The Western Democrat

THE BATTLE AT BETHEL CHURCH

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

INCIDENTS, &C.

We probably could not gratify our readers better

than to give extended details of the battle at

Bethel Church on the 10th, in which the N. C.

Regiment took such a conspicuous part.

Immediately after the battle, the enemy evacuated

Newport News and Hampton and fled to Fortress

Monroe. On their arrival at the Fort, it is

said, as the guns were run out on the land side.

The enemy had been so badly frightened and

whipped at Bethel they expected the fort would

be attacked next.

The following is by a correspondent of the Fayetteville

Observer.

Yorktown, June 12.

Bethel Church is a name which will hereafter

live in history; there, on the 10th inst., we met

the enemy and achieved a victory almost un-

paralleled for brilliancy.

On the morning of the 9th news was received

at our Camp (at Bethel Church) that a marauding

party of the enemy was plundering the houses of

citizens about seven miles below. Col. Magruder

(Commander of the post) ordered a field piece

supplied by thirty muskets of Co. F (the F. L.

V. I.) to proceed thither and drive the villains

back. The detachment went down, took one

prisoner and drove back the others in the quickest

possible time to the sheltering guns and

thick walls of Fortress Monroe. On the Saturday

the Hampton Rifles marched within sight of

Hampton, took one prisoner, had quite a brisk

skirmish with a party of the enemy, and drove

them like startled deer to their hiding places.

To revenge these insults the enemy, 5000

strong, attacked the 1st Regt N. C. Volunteers,

the Richmond Howitzers, and three companies of

Virginia Infantry, about 1100 in all, at Bethel Church,

on the morning of the 10th inst., a brief account

of which I will attempt to give you.

At 2 o'clock A. M. the bugle sounded to arms,

and all the troops in camp moved down the road

towards Hampton, for a purpose to me unknown;

when we had gone about two miles, our picket

came rushing forward with the information that

the enemy was advancing in great force. The

command was at once given to face about and re-

turn to our entrenchments. This we did in double

quick time. Arrived at camp, we breakfasted

quite leisurely and prepared for the action. The

Fifth Regiment companies were stationed at different

points; all the companies, except F and K, were

placed in trenches behind breastworks; we were

posted in an open wood which we had to fortify

by felling trees along the ground after we had

taken position.

At a quarter before 10 o'clock A. M. the enemy

came up in a run, evidently expecting to rout us

in a few moments; indeed, it is said that they

were boasting, as they marched up, that they could

beat off the N. C. troops with sticks and stones.

As soon as the head of the enemy's column

appeared in the road, a well directed fire from one

of our batteries made them reel and stagger like

a drunken man--their men fell like grain before

the reaper's sickle--they retreated for a few minutes,

reformed and gallantly returned to the

charge--they were again repulsed--re-formed and

were repulsed again.

By this time they succeeded in planting their

cannon on a slight eminence covered and protected

by some houses, and immediately showered upon

us shot and shell as thick and fast as hail.

Their Infantry attacked us simultaneously upon

the right and left--on the right they gained one

of our advanced redoubts, but before they could fire

a single volley, were driven out at the point of

the bayonet. On the left, Col. Winthrop of the

7th N. Y. Regiment, a brave officer, led a party

to the attack of the portion

of our ranks--there resisted. On they came in fine

style, regardless of our murderous fire, until they

had nearly approached our embankments, when

Col. Winthrop waved his sword above his head and

cried out, "Rally boys, rally! One more charge and

the day is ours"--these were his last words--a

musket ball entered the centre of his breast,

passed out between his shoulders, and there he

died without a struggle. Seeing his fall, his com-

mand broke and retreated. After this all regular

firing, except from field pieces ceased; the enemy

not daring to make another charge.

The battle lasted for two and three quarters

hours--we had eight men wounded, only one

mortally, who has since died. The loss of the

enemy, in killed and wounded (the larger portion

killed) is estimated at over one hundred--their precise

loss cannot be ascertained, but persons residing on

the road report that during the engagement and

afterwards, dozens of wagon loads of their killed

and wounded were sent down to Hampton. We

found, upon the field in the more remote places,

eleven dead bodies, but where the battle raged

most fiercely we found pool after pool of blood--

no dead bodies. We took seventeen prisoners and

lost not one.

The enemy retreated in great confusion, throwing

aside knapsacks, haversacks, canteens, coats

and even boots and shoes.

