The National tribune., 1903-03-19
THE BLUEJACKETS.
The Part Taken BY the Naval Forces In
the Defense Of Washington During the
Civil War.
BY RICHARD WAINWRIGHT,
Commander u. s. Ndry and Superintendent Ndrdi
Academy.

BY RiCHARD WAfNWRlGHT,
Commander IT, s. Narv and Superintendent Nardi
Academy.
The first order issued to the Naval
Forces for the protection of Washington
was dated Jan. 3, 1861. signed by Isaac
Toucey. Secretary of the Navy. and ad-
dressed to Col. John Harris. Command
ant. Marine Corps. directing that a force
of Marines be sent to Fort Washington,
down the Potomac. for the protection of
public property. Forty men. commanded
by Capt. A. s. Taylor. U. S. Marine
Corps, were sent in obedience to this
order.
Under pressure from Commander ]. A.
Dahlgren, Commodore Franklin Buchan-
an. Commandant of the Washington Yard.
on Feb. | issued an order for the defense
of the yard and prescribing the necessary
organization and points for assembling.
On April % Commodore Buchanan re-
signed and soon after Joined the Confed-
crate Navy. Commander Dahlgren now
became Commandant. and all available
means for defense We're put in shape.
On April 10 the Pawnee. Commander
Rowan. arrived off the Washington Arse
nal and on the following day the packet
Anacostia was armed and sent, under the
command of Lieut.. Fillebrown, down the
Potomac to Kettle Bottom Shoals. to pre-
The Mount Vernon having been seized by
the army mt Alexandria. was armed for
service. The Steamer PocahOntas. Com
mander ]. p. ellis. arrived from New
York and was ordered to cruise down the
river as far as the white House." A
number of other small river steamers
and tugs We're armed at this time. They
were employed in patrolling the river. in
preserving and placing the aids to naviga-
| fiou and ho IIipo oil tba rir
for arms. etc. Among these armed boats
were the Powhatan. Lieut.. SprostOn COM
manding: the Philadelphia. Lieut.. G. n.
Morris and afterward Lieut. w. n. JEFF
fers commanding: the Robert Leslie. Lieut.
j. Fl. Russell commanding: and the Bal
timOre. Lieut.. W. G.. West, commanding.
Early in May Commander J. II. Ward
was assigned to the charge of the Poo
mac fotilla. He had suggested the dea
to the Secretary of the Navy and brought
several iight-draft. boats from New York
to form a part of the fiotilla.
The first Confederate battery on the
Potomac was discovered at Aqua Greek
on May IA by Lieut.. Sproston. and was
aficrward reported by several of the pa
trolling boats.
On May "a all the steamers. lighters
ana boats at the Navy Yard were used to
convey the New York Regiment of Zou-
b'tS tCliSNOTtu /<DldNtSb 1EDHl
Giesboro Point to Alexandria. 1t was
Immediately after this landing that Col.
Ellsworth was murdered.
On May 81 Commander Ward with the
Thomas Freeborn. the Anacostia. and the
Resolute. of the Potomac Flotilla.
attacked the batteries at Aqua Creek On
the following day the bombardment was
attempted. the ships being reinforced by
the Pawnee. Commander Rowan. On the
Ill
jury to either side. The shore batteries
were silenced only to break out again on
the cessation of firing from the vessels
permitting the men to leave their protec-
ton.
On June % Commander Ward applied
far the aid of about 200 soldiers to assist
him in the attack upon some Confederate
troops Mt Matthias Point. These troops
could not be spared. and on June q with
the aid of boats crew from the Pawnee.
commanded by Lieut. Chaplin, he landed
the men from the Freeborn and attacked
the Confederate troops at Matthias Point,
with the aid of the guns of the Freeborn.
The landing party was repuised, and Capt.
Ward was killed while sighting the bow
gun of his own vessel Commander r.
L. Craven was then ordered to command
the Potomac Flotilla.
In the latter part of July. Lieut.. Par
htt. WIFI IiO ScuiilSu anu ~ I!dTl1leS. WAS
sent to Fort Ellsworth beyond Alexandria
They laid the platforms. and mounted a
naval battery of three 9-inch guns and five
howitzers. This was n joint occupancy
with the army. Fort Ellsworth being at
the time the fort nearest the Confederate
lines, Fort Munson being their opposing
fort. Lieut.. Parker was afterward re-
lieved. and Commander Il. Wainwright
was sent in command of n detachment of
300 seamen and four officers to man this
fort. Afterward guard of 80 marines
was added to the force. and manned
small water battery erected near the fort.
The entire force was withdrawn in No
vember.
Commander Charles Wilkes was order
ed to command the Potomac Flotilla in
August, 1862. He was succeeded in Sep
TENDER Of the same year by Commodore
Andrew A. Harwood. who was relieved
in December. 1868, by Commander Fox
hall a. Parker. After November, 1861,
the work of the Navy in the defense of
Washington was confined to patrOlling the
Potomac River. On several occasions. on
the request of the General in command of
the Army of the Potomac. the Commander
of the flotilla was specially cautioned to
by the Confederate army. They gradual
ly obtained possession of the boats on the
river. At times they were attacked by
the COnfederates from commanding posi-
items on shore. hut there were no other
engagements on the river of sufficient i'm
portance to be noted.