Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 1.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[171] Fortunately, the aim of the guns was too high; the Federals sprang to the ground, formed under the enemy's fire, and, although taken by surprise, finally compelled the Confederates to retire, leaving several dead and many more wounded behind them. One may judge from this incident how little military experience there was on either side.

On the Lower Potomac, a naval officer, Captain Ward, was endeavoring to erect a battery at Mathias Point, a long promontory on the Virginia side, from which the Confederates fired constantly upon vessels going up the river, either with rifle or cannon; but he was driven off, and finally lost his life in the attempt.

With the 4th of July we shall conclude this chapter, which is to serve as a transition epoch between the political events which followed the presidential elections and the veritable acts of war, the narrative of which will commence presently.

The new Congress had been convened for the 4th, and at the time it was assembling, the volunteers who had responded to Mr. Lincoln's calls already numbered 300,000 men. Throughout the Northern States regiments were being recruited and organized. A military ardor had seized all minds.

Before taking a survey of these soldiers at their work, we propose to show, in the following chapter, what were the predominant characteristics of the movement which improvised the Federal armies.

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