was old and growing weak in body and mind, and it
was evident must soon give way to a younger man. The national forces
held the eastern side of the Potomac, from Harper's Ferry to Fort
Monroe, and a small section of the western side opposite Washington.
While enlisting and drilling troops, they strove to hold also Kentucky
and Missouri, succeeding so well that their grip was never lost
throughout the war.

[Illustration: A SKIRMISHER.]

With the opposing forces face to face, continual skirmishing was kept
up. This had no effect on the war itself, but was expressive of the
martial spirit which animated both sides. General B.F. Butler, who had
great executive but slight military ability, was in command at Fort
Monroe. While there he refused to surrender a number of fugitive slaves
that had fled into his lines, declaring them "contraband of war." The
phrase was a happy one and caught the fancy of the North.

UNION DISASTER AT BIG BETHEL.

Butler fortified Newport News, which is a point of land at the junction
of the James River and Hampton Roads. Fifteen miles away was a
Confederate detachment, on the road to Yorktown, where the main body was
under the command of General J.B. Magruder, a former artillery officer
of the United States army. The Confederate position at Big Bethel was a
strong one and had a garrison of more than a thousand troops. A short
distance in front was Little Bethel, where a small detachment was under
the command of Colonel D.H. Hill, also a former member of the United
States army.

General Pierce advanced to the attack early on the morning of June 9th.
The two columns mistook each other, and not until 10 men were killed was
the sad blunder discovered. An assault quickly followed, but the
assailants were defeated with the loss of 14 killed and 49 wounded.
Among the slain was Lieutenant John T. Greble, a brilliant West Point
officer, who ought to have been in command of the brigade, with which he
doubtless would have achieved a success. The incompetency of the
political leader cost dearly, but the government was yet to learn that
full-fledged officers are not to be found among men who have made
politics their life profession.

SUCCESSFUL UNION CAMPAIGN IN WESTERN VIRGINIA.

The only place where there were any Union successes was in western
Virginia. Colonel Wallace with a detachment of Indiana Zouaves--a
favorite form of military troops at the beginning of the war--made a
forced march at n