Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-06-28
ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT AT MATTHIAS
POINT.
Capt. Wa d, Of the FreebsrB, Commander
of the U. 8. Potomac FletIlla, Killed!


Capt. wa'd, Of the Freebsrp, Commander
Of the U. s. Potomac Flstilla, Killed!
The Pawnee arrived up 70 the Navy Yard at
Q a. m. to-day, bringing the dead body Of Capt.
Ward Of the Freedom, who was killed yester-
| day in an engagement with the Confederate
| troops at Matthias Point.
1t appears that the Freedom was OF the Point
accommodating, and discovered indications Of a
movement for the erection Of a battery at that
Point by the rebel soldiers encamped near there,
and on the night before last Capt. Ward sent up
to the Pawnee at Aqua Greek for Capt. Owens
to send him a reinforcement Of two boats crews
to assist In effecting landing. Two small cut
ter's crews were sent down 70 the Freedom, un.
der Lieut. Chaplain, and with them and a boats
crew from the Freedom, numbering from thirty
to forty men in all, Lieut. Chaplain yesterday
morning effected a landing, and succeeded In
driving in the rebel pickets.
Finding preparations for the erection Of a rebel
battery there II was determined to throw up breast
works and mount guns thereon to give the enemy
a warm reception should they attack the crews
Accordingly the men were set to work under
cover Of the Freeborn's guns at throwing up
sand bag breastwork, and succeeded In working
four hours and half, and got their works CON-
pleted about five in the evening They then
wentto the boats TO go on board for guns to mount
on the work, when just as they We're embar king
they were surprised by the rebels, estimated at
from one thousand to fifteen hundred strong,
who poured In a heavy and continuous fire Of
musketry upon them from the bushes near by.
Under cover of the guns of the Freeborn, the
crews preci pitately made for the steamer leaving
few Of the men on shore, the guns Of the Free
born meanwhile opening with activity and pre-
cision apparently upon the enemy, who were con-
cealed by the underbrush. Some ten she'll were
thrown among them, with what effect could not
be seen, owing to the position Of the enemy, as
above explained.
Captain Ward behaved with great GOODNESS,
standing by the guns and directing the fire.
When his gunner received wound In the thigh,
which disabled him, Capt. Ward immediately
took his place, and was sighting the gun when
he received a Minnie musket ball full In the
breast, which killed him almost instantly.
The men let on the shore by the boats in their
retreat, swan out to the Freeborn-one of the men
carrying on his back wounded comrade, named
Pess, who had four musket balls shot into him,
and Is thought to lie MORALLY wounded Jack
Williams, coxswain of the third cutter, received
flesh wound il the leg while waving the stars
and stripes, which he carried In his hand she
whole time, behaving most calamity under the
hottest kind of a lire. The American ensign.
which he never ceasd to wave, was pierced with
nineteen musket balls. Only three men of the
boats were wounded, and the only life lost was
that Of the gallant w ard, who, the moment the
enemy was discovered, blew the signal for the
crews to come aboard, and instantly opened on
the foe with his heavy guns.
While the crews were engaged on the breast
works, slave, belonging to DR.. Hcoe approached
the shore with white shirt on pole, and got
aboard the Freedom, and informed Capt Ward
| that the enemy were In the underbrush near by
one thousand strong. Sill the work was con.
tinued, and made ready, as the event has turned,
| for the rebels to occupy with guns which they
have probably mounted there ere this time
The body Of Capt Ward was placed on board
the I" Reliance" and conveye up to Aqua Creek
and transferred to the Pawnee. On the arrival of
the latter at the Navy Yard, several companies OF
| the Seventy First Regiment were ordered out to
receive toe remains, and escorted them to the yard
| engine house, (Which was draped with the habil-
inents OF mourning where they were laid out in
state, wrapped In the American ensign. The body
was followed to the engine house by the officers
OF Toe Pa"nee, the officers of the Yard, and the
boats crew which had participated in the engage.
ment, the band Of the Seventy-Flrst playing
solemn dirge. The remains will be conveyed to
New York this evening