Gen. Pierce (not Franklin) was in command of

the enemy's forces, and some of Col. Duryea's

Zouaves lost their lives upon the field.

At 7 o'clock P. M. we quietly fell back upon

Yorktown, a much stronger point than Bethel

Church. We are now at Yorktown, and feel confident

that we can hold this post against any force

which may be sent against us.

The following is a correct list of the companies

composing the 1st N. C. Regiment:

Colonel, D. H. Hill; Lt. Col., C. C. Lee; Major,

J. I. Lane; Adj't, C. Poteat; Qr Master, J. B. F.

Boone; Commissary, J. H. Wyatt; Chaplain, Edwin

A. Yates.

The Fayetteville Observer says: "Two of our

townsmen returned from Yorktown on Saturday

and inform us that a flag of truce came on Tues-

day (the day after the battle) for permission to

take off and bury the dead. Cols. Hill and Ma-

gruder went out half way to Bethel Church to

meet the flag and of course grant the request. Col.

Hill said to the officer, "Your loss must have been

very great to cause the retreat of so large a force.

You must have lost 300 men?" The reply was,

"Our loss was very great." This must be taken

as an admission of a loss of at least 300.

The flag is said to have brought an imprudent

proposition to exchange private individuals taken

by the Yankees, for the prisoners of war captured

by our troops. Of course it was declined.

North Carolina pluck under-rated--We under-

stand that some of the prisoners taken at Bethel

say that they were grossly deceived as to the fighting

material of which our people are composed.

The Yankees were addressed before the battle by

one of their officers, who told them they would

encounter about 300 North Carolinians and 100

Virginians; that they were commanded by an old

Virginia militia captain, who never planned nor

fought a battle; that the North Carolinians were

notorious cowards, and that the Virginians were

but little better; they could all be whipped with

constables, but it was suggested that it would be

better to take their guns along so as to sting the

rebels a little. They are now convinced, probably,

that the North Carolinians and Virginians cannot

be whipped with the most approved rifles and

muskets, and that too, when attacked in numbers

greatly their superior.

Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.

YORKTOWN, June 11, 1861.

I'll give you some items about the fight we had

yesterday. First of all, the enemy had not less

than four full regiments, and the prisoners say

five. We had only fourteen hundred and seventy

on the field, and of these not more than seven or

eight hundred fired a shot. From the first gun to

the last was three hours and twenty minutes. Our

position was at Bethel Church, our right and left

flank protected by a miry swamp. The enemy

occupied a hill on the opposite side, and between

us was a valley and a creek over which was a bridge.

The enemy advanced by the flank, right in front,

four ranks on the double quick. The Naval How-

itzer, which we had in position raked their line

with grape and canister from right to left, and

yet they stood three fires from this piece before

they came down to double quick time. The enemy

crossed the swamp below the bridge and tried

to storm a redoubt occupied by the North Carolina

volunteers, situated to the left of our centre battery.

They were met by a sheet of fire which rolled

death and carnage upon their ranks. The Captain

of one of the assailing companies sprang in

front of his company, and waving his sword, cried

to his men, "Forward Company B, the day is ours."

Just then one of the North Carolina boys bellowed

out, "I can take that fellow down," and fired.

the officer fell dead at the crack of the musket; the

ball had penetrated his heart. He had on a fine

gold watch, a splendid sword and eighty dollars in

gold. He was formerly Lt. Col. of the Fifth

regiment New York Volunteers. But being upon

a visit to Old Point, volunteered impromptu to

lead company B, New York 3rd, and paid for

his fun. We buried him at sun set. The Carolina

boys behaved with all the coolness of veterans,

and delivered a deadly fire upon the enemy, which

drove them back across the creek. The Howitzer

rifle cannon did dreadful work; the shot striking

the right flank would go entirely through to the

left (the enemy advanced by the right flank

and never formed line of battle.) One of these

shot went through and through a farm house, and

through a Yankee on the other side, and then entered

the earth down. The hole in the man was about

the size of a common water bucket. In the first

of the battle the enemy threw forward four companies

of New York Zouaves to cross the creek at

a ford a mile below. Col. Magruder then ordered

the Edgecombe Guards, 55 strong, with one

Howitzer, under command of Capt. W. H. Worth,

to defend that ford to the very last extremity. Capt.

