For a brief time Baltimore resisted the pas sage of troops to the capital. Four hundred Pennsylvanians reached Washington 18 April, but the 6th Massachusetts regiment was at affair, like another about the same time at Vienna in front of Washington, both caused widespread dissatisfaction and mortification in the North. See also ROMNEY ; NEW CREEK.
Under President Lincoln's call Ohio promptly organized 13 regiments, and 23 April Capt. George B. McClellan was appointed major-general of Ohio militia. On 14 May he was commissioned major-general in the regular army and assigned to the Department of the Ohio, embracing that State, Indiana, Illinois, and, later, West Virginia. In May the Con federate government had dispatched a small force to Grafton, W. Va., under Col. G. A. Porterfield, with the purpose of breaking the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. On 26 May General McClellan threw troops from Ohio and Indiana into the State, defeating Porter field at Philippi (q.v.), 3 June. West Vir ginia seceded from Confederate Virginia 17 June, and set up a State government which was recognized by President Lincoln on the 26th. On 9 July States senators were tacked in Baltimore 19 April. The 7th New York reached Washington 25 April from An napolis. Brig.-Gen. B. F. Butler, with the 8th Massachusetts, had reached Annapolis on the 20th, and on the 22d had proceeded to the Relay House. On the night of 13 May he oc cupied Baltimore, and thereafter the route to Washington was unobstructed. Harper's Ferry (q.v)., with its arsenal and machinery for manufacturing small arms partially destroyed, was seized by the Confederates 19 April (see SHENANDOAH VALLEY) , and Gosport Navy Yard, near Norfolk, 20 April, with guns, stores, ships and machinery of immense value.
On 20 May General Butler, having been made a major-general of United States volun teers, was assigned to the command of the De partment of Virginia and North Carolina, with headquarters at Fort Monroe. On 10 June he moved against a force under Gen. J. B. Magruder atBig Bethel (q.v.) and was defeated. While it was comparatively a small elected, and on the 13th they took their seats at Washington. Congress met in special session 4 July. It legalized all President Lincoln's acts with respect to the army and navy, and au thorized a further call for 500,000 men, a national loan of $250,000,000 and an increase of the navy to render effective the blockade of the Southern ports which had been declared 19 April by President Lincoln.
Following the Philippi defeat, the Confed erates sent Gen. Henry A. Wise to the Kana wha Valley, and Gen. Robert S. Garnett to Beverly. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, who was commissioned brigadier-general in the regular army 16 May, joined General McClellan from Ohio, and 11 July defeated the Confederate forces under Col. John Pegram (q.v.) at Rich Mountain (q.v.). On 13 July General Garnett, during the retreat of his column, was killed at Carrick's Ford. His command escaped, leaving General McClellan in control of northwestern Virginia.
The latter part of. July, upon hearing of the arrival of Gen. J. D. Cox of Ohio in the Kana
wha Valley, Gen. Robert E. Lee was ordered to the command of West Virginia. The cam paign for reg-aining the State failed, and by November the Confederate authorities decided te abandon the plan of occupying it. General Lee was ordered to the command of the Depart ment of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. See WEST VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN OF 1&5l ; SCAREY CREEK ; CAMP BARTOW ; CAMP ALLEGH ANY ; CARNIFAX. FERRY ; GAULEY BRIDGE ; ROMNEY.
Early in July the army in front of Washing ton under Gen. Irwin McDowell (q.v.) pre pared to move against the main Confederate army under General Beauregard in front of Manassas. The flanks of each army toward the Shenandoah were protected by strong forces, Gen. Robert Patterson commanding on the Union side, and confronting Gen. Joseph E. Johnston (q.v.).
The Union advance was hastened by an al most universal cry in the North of cOn to Richmond P. General McDowell lef t his camps on the Virginia side of the Potomac on the aftemoon of 16 July with five divisions, en countering an advance brigade of Beaureg:ard's army at Fairfax Court-House. This, with two other brigades, withdrew with light slcirmishing to the main lines, which had been established behind Bull Run, its right at the crossing of the railroad from Manassas to Alexandria, and its left at the crossing of the Warrenton turn pike from Alexandria. McDowell's forces were concentrated about Centreville on the 18th, and one brigade had quite an affair on that date at Blackburn's Ford. On the 20th General Johnston arrived with all except one brigade of his army and assumed command. On the 21st McDowell, feinting in front, turned the Confederate left, and maintained a suc cessful battle until near 4 o'clock, when the last brigade (three regiments) of Johnston's army arrived with a battery on the Union right and checked its advance.. A brigade of General Beauregard's troops moving farther to the left and more directly on the Union flank, changed this check into a retreat, which soon became a panic, and the entire Union army left the field in disorderly haste. There was slight pursuit, but the panic increased, and only ended when the army was inside the fortifications of Washington. (See Burl. Rtmr, FIRST Barrix oF). The North was astounded at the result, and the South correspondingly elated. Both sections immediately redoubled their efforts to prepare for vigorous war. General McClellan was summoned from West Virginia and given command of the Department of the Potomac, and began to organize the troops pouring in from all parts of the North. On 20 August he took command of the Army of the Potomac, then for the' first time organized under that title, and 1 November he was made command er-in-chief of the armies of the United States in place of Gen. Winfield Scott who had asked to be retired on account of failing health. In the rapid organization going forward in both sections, the South had the advantage of the services of the majority .of regular officers from that section who resigned their commis sions and went with their States.