Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-04-23

have been rather too exciting to he plea
SAINT. not to say unwholcsome, to have been
an inmate Of it at that time. If we were
a capitalist and DESTROYS of embarking in
the iron business we would forthwith buy
Matthias Point and erect foundry there
on. tor we are certain there is more iron
there laying around loose than within any
given square mile in Pennsylvania. Being
long point .iutting into the Potomac
river of course the Confederates never
dreamed of fortifying it, because it would
have been the easiest thing in the world
to have flanked their position, thereby
cutting off all retreat and ensuring their
capture. Capt. Ward was a tirin believer
in the existence of batteries at that place.
Every morning nearly he would lay off
! there for an hour or two in his steamer
! looking for these batteries and lombard
ing all the adjacent woods. Many is the
! day we have sat on the high hills of Brent
! land opposite Ga safe distance of six or
seven niles with spyglass in hand watch
| ing his man9uvers. We were like the
| fellow who followed Van Amburgh's
managere all over the world and when
Intercepted as to his reason. said he was
waiting to see the lion bite off the head of
the chap who went into his cage. He was
at last gratitied when this catastrophe
happaned at st. Petersburg. We felt
satisfied that if there was battery there
Capt. Ward would find il. SO we watched
him diligently for many long day. At
last our patience and his perseverance was
rewarded. Attempting to make a landing
one day with considerable force be found
the masked battery in the shape of a Con
federate sharp Shooter hid behind a tree.
who planted in his head an ounce of cold
lead, and Capt. Ward. 1.-THE terror OF the
Potomac" as he delighted to call himself,
ceased to investigate the batteries at
Matthias Point, and we ceased to spy him,
and. like the man who had so long watch
ed the lion tanner, we turned our attention
to the investigation of other matters.
The following is the communication
Mr.. EDITOR 1t was the Freedom upon
which Captain Ward and three marines were
killed at Matthias Point. and not the Crur de
Lion. Captain Ward belonged to the L. :.
Navy and was the author of a work. or it
be works, on naval tactics. At the time of his
death he commanded the Potomac Flotilla,
it was termed; mean the gunboatS were sub
ject to his orders. The Pawnee, commanded
by Captain, now Commodore Rowen, was sta
toned at opposite Aqua Greek. and unless
greatly mistaken, never fired Il gun n Matthias
Point. After hecvaCuation Of Aqua Greek by
the Confederates she superseded by the I.
= steamer Pocahontas Capt. Dove of the I. ;.
Navy. and transferred 10 Alexandria. The
day after the fight or bombardmcnt Of Aqua
Greek, which was on Sunday. several gentle
men of the county and the writer OF this. 10
CRAFTY curiosity, visited the Pawnee and were
pleasantly received hv Captain Rowen. He
reported no one kiled-he WAS certainly not
the writer in the san alleges. but his vessel
little battered. We ourselves perceived,
above the water line and decks. having been
struck fifteen times in the engagement of the
previous day. We observed shot that pass
ed through her smoke-stack about six feet
above the gun deck, barely. would think.
clearing the heads of the men al tine guns. There
WAS observable the impression of another shot
which passed through her guards amid>hlpS
the deck. striking an iron beam or grder. and
rcochetting. This brought about the only caus-
alty-iu the shape oil splinter SCRATCH on the
face of an officer oil the deck.
With ali due Difference 10 Gov Lctchcr. am
of the opiniou-ntv. Certain-that the pas
>enger boat 81. Nicholas not the mail ten
der OF the Pawnee. and if so. would not have
been permitted to approach her at night ''un-
chaIlcn ged. The Pawuce received her mail
daily and that direct from Washington
Twelve or fifteen men with arms concealed
capturing an insignificant passenger boat d,
strJ'aGen y hen two TesOjutt men without -"
slightest personal risk or danger - themselves
could have accomplished the same. failed equal
Is To inspire terror or sense Of -al.anir1 for
this ''JoH amt hi-rrioHs enterprise ''.luu-
the Potomac at that time. II created amusc-
mcnt and was generally laughin-ly referred TO
As an ingenousiy contrlved and planned ma
raud which COS; the Confederate treasury, ar-
c0riing TO Gov. Lctcher. $1,000. aud the CHI
Gems of Charles and 1t. Mary counties prob
ably AS much more. VI.
NanJemoy. April 70. 1873.