is due." Washington reported to Congress "with
great pleasure the success" of Captain Barry.

Captain Barry considered the Delaware Bay "the best place for meeting
with success where he could use his little squadron." On the upper
Delaware where the "Effingham," "Washington" and other Continental
vessels had been sunk, near Bordentown, by order of General Washington,
in April by his orders, also, the Pennsylvania Navy Board, directed that
the galleys, shallops and brigs be dismantled and sunk, shot buried and
stores lodged throughout New Jersey. All this after "a rather stubborn
insistance on the part of the officers" against so doing, just as
Captain Barry had protested. Later in the month Barry's "Effingham," the
"Washington" and other Continental vessels were raised "from the soft
bottom of the river," but on May 7, 1778, a British force, under Major
Maitland, was sent from Philadelphia and burned twenty-one or more
vessels and naval stores and destroyed all supplies.

At this time Captain Barry was in command of the squadron in the lower
Delaware River and in the Bay. By the destruction of the "Effingham" in
the upper Delaware he was without a command other than the temporary one
in which he was operating. Accordingly, on May 30, 1778, the Marine
Committee appointed him to the command of the frigate "Raleigh," then in
Boston Harbor. He was directed to "repair immediately to that place" to
take command. He succeeded Captain Thomas Thompson, who was charged with
having deserted the "Alfred" (Barry's old-time "Black Prince") in the
battle with the British frigates "Ariadne" and "Ceres," by which the
"Alfred" became captive.

Captain Barry proceeded to Boston and, taking command of the "Raleigh,"
refitted her for service and went to sea, stopping at Rhode Island,
where he received the orders of Marine Commit