Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1890-02-13

bao i0bCllU0s
While the rebel army Was lying along
the south bank OF the Potomac. In the
winter Of 1862, threatening the o,ty Of
Washington BY extending It's right down
the river about forty miles end building
IT, bio -kade batteries on the south bank,
II cut of all navigation BY the river and
thus formed complete blockade Of
navigation. At the time General Joseph
Il. Johnston was In command of the rebel
army and General McCle Ian was in com.
mand Of the Army Of the Potomac. The
capital Of the nation was threatened and
its water communication cut OIL, General
Hooker was stationed on the north. or
Maryland bank Of the river, opposite the
blockade batteries, with . division of
about eight thousand men, to watch the
movements Of Johnston's army at that
point.
The threatening attitude Of Johpston's
army, both ~ against Washington and
In closing the Potomac River during the
| entire winter, had put the Government
Into unpleasant strsits. Foreign repros.
entativ 90 at Washiua,on urged the Gov
eminent that, II It could not get the
enemy away from its own capital and
keep open its lines Of communication,
then their Governments had no alterna.
tive except 10 recognize the Confederacy
and give II the same standing among
nations that they gave the United States.
Tho President snd Secretary OF War
urged Mcclellan TO attack and push
Johnston's army back and thus relieve
this pressure both from foreign
powers and from home iniuences,
Mcclellan would not move. His views
were that the State Department should
take care Of the foreign relations, tho
President of home affairs, and he would
take care OF the army In the manner he
thought best. As . whole, matters were
In bad shape Tor the &c ycrnmeni; indeed,
about Is bad ~ they could well be.
| Now see how little thing may inilu.
| ence, And in fact change, the entire
course Of affairs of n great nation, and
how great armies may be influenced by
trifes or by b0yiah blunder, and also
how ignorance or . blunder may accom-
plish great results, even influencing the
course Of nations aud the opinion OF the
world. But remember. frat, that at that
time, In = military sense, the Confed-
eracy was decidedly ahead Of the United
States In nearly every particular.
The First Regimontof New York Light
Artillery was In the Camp Of Instruction
vt Washington during the winter. There
were In the regiment twelve light batter.
les. As each battery was thous hit TO be
sufficiently drilled to take the Geld, It
was sent to the front. Some went to one
part of the army and Others to other
parts. On the 3rd of March, 1862, Bat
terry D was sent to General Hooker, OPP
posite the rebel blockade battcri's. It
| reached liz camp on the 4th; on The 9th
1t was ordered to send one section OF two
guns to do picket duty ON the bank OF
the river facing the heavy mounted forts
on the south side. The river WAS Just
one mile broad. The officers aud men
Of the battery were as green as new off,
GERS and men can DO In all things which
appertain to active service In the field;
that is, while the officers had learned TO
drill and take care OF their battery, they
had not yet learned that no dcnionstra.
ton should be made against the enemy
without direct orders from the CON-
harding General.
This was on Sunday, . beautiful and
clear spring day. No hostile dem onstra-
tions were being made on eithsr side, aud
with the field glasses the rebel officers
and men could be seen by the young ar
tillery officers walking about on the para.
pets Of their heavy forts just for amuse-
two little three-inch ri1ed neld pieces,
concluded 10 wake up the rebs by seeing |
how accurately they could throw shells
into The blockade forts. About 2 O'Clock
In the afternoon ono OF tbs little guns
threw shell acroes the river. II fell q |
little short Another was fred with a |
little more elevation and II went over. A |
third was fired at q medium elevation, |
aud went square into one Of the forts and |
exploded among the men.
Imagination can hardly picture the |
eflects that shell produced in those forts.
The lines Of blockade batteries, stretch
ing half mile along the bank Of the |
river, were heavily mounted with slege |
guns OF from to IL inch calibre, aud 10 |
about minute the whole lot Of them |
opened on those two little field pieces.
These immense shells tumbled round and |
exploded about the field guns Tor some |
time at the rate Of about TWO Q minute. |
1t was what might be called empbst-
ically hot for the men Of Battery ID. For.
tuUately not mau at the two guns was |
lost, hut there was some mighty close
shaving done. While this hring WAS
going on q staff officer from General
Hooker dashed into the battery and Or
dered the firing stopped.
Now ~ to the results of the foolish es-
capade. The next day Johnston aban-
doned the blockade batteries and his Gu
tire position in front of Washington,
md the Confederate army fell back be-
hind the Rappshaunock river. McClel-
Ian moved out with his army oil 100, 600
men to occupy the country Johnston had
occupied all winter. The Potomac river
was opened to navigation and the foreig n
nations gave In that tn, United states
had gained Q bloodless hut substantial
victory. But no authority outside Of
General Hooker know Of the little affair
at Posey's Landing on the Lower Poto-
mac. Indeed 1t was not thought worth
mentioning, but Mcclellan got great
glory.
No one In the North knew or suspected
why Johnston fell back until no wrote the
history OF his campaigns. In that he
says that on the 9th OF March the Federal
army commenced demonstrations against
Tho blockade batteries on the lower Po-
tomsc, or, 10 his own words, showed
great activity" That he at once
reached the conclusion that McUielians
army had gone to that point by the
Mary land bank of the Potomac to cross
therc and turn his right faux, mat ne
at once gave orders to 10 army to with
draw to the south bank OF the Kappa
hammock river.
Az Rockers camp was aosoiutely
quiet that day, excepting the hriur OF
the two field pleces--u0s even IN meEet
being discharged-ths Demonstration ne
siludes to was that firing bs the picket
guns aud nothing else.
Fortunately, on account oil the battery