“Three of the O’Briens, Jeremiah, John and William, continued in the naval service of the republic until the close of the war. Jeremiah was appointed to the command of _The Liberty_, and his brother William served under him as lieutenant. ‘For two years this vessel and another did good service on the northern coast, affording protection to American navigation, after which they were laid up.’ Jeremiah, with others, then fitted out a twenty-gun letter-of-marque, called the _Hannibal_, manned by one hundred and thirty men. “She took several prizes; but at length falling in with two British frigates, she was overhauled after a chase of forty-eight hours and captured. O’Brien was first confined in the _Jersey_ prison-ship, otherwise known as the _Hell_, at the Wallabout, where the Brooklyn navy yard now is. At the end of about six months he was sent to Mill prison, England, whence he succeeded in effecting his escape about a year later. He retired after the war to Brunswick, Me., where, at the age of over fourscore, he furnished the details of his brave achievements to a generation which had shamefully forgotten him and them. “John O’Brien was more fortunate than his gallant brother. From a journal kept by him the following extracts are taken: On June 9, 1779, he sailed in the armed schooner _Hibernia_. On June 21, he took an English brig and sent her in. On June 25, he had an engagement with a ship of seventeen guns, from three till five o’clock p. m., when a frigate came up and the _Hibernia_ was compelled to leave her anticipated prize and was pursued by the frigate till midnight. O’Brien had three men killed and several wounded in this fight. On July 7 he took a schooner, and sent her to Newburyport. On the day following, in company with Captain Leach of Salem, he took a ship carrying thirteen four-pounders; a few hours after, a brig; and then a schooner laden with molasses. On July 11, he took a brig in ballast, and then chased and captured another. He adds that if he and Captain Leach had not parted in a fog they could have taken the whole fleet. Capt. John O’Brien was never captured by the enemy. No trace is found after the capture of the _Hannibal_, of Lieut. William O’Brien. He was most probably among the 11,000 victims of British cruelty, whose corpses were buried, or flung on the shores of the Wallabout.” [Illustration: JOHN BARRY. Distinguished naval officer; born in Wexford County, Ireland, 1745. At the outbreak of the Revolution he abandoned “the finest ship and the finest employ in America” to enter the service of the republic; was appointed by Congress, in 1776, to prepare for sea a fleet which sailed from Philadelphia, Pa.; rendered brilliant service while commanding successively the U. S. S. Lexington, the U. S. S. Raleigh, and the U. S. S. Alliance; was publicly thanked by Washington; became senior officer of the navy; died at Philadelphia, 1803. ]