In 1792, Barré de Saint-Leu, then a Lieutenant, served in Terre-Neuve station under Pierre César Charles de Sercey, commanding the aviso Impatient which ferried Pouget, an official of Saint Domingue, from Le Havre, and cruised off Saint-Pierre et Miquelon before returning to Rochefort and Nantes.
He transported military furniture from Alexandria to Jaffa, and ferried General Jean Reynier.
Later, he was appointed to a squadron under Admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée, which also comprised Junon, Courageuse, Salamine, and Alerte.
[10] On 10 July 1801, Barré took over command of the French forces in San Domingo, replacing Latouche-Tréville who had returned to France, sick, and presided until their surrender, in consequence of the Blockade of Saint-Domingue.
[12] In 1812, he commanded the French forces of the Adriatic,[13] which fought at the Battle of Pirano, where his 74-gun Rivoli was captured after a fierce fight.