Worth, with his command left their redoubt on

the right and crossed a wide open field within four

hundred yards of the enemy's battery, which was

then pouring shot of all kinds and shell around

them, about as fast as hail, down the side of the

stream at double quick, whilst the Zouave Regiment

was at the same speed going down on the

opposite side, both aiming for the ford. The Virginians

trotted the mile first, got possession of the

ford, planted their gun, ambushed the infantry,

and waited for an attack; but the Zouaves did not

like the looks of things, and put back to the main

body without once getting in range. All the trees

about Bethel Church are cut to pieces, and the

foliage stripped off by the musket balls; the fire

was terrible and the shot fell about as fast as

hail would fall. Not more than seven hundred of

our troops got into the fight, owing to the fact

that the enemy confined his attack chiefly to the

centre, thus leaving all the troops posted to defend

the flanks nothing to do but play a quiet

game of seven up.

The Southern troops displayed remarkable cool-

ness and determination, and made all the move-

ments under fire with as much precision as if they

had been in a common drill. We lost one man

and six wounded, besides four horses and one mule

laid hors du combat. The enemy lost, as near as

can be ascertained from signs and the prisoners,

about one hundred and fifty killed and three hundred

wounded. We have found them scattered

all through the woods and marshes dead, having

crawled away to avoid being scalped, as they all

think we indulge in this luxury. They carried off

their dead during the fight in four horse wagon

loads, and the road to Hampton was red with blood

for six miles. Knapsacks, canteens, haversacks,

shoes, hats, military overcoats, blankets; arms and

accoutrements, were scattered over the same road,

whilst corpses were here and there found weltering

in their blood. In the pocket of the Captain

who was shot by the North Carolinian, was found a

letter to his wife, stating that they were about to

march against the "traitors," and would scatter us

like the chaff before the wind. He

made a sad mistake. If they had whipped us at

Bethel, they were to have attacked this place the

next day.

After the fight we all started to march here, upon

empty stomachs and weak legs, and at two

o'clock this morning we arrived completely used

up by twenty-four hours constant hard labor.

A correspondent of the Petersburg Express says:

"I conversed with many of the wounded enemy,

and asked them why they had quit their homes to

come here to kill us, their former brothers who

had never injured them in anything? They said

"twas wrong." Some said they were "forced into

it by politicians." I asked one poor wretch who

was in the last agonies of death, did he or his people

think they were right in this war? He rolled his

eyes up into mine, shook his head, and gasped out

in a whisper, "ah, no!"

Yorktown, June 14.

When information was received at camp that a

marauding party of the enemy was pillaging the

house of Mr. Whiting, 3 miles from Hampton,

Col. Hill asked for a detachment of 30 infantry to

volunteer as a support for the howitzer under Maj.

Randolph, and immediately 34 men of Company

F (Fayetteville Light Infantry) stepped

forward and reported themselves ready for the

duty, under Lieut. F. N. Roberts of Co. F. The

whole was commanded by Lt. Col. Lee of the N. C.

Regiment. This party came up with the enemy a

short distance below Mr. Whiting's, and as soon as

the Federal hirelings perceived their appearance,

they fled like startled fawns. So precipitate was

their flight that they left behind haversacks and

booty, and seemed to be intent on saving their

lives only.

Col. Lee's command took one prisoner, and this

was the first capture made in the skirmishes preliminary

to and provocative of the battle of Bethel

Church.

Col. Magruder yesterday thanked the troops engaged

in the battle, and complimented them highly

for their steadiness and courage in the field, and

their subordination and propriety of deportment

in the camp. In the course of his remarks he

stated that he was authoritatively informed that

the enemy's force was 5,000 men and five field

pieces.

THE NORTHERN ACCOUNT.

Many of the northern accounts suppress the

number killed, and blame their own officers for the

defeat instead of blaming the North Carolinians

and Virginians.

The following account is from the Baltimore

Republican and is the fairest northern statement

we have seen. It appears to have been furnished

by some one at Fortress Monroe:

Statement from Fortress Monroe of the battle.

By the arrival this morning of the steamer

Georgeanna, Capt. Pearson, from Fortress Mon-

roe, we are in possession of additional particulars

relative to the battle, and the further details show

that the defeat of the Federal Troops has been

more complete and disastrous than was at first re-

ported. The details, as they come to hand from

other sources, attest that the victory of the Vir-

ginians is one of uncommon brilliancy, and the

repulse of the Federal troops equally disastrous

and disgraceful.

