BY PROFESSOR J. RUSSELL SOLEY, U. S. N.
T he first active naval operations of the war werethose on the Potomac River , in May andJune, 1861. At this time the larger vessels of thenavy were engaged in setting on foot the blockadeof tlie coast, in pursuance of the President’s proc-lamations of April 19th and 27th. The Niagara,Minnesota, Roanoke, and Susquehanna on the Atlan-tic coast, under Flag-Officer Silas II. Stringham, andthe Colorado, Mississippi, I’owhatan, and Brooklyn in the Gulf, under Flag-Officer William Mervine,took the initial steps to render the blockade effec-tive. Smaller vessels were sent to the blockadingstations as rapidly as they could be prepared.
The Potomac River , although officially within thelimits of the Atlantic Squadron, became early inthe war a nearly independent command, owing toits distance from the flag-ship, and its nearness toWashington. In May the Potomac flotilla was or-ganized, under Commander James H. Ward. Itwas originally composed of the small side-wheelsteamer Thomas Freeborn, purchased, May 7tli, atNew York , and the tugs Anacoslia and Resolute, butwas considerably enlarged in the course of theyear. Its organization was closely connected withthe service of the Washington Navy Yard, andother vessels attached to the yard occasionally co-operated with it. Its movements were under thedirect supervision of the department.
In the early part of May, 1861, the Navy of theState of Virginia began the erection of batteries onthe Potomac , in order to close the navigation ofthe river to Federal vessels proceeding to and fromWashington . Works were thrown up under thedirection of Captain William F. Lynch , Com-mander Frederick Chatard, and other officers atAquia Creek, the terminus of the Richmond andFredericksburg Railroad, at Mathias Point, andlater at Quautico. A small steamer, the GeorgePage, cooperated with the forces on shore. Thebatteries were manned chiefly by infantry actingas artillerists. The first duty of the Potomac flo-tilla was to clear the Virginia banks of these ob-structions to navigation and open the river. Withthis object in view, the Freeborn, under CommanderWard, on the 31st of May, attacked the works atAquia Creek. The attack, which may be calledthe first naval engagement of the war, was ineffec-tual, the light guns of the Freeborn producing littleimpression. On the other hand, the necessity ofeconomizing ammunition led the Confederates toreserve their fire. On the next day, June 1st, theattack was repeated by the Freeborn, which hadmeantime been joined by the Pawnee, under Com-mander S. C. Rowan. The bombardment was con-tinued for five hours, but no casualties occurred oneither side. The railroad pier andits buildings wereset on fire and blown up by the Confederate forces,and both the batteries and the vessels receivedseveral shot, but no material injury was inflicted.
On the 27th of June, the Freeborn made an at-tack upon Mathias Point, where a considerable
force of Confederates was posted, although no bat-teries had as yet been erected. In this attackCommander Ward was assisted by two boats fromthe Pawnee, under Lieutenant Chaplin. A landingwas effected by the party, led by Commander Wardin person, and after some skirmishing the Confed-erate pickets were driven in; but upon the ap-proach of the main body of the enemy a retreat wasordered to the boats. Commander Ward returnedto the Freeborn, and directed her fire at the ad-vancing force, enabling Chaplin to make a secondlanding. Breastworks were rapidly thrown up, butthey were no sooner completed than the landingparty was ordered to return, Commander Wardhaving received a fatal gunshot wound whilesighting his bow-gun. Late in the afternoon,Lieutenant Chaplin, with great skill and coolness,embarked his men under a galling musketry fire.The only casualties in this somewhat rash under-taking were one killed and four wounded. Imme-diately after, the Confederates erected formidableworks at the Point.
Two days after Ward’s death, on the 20tli ofJune, the steamer St. Nicholas , a passenger vesselstill making regular trips between Baltimore andGeorgetown, was captured by a stratagem of theConfederates. A party of armed men, more or lessdisguised, under Colonel Thomas, went on boardas passengers at Baltimore , and were joined byCaptain George N. Hollins and others at PointLookout. As the St, Nicholas was on her way upthe Potomac , the Confederates threw off their dis-guise, and, overpowering the crew and passengers,took possession of the vessel. She subsequentlymade several prizes, and was burnt at Fredericks-burg in 1862.
Commander Thomas T. Craven succeeded Com-mander Ward in the command of the Potomac flo-tilla. The force was increased by the addition ofeight or ten vessels, but it was unable to dislodgethe Confederates from their positions, and althoughthe navigation of the river was not actually closedto armed vessels, a virtual blockade of Washington ,as far as the Potomac was concerned, was main-tained until March, 1862, when the Confederateforces retired to the line of the RappahannockRiver. The guns were then removed from the bat-teries, and the George Page was burnt.
During the remainder of the war, the Potomac flotilla, commanded successively by Commodore A.A. Harwood and Commanders R. H. Wyman andFoxhall A. Parker, was chiefly occupied in patrol-ling the river and the adjacent waters to insurethe safety of rvater communication from Washing-ton , and to prevent contraband trade betweenthe frontiers. It seconded the operations of thearmy at various points, and occasionally its ves-sels had smart brushes with the enemy, but itsprincipal occupation was that of a water-police, andits efforts w r ere mainly directed against illicit tradeand guerrilla warfare.