A Presentation Sword Awarded to Commodore Joshua Barney

Museum Collections and Operations Manager Paul Newman discusses a presentation sword awarded to Commodore Joshua Barney (1759-1818) by the city of Washington, D.C., for his service at the Battle of Bladensburg, fought on August 24, 1814. Barney, who was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati, commanded sailors, marines and militiamen in a spirited fight on that summer’s day north-east of the nation’s capital in the face of overwhelming British numerical superiority. This Lunch Bite focuses on both the sword and the life of Joshua Barney while paying particular attention to his role in the Washington, D.C., campaign of the War of 1812.