Among the regulars at the Fortress, great sur-

prise and indignation was expressed that Butler

should have permitted so large a force to leave on

this expedition, without himself accompanying

them. Both the officers and men of the regiments

that were engaged, as a general thing, are the sub-

ject of very uncomplimentary observations on the

part of the regulars, who claim that all the fighting

that was done was by the few artillerists that ac-

companied them. "The mistake," as it is officially

termed by Butler, through which Colonel

Benedix's German Regiment defeated Col. Townsend's

Albany Regiment, the latter having inglo-

riously fled in the wildest confusion, upon the fall

of three of their men, is a subject of universal ridi-

cule.

Butler condemns Pierce as the cause of their

defeat, and Pierce attempts to throw the odium

upon Maj. Winthrop, who, he charges, gave the

order which exposed the troops to the fatal fire of

the Confederates--while all, except Butler him-

self, think he should have led the expedition.

It is stated positively at Hampton that Col. J.

B. Magruder was in command of the Confederate

forces, which consisted of one artillery corps, with

one hundred men and six pieces, a cavalry corps

of one hundred, and three hundred riflemen and

infantry--five hundred in all. All, save the cavalry,

were an advance force from Yorktown, and

were engaged in erecting a battery where the engagement

took place, to intercept the advance of

Butler on Yorktown. About two miles from Great

Bethel the forces of Pierce discovered two of the

cavalry, which was from Hampton, doing duty as

pickets.

They succeeded in capturing one of them, who

proved to be Capt. Whiting, and who is said to

have allowed himself to be taken, in order to ena-

ble his comrade to escape, to reach the camp, and

report the approach of the enemy to Col. Ma-

gruder. His comrade started at full speed to give

the alarm, when the pursuers fired several shots at

him, although supposed to be wounded, as he fell

upon the neck of his horse, he succeeded in reaching

the Confederate camp and enabled Col. Ma-

gruder to hastily prepare for battle before his

enemy came up.

He had previously burned the bridge, and his

men were engaged in digging a trench and throwing

up breastworks, when the wounded picket

announced the rapid approach of the foe. Col.

M. then planted his six pieces near the bank of

the stream--four in the front rank and the other

two a short distance in the rear, on the hill side,

with his riflemen and infantry in the unfinished

trench, and his cavalry thrown back as a reserve.

The Federal troops moved up to the opposite

side of the stream, with three pieces in the front

of the column, commanded by Lieutenant Greble,

apparently unaware of the position of the Con-

federate forces, until they had opened on them

with their artillery, rifles and musketry. The

shock was so great that the advance column fell

back in great confusion, leaving their dead and

wounded where they fell.

Lieut. Greble then planted his battery in a

piece of woods, on one side of the road, by which

they had approached, and the principal portion of

Pierce's command rushed into the wood, where

they were formed for battle. Col. Duryea's

Zouaves took position in and behind a barn on the

opposite side of the road, where the land was

cleared, but Col. Magruder's artillery soon dis-

lodged them, and drove them out.

The rapid and effective fire of the Confederates

into the woods soon threw the Federal troops again

into confusion, and silenced the battery of Lieut.

Greble. Col. Magruder having moved two of his

four front rank guns farther up the hill, so that he

was enabled to rake the Federalists from three

points with a cross-fire.

The Confederate loss, as reported, was three

men killed, and ten or twelve wounded, while the

loss of General Pierce, is nearly or quite four hundred

in killed, wounded and missing.

Col. Duryea, and Capt. Kilpatrick, of his regi-

ment, is said to have bore themselves with marked

bravery, and in vain attempted to induce their

Zouave regiment to maintain their position. Capt.

Kilpatrick was wounded in the leg by a cannon

ball, the same ball having torn off one of Colonel

Townsend's epaulettes before striking Captain K.

His wounds are considered dangerous. The loss

of the Zouaves was seven killed, forty-two wounded

and fifteen missing.

Col. Townsend, of the Albany regiment, driven

to despair by the disgrace attached to his command

from their "brush" with Col. Benedix's

Germans, is said to have exhibited a reckless daring

in trying to retain the good name they bore before

they had been married, and it was deemed wonderful

that Col. Townsend escaped unhurt. The

Federal troops charge that the greater portion of

their officers acted very badly, saving themselves by

hiding behind the larger trees in the

woods.

The stream which separated them from the Con-

federate forces is only some eighteen or twenty

yards in width, yet no effort was made to cross

over to charge Col. Magruder's battery. When

the order was at length given to retreat, the

Federal troops started in wild confusion, and Col.

