The National tribune., 1907-07-04

To encounter these such small vessels
as could be spared for the service were
organized into the Potomac Flotilla,
May 16 and placed under the command
of Commander James II. Ward, whose
early and heroic death meant as much
to the Navy as Gen. Nathaniel Lyons
to the Army.
| Commander Ward.
James Harman Ward. born in 1906,
was the son of Col. James Ward, OF
| Hartford. Conn, and educated at the
Vermont Military Academy. In 1923 he
was appointed n Midshipman on the
Constitution, commanded by Commo-
dore McDonough, of Lake Champlain
fame, rose to the rank of Lieutenant,
and gained reputation by his writings
on professional subjects. He became
a professor in the Naval Academy, and
was one of the progressive officers who
welcomed the advent of steam power
into the Navy. At the outbreak OF
| the war he was summoned to Washing
| ton to give the Government the beneht
| of his unusual professional knowledge
He was one of the first officers assigned
to active duty. and feeling keenly the
humiliation of having the main high
way to the National Capital blOckaded
by the insolent enemy, went earnestly
to work to drive them back. He found
himself at great disadvantage with
his small! vessels, armed with nothing
heavier than light 32-pounders. in con-
tending with rifled pieces mounted on
the high bluffs. To reach these ele-
vations his vessels had to lie off such
distances as to greatly diminish the ef-
fectiveness of their fire, while the enemy
had plunging shot at him. The bluffs
We're denSely wooded, which enabled
the enemy to mask their artillery and
open upon him from unexpected places.
He actually started in to cut the tim
Der and brush down at many places,
SO as to expose their lurking places.
He found also that while he might de-
molish a battery during the day, it
would be repaired in the ght. He
was actively employed. at this work
during May and June. while Scott
Mansfield and Mcdowell were holding
$4,000 men idly around Washington,
giving him no assistance. If they had
been as mucn in earnest as he, the
whole of Virginia as far as the Kappa
hammock would have been cleaned out
in few weeks, and no necessity for
the battle of Bull Run. May 81, with
three little vessels, the Anacostia, Free
born and Resolute. he attacked the bat
teries at Aqua Creek, and sienced
three of them, only retiring when his
ammunition was exhausted. The next
day, having brot down the Pawnee, al
sloop-of-war,. carrying eight 9-inch
pivot guns and two 12-pounder rifles,
he resumed the attack, silenced the bat
terieS, and drove the enemy behind the
shelter Of the bluffs.
He received more than 1000 shots on
board and Immediately around his
boats, and fired upward of 800 shots
and shells. expending 100 pounds of
powder
Without the assistance of the army
his work was in vain, however, and he
I.1I ,4;E t,ry, xT Ed;
batteries rising all along the river.
Meanwhile he kept his men busily en-
ployed in boat expeditions, breaking up
the enemy's communications with the
Maryland shore, destroying their boats
in the creeks, and disturbing their ef-
forts to concentrate against him.
Finding that the enemy were prepar-
ing to erect a dangerous battery at Ma
thias Point. below Aqua Creek, Ward
formed the daring plan of taking pos
session of a high point below, which
commanded Matthias Point. and erect
ing battery. The Confederate General
Bonham had there some Is companies,
under the command of Col. Daniel Rug
giles.
TIE Fight mt Matthias Point.
Ward, with parties from the Pawnee.
Resolute. Reliance and Freeborn, land
ed, June. with axes, intrenching tools,
ground, under cover of the vessels
guns, and erect the battery The
ground was swept with u heavy fire of
grape and canister and the enemy driv-
en- back. The work was begun, and
considerable progress made. when the
enemy appeared in such force that Ward
was compelled to order a retreat and
went aboard the Freeborn to direct the
fire, holding the vessels close the shore.
The retirement was made under a
terrific musketry fire, with the sailors