The first actual battle of the war in which the navy took part occurred on May 20 and 21, 1861, and resulted in the capture of the Confederate forts that had been erected on the Potomac River at Acquia Creek to shut off communication between Washington and the sea. As the reader will remember, there was but one railroad running from the North to Washington in those days. The authorities of Maryland had decided that they would keep their State neutral during the impending strife, acting, of course, on the theory of State sovereignty then held in the South, and had prohibited the transportation of troops across their State. The Confederates actually believed that this prohibition would prevent the Northern troops coming to the defence of the nation’s capital overland, and that resort to ships would be had in strengthening the forces at Washington. To head off the ships, the Confederates swarmed to the bank of the Potomac River, and there were Confederate fortifications with colors flying, in plain view of Washington itself. The Confederates, in the few weeks following the secession of Virginia, were confident of capturing the national capital. [Illustration: Washington, D. C., and Its Vicinity. 1. Matthias Point. 2. Acquia Creek. 3. Shipping Point. 4. Fredericksburg. 5. Mt. Vernon. 6. Alexandria. 7. Orange & Alexandria RR. 8. Loudon & Hampshire RR. 9. Manassas Junction. 10. Bull Run. 11. Centreville. 12. Fairfax Court House. 13. Vienna. 14 Falls Church. 15. Arlington House. 16. Chain Bridge. 17. Aqueduct Bridge. 18. Long Bridge. 19. Georgetown. 20. Washington. 21. President’s House. 22. Smithsonian Institution. 23. Patent Office. 24. General Post Office. 25. Capitol. 26. Navy Yard. 27. Arsenal. 28. Maryland shore. 29. Fort Washington. 30. Indian Head. 31. Maryland Point. 32. Port Tobacco. 33. Forts Scott, Albany, Runyon, Richardson, etc. ] It is easy to show there was really some basis for the Confederate confidence. While the North groped and discussed, the Confederates were at work collecting material for war. Officers who, like Semmes, had left the service of the nation for that of the State, had gone North--communications being still open--and had purchased arms and ammunition in considerable quantities. They were very near to getting good steamers, too; and a patriot now reads with pleasure the keen words of scorn with which those officers spoke afterwards of the Northern men who were so ready to sell these goods--of the stay-at-home-and-make-money patriots. But the South had not stopped at mere buying. Indeed, all the supplies purchased combined were as a pistol-shot to a torpedo in comparison with what they obtained when the Norfolk Navy Yard was abandoned to them.