The Biographical Dictionary of America/Barron, James

​BARRON, James, naval officer, was born in Virginia in 1769. He began his career in the navy of his native state during the war of the revolution, entered the navy of the United States in 1798 as a lieutenant, and was promoted to a captaincy in the year following, for important services on board the United States, under Commodore Barry, to the command of which frigate he afterwards succeeded. After an active and useful service of nine years, during ​which he acquired a high reputation for courage and seamanship. He hoisted his flag on board of the Chesapeake, as commander of the Mediterranean squadron. The ship had been hurriedly fitted for sea, in anticipation of a war with France, its stores had been hastily trundled on board, and its men were wholly undisciplined: when just outside of Hampton roads, on June 22, 1807, Captain Barron encountered the British frigate Leopard, some ten miles east of Cape Henry. The Chesapeake was hailed by the Leopard and Captain Humphrey sent on board an officer with Admiral Berkeley’s instructions to search the frigate for deserters from the British navy. Commodore Barron refused to allow him to do so, and just eight minutes after the British officer left the Chesapeake with the commander’s response, the Leopard, being then less than two hundred feet distant, poured her whole broadside of solid shot and canister into the American frigate. The vessels were not, on the whole, unequally matched, but the Chesapeake, taken by surprise, was wholly unprepared to fight. Her deck was encumbered with lumber, the cables were not yet stowed away, four of the guns did not fit perfectly to their carriages, and only five of the powder horns used in priming the guns were filled. The Leopard followed up its advantage by discharging three full broadsides into the Chesapeake, by which three men were killed and eighteen wounded. At the end of fifteen minutes of unresisted massacre, the commander of the American vessel struck his flag, and, as it touched the taffrail, one gun was fired from the Chesapeake. An English officer then came aboard, and, mustering the ship’s company, picked out and carried off Ratford, a British sailor, together with three other deserters not included in Admiral Berkeley’s order to Captain Humphrey. Informed by Commodore Barron that the Chesapeake was his prize, Captain Humphrey declined to take possession, declaring that with the seizure of the deserters his duty had been accomplished. The Chesapeake returned to Norfolk, and Barron’s conduct was investigated by a naval court martial. The outcome of his long trial was a decision that he was blameless in every particular, except in failing to instantly prepare for action on reading Admiral Berkeley’s order. For this mistake, which his own orders from the secretary of the navy extenuated if they did not warrant, Barron was condemned to suspension for five years from the service without pay. Ever after returning to duty he was excluded from active sea service, principally through the influence of Commodore Decatur. Barron challenged him and in 1820 they met and Decatur was killed and Barron severely wounded. This unfortunate affair increased Barron’s unpopularity and the remainder of his life was passed in "waiting orders." He became senior officer of the navy in 1839, and died at Norfolk, Va., April 21, 1851.