kept
rowing up and down the banks of the river, making midnight excursions
up creeks to examine suspected localities, and lying in wait for
smugglers, and the mail-carriers and spies of the enemy. They were in
continual danger of being opened upon by masked batteries and
concealed sharp-shooters. The "prize money," the hope of which cheers
up the man-o'-wars-man in his dreariest hours, amounted to nothing;
for their prizes were small row-boats and worthless river-craft. The
few engagements with the enemies' batteries brought little glory or
success. In one battle on the 29th of May, 1861, a flotilla,
consisting of the "Thomas Freeborn" (a paddle-wheel steamer, carrying
three guns), the "Anacostia," and the "Resolute" (a little craft of
ninety tons and two guns), engaged the batteries at Aquia Creek, and
pounded away with their pygmy guns for two hours, without doing any
visible damage. Two days later the bombardment was renewed, and two of
the vessels were slightly damaged. A more serious event occurred at
Matthias Point in the latter part of June. Matthias Point was one of
the chief lurking-places of the Confederate guerrillas, who, concealed
in the dense undergrowth along the banks of the Potomac, could pour a
destructive fire into any vessels that passed. Commander J. H. Ward of
the "Freeborn" planned to break up this ambush, sending a landing
party to cut away the trees and undergrowth. The landing party,
commanded by Lieut. Chaplin, was to be covered by the guns of the
"Freeborn" and "Reliance." It was late in the afternoon when they
pushed off for the shore. All seemed quiet; and the bursting of the
shells, which were occasionally dropped into the woods, seemed to have
driven the enemy away. Hardly, however, had the sailors begun the work
of hewing down the undergrowth, when from all quarters a hot fire was
begun, driving them to their boats in a rout. The decks of the two
vessels were swept by the storm of lead. Commander Ward, while
sighting the bow-gun of the "Freeborn," was struck in the abdomen by a
bullet, and died in a few minutes. On the shore the sailors were
hurrying into the boats and pushing off to avoid capture. Lieut.
Chaplin acted with great bravery, and succeeded in getting all his men
away, with their muskets. The last man left on the shore was unable to
swim; and Chaplin, taking him on his shoulders, bore him safely to the
boat. Though the fire of the enemy was concentrated on the two,
neither w