USRC Commodore Barry facts for kids

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The USRC Commodore Barry was a ship bought by the US Revenue Cutter Service in 1812. This was just before the War of 1812 started. The British captured her in August of that same year. For a short time in November, she worked as a privateer ship. She sailed from Saint John, New Brunswick and was called Brunswicker. After that, she was stored away and later sold in 1815.

Contents

• The Ship: Commodore Barry
• Captured by the British Navy
• Brunswicker: A New Name
• The Ship's Final Days

The Ship: Commodore Barry

The United States government bought this schooner ship. They paid $4100 for her on March 20, 1812. The ship was bought from Stephen Mitchell in Sag Harbor, New York.

A man named Daniel Elliot became the master of a revenue cutter. He brought the ship to eastern Maine. The schooner was based at Eastport, in Passamaquoddy Bay. Her job was to stop smuggling in the area.

Captured by the British Navy

On August 3, 1812, the British ships Maidstone and Spartan captured Commodore Barry. This happened in the Little River, Bay of Fundy. They also captured three other privateer schooners. These were named Madison, Olive, and Spence (or Spruce). Each of these schooners had two guns.

Before the British took the ships, many American sailors escaped. They ran to shore where they had set up cannons from their ships. The Americans fought back and caused some injuries to the British. But then they had to run away. Some men from Commodore Barry were captured. They became prisoners of war until June 1813. The crew of the British ship Spartan later received money for capturing Commodore Barry.

Brunswicker: A New Name

In November, officials in Saint John, New Brunswick bought the Commodore Barry. They wanted her to protect them from American privateer ships. By this time, the ship had been changed into a sloop. It is not clear when this change happened.

On November 19, she sailed with another ship, the 4-gun schooner HMS Bream. Together, they chased four American privateers out of Passamaquoddy Bay. For this trip, Brunswicker had 20 volunteers from Saint John as her crew.

The officials stored the sloop away on November 24. But she sailed again in the spring of 1813. It seems the ship was very expensive to run. Also, the Royal Navy was becoming very strong in the area by 1813. So, Brunswicker's services were no longer needed.

The Ship's Final Days

The officials in Saint John sold Brunswicker at an auction. This happened on July 4, 1815. She was sold for £730. The ship had been held by the authorities for 770 days before being sold.

History
United States
Name	USRC Commodore Barry
Namesake	Commodore John Barry
Operator	US Revenue Marine
Acquired	20 March 1812 by purchase
Captured	3 August 1812
New Brunswick
Name	Brunswicker
Operator	Province of New Brunswick
Acquired	c. November 1812
Fate	Sold 1815
General characteristics
Tons burthen	98 (bm)
Armament	6 guns, though pierced for 10.