Magruder ordered his cavalry to pursue them

which they did with deadly effect, and also secured

a number of prisoners. The cavalry followed

them for several miles, seriously harassing the

rear of the retreating army.

The Washington correspondent of the Philadelphia

Inquirer telegraphed to that paper as follows:

"At the War Department the utmost regret is

expressed at the repulse to our arms. At present

all severely condemn the course of Gen. Pierce in

uselessly exposing his rear to such a galling fire,

and it is probable that that officer will meet with

severe censure. The special messenger that arrived

here from Fortress Monroe reports that when

Gen. Butler heard of the affair at Bethel, he exclaimed,

"I will have all those rebel batteries before

I eat my breakfast to-morrow morning."

At last accounts Butler had not got the batteries

and there was no prospect of his doing so; and it

is presumed he ate his breakfast as usual! Butler

always was a humbug.

COL. DANIEL H. HILL,

This able and distinguished officer, the gallant

and skillful commander of the First Regiment of

North Carolina Volunteers, which fought so

bravely in the recent battle at Bethel Church, is

destined to win enviable laurels in the present

great struggle. If we are permitted to judge his

future by the past, we certainly must accord to

him great renown, for surely no man ever laid a

stronger basis for a great and brilliant reputation.

Graduating at West Point with honor when about

the age of twenty-two, he entered the U. S. Army

and remained in it until after the close of the

Mexican War. He was in the army under Gen.

Scott from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico, and

greatly distinguished himself in some of the hard

fought battles of that campaign. At the storming

of Chapultepec he was the second man on the

American side that mounted the ramparts. For

his meritorious services in this war he was promoted

to the rank of Major which he afterwards resigned

to accept the chair of Mathematics in Davidson

College, N. C.

He discharged the duties of his new position

with great zeal and fidelity. Notwithstanding the

arduous labors that now devolved on him, he found

time to write and have published a large work on

Algebra, which was favorably received. This

work excited some remark at the time, on account

of the intense Southern spirit which breathes in

some of its problems.

In 1858 when the North Carolina Military

Institute was established at Charlotte, Col. Hill

was appointed to the first place in its Faculty, and

devoted himself with his accustomed energy and

ability to the instruction of young soldiers for the

Old North State.

Upon the commencement of hostilities between

Abraham Lincoln and the Confederate States, he

was appointed by Gov. Ellis to the command of

the Camp of Instruction at Raleigh. When the

First Regiment of North Carolina Volunteers was

organized, he was almost unanimously elected its

Colonel.

Col. Hill has not devoted all his talents and

genius to military science. He is the author of

two Theological works, viz: "The Sermon on the

Mount," and "The Crucifixion." These works

were published two or three years ago, by the

Presbyterian Board of Publication, and were well

received in the Christian literary world. Col. Hill

is a true Christian man.

In person, Col. Hill is about the medium height

and well proportioned. He has dark eyes and

hair, which is becoming slightly tinged with grey.

He is about forty-two years old, has a serious military

bearing, and is a very rigid disciplinarian.

Petersburg Express.

In accordance with a recommendation of the

Governor of North Carolina, Col. Hill has been

made a Brigadier General.

A Dangerous Element.--Whilst we do not

desire or intend to urge war on females, we must

in candor and as a matter of duty and safety say,

that females who express sentiments disloyal to

the Southern Confederacy should be compelled to

leave the same, and seek refuge in a Northern

climate more congenial to their feelings and sentiments.

Their sojourn among us may be attended

with serious injury to our cause. If their feelings

affiliate with Lincoln and his horde, they will impart

information detrimental to the South. Let

the police see to them.--Richmond Dispatch.

A. 1st Co., Edgecombe Guards, Capt. Bridgers.
B. 2d	“ Hornets’ Nest Rifles,	“ Williams.
C. 3d	“ Charlotte Grays,	“ Ross.
D. 4th	“ Orange Lt. Infantry,	“ Ashe.
E. 5th	“ Buncombe Riflemen,	“ M’Dowell.
F. 6th	“ Fay’ville Lt. Infantry,	“ Starr.
G. 7th	“ Burke Rifles,	“ Avery.
II. 8th	“ Fay’ville Ind. Lt. Inf.,	“ Hanke.
I. 9th	“ Eifield Blues,	“ Ball.
K. 10th	“ Lincoln county Stars,	“ Hoke.