Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-06-14
THE BATTLE AND VICTORY AT
BETH En- CHURCH.
From the eorrespopd,nes Of the Di'pa,eh
Youvrfw. Inne III Ice,

Before telling you OF the battle, give you sop,
circumstances preceding it. About two week. ago
party of 800 Yankees came up from Hampton and oocg
ped Bethel Church, which position they telI DAY q,
t~o and then retired leaving written on the walls Of h.
Church several inscriptions such a. Death the Tr,
torsl" down With the Rebesi" &c. To nearly ali a
these the Of the writer's were desnuy sg1ed a
all Of the pensmen signed themselves a. from New Yo,
except one who was from Boston, Mass, ' To
these excursions into the interior OF which this was H.
bodest General Msgruder determined TO put top ,b4
accordingly filed the pl zee after the Yankees left m
few companies Of his troops. In addition hi. -
determined to carry the war into the enenTs counir,
and on Wednesday last Stanards battery Of the ,si,
Battalion was ordered dosn to the Church. where +, a..
soon Joined BY portion of Bro~ns battery Of the r1
| CORPS The North Carolina Regiment under Colon.
Hill was also there making In all about 100 men .ri
| seven howitzer guns.
On Saturday last the first excursion OF conf lsr,be m
portarce was made. detachment OF 200 infantry and
howi,z qua under Maj Randolph aod one oany Of n
infantry and another nowitzer undrr Mi. Lioe 0. n.
n c. r. giment started different routes cut Cd p,
~ which bad left Hampton. The party WAS seen ssA
fred A. by Mai Rindophs detachment, but made sBcI
| fast tim. that they escaped The troop. ntder n
LIN. passed within sight Of Hampton aud ey t.r,
ed up the road return TO Bethel encountered he Yam
KEGS numbering about 30, who were entrenched oetod
fence ia the feld pros cted by high bank Our al
vance guard fred Oh them and in another moment Tia
North Caroiniaus dlhing the 'encs 10 rrgu,
French mot New York. ZJuaye style, firing at them 4,
real squirrel huning style The Yankees I'D itr tb.,
lives alter firing for about three minutes without eee
leaving behind them three dead and prisoner The,
low was stou. ugly fellow from Troy, n. Y. He ,aN
that he had nothing against the South, but somebod,
must be sodiers and be thought he had as vel enis,
| None Of men were hurt
| This bold excursion under the very guns Of ,ls
| enemy determined the authorities AZ Old Point 70 Dot
atom 20 il and clear from Bethel This desraip,
ton was conveyed TO Us by parsons who from he
neighborhood Of the enemy.
| SUNDAY AT BETHEL.
We spent the day pleasantly unit at night, when there
was an alarm given, caused by cannon firing dosu H.
ward, Hampton. We afterwards learned that one 0,
the county companies had encountered Fed raj troop.
| and had a Ggnt-nothing more than scrmruaqe A,
o'clock we we're startled by the buge sounding n,
sssseu bly call" Ia two minutes every solder IN the
| epcanp ment WAS in arms aud ready TOR duty ha5fg
been previously instructed to sleep with accout-emelt
| on and arms by The side.
| MARCH.
In half an hour the North Carolina Regiment, urJs,
Col Hill brave cool commando, sud compile eas
err, we're ordered, with three guns Of Major Ran1op.
battery to march toward Hampton, while the Vfe.fi,
Life Guard Henrco Southern Guard, and Young lard
under It. Col. Stewart, wore order, d TO move loser
down the enc Inpment and take position vacaed bv
| the North Carolina Regiment which promptly doue
IL was noble sight, stood near the limit Of
our encampment, in the grey Of tn morning see ,bs
Howl zers and the North Carolina Regiment these Vor.
thy sons of noble States under the command our gal
lint Col Magruder detle past us and advance u mert
the mercenary legious OF besotted Government They
we're soon ost TO sight in the woods, and al ,ul
except the occasional challenge Of a ntne aa og.
post; all the men were expecting some great event
The RETURN.
Colonel Msgruder and his command had only gone
three miles down the road when t5ey learned bs, ID,
enemy they ia pursuit OF had retired TO rtino c.
and intended making attack on Us IL short tine
acon az they returned. The entire camp arranged
for the assault.
POSITION OF OUR TROOPS.
The encampmeut parallel formation, the corners
of the forfcaion lying nearly due east and vest Dor
aud south, and was projected by embinknents thosn
I'D on four sides, the strongest OF which ito
southeast eide which commanded the road, the bridge
and the field through which The troops must pass conf
from Hampton ard well fortified. To the de., nee
OF this position Howltzer battery OF three fu0s Und
the command of Nip George W. Randolph, aud io4r
companies of the Norih Carora regiment the
west side the remainder Of the North Carolina reg.
ment were stationed from cas-. west. o. tle south
side was a ravine thirty fee: deep aud very manly.
This petition defended by battery Of ore bOgiIe'
gun under the command OF Capt. J. Thompson Brow
the left ard csrthwOrk AID trench made and occupied
by the companie. o. Lieutenant Col Ste art command
consisting OF the Virginia Life Guard. Captain Wal =.
Henrico Southern Guard Cip;ain Childrey, AID OH
Guard Capt Chartsrs-he remainder of the troop. Il
infantry and cavalry stationed inside the osue
and com pleted the defence of the entire parallel AL
was now in readiness, and With calm, determined count
eaances the men awaited their coming.
The APPROACH.
In few minutes our scouts and videt,es coumencel
firing and coming in, announcing the advance. The
noniers and infantry in the lue OF fertilization.
tilted and stood ready, ammunition in hand Or men
(Co S.ewarts ordered in the trenches Wheu ,a6J
were compelled to knee in order to escape Observation
il being obec. 20 conceal our position until he
my advanced the middle Of the field ard then open
FIRE. The approach 70 the Notifications only be made
throu field 600 yards wide, and by the bridge srsa
nslg the creek running along the line Sou;heas Of cur
position.
THg ATTACK
Our Colonel stood with glass in baud and soon discov
cred the glsienng OF bayOnets coming from cover Of
the woods and up the road. As they had ar
rived about one thousand yards from w. ,hy planted
t-o cannon in the road in the woods and several N
the field to loft all OF which being guas OF h'avy
Galore. As soon they in posdon. 49, Jf
Randolph gave the command, and their fpelcld rot
gun belched forth shot which took effect the column
in the road and did considerable damage this re-
phi, TO by the enemy from their gun IN the road, aud
replied by Capt Browns battery in the fed Toe
&C ion then became general and the deafeniag roar Of
the guns all that could be beard for an houroI
shot taking good effect that Of the other side hve
b. sOgle or gun, all being aimed TOO high dos
grea. damage amopg the boughs Of the trees. Co..
Stuarts command placed fifty YARDS on ne
right Ct Captain Browns battery, to serve ~
a protection TO them, and SION ne
approach Of q company OF Z.uaves OF NeW ioh
Regiment, advancing under cover OF some h0le;
and large orchard TO the right OF the Fl a. Toe W.
GINA Life Guard ordered 10 rise aud shoot ID D.
position had not been discovered; the men OF
the first platoon rose, and, taking deliberate ain, fired
the shots had good effect, Of the Zouaves faIng
killed and the remainder wounded, ascertain
ed afterwards by finding the bodies OF the dead We
Immediately dew upon the fire OF the uayes, ana
one piece OF cannon but men were uudaunted, Ad
between every fire OF the dastardy they rose bi
&c aud fred. Nearly every time was ielled
Our guns, being the Eueld rife gun, very tfec'
The entire force OF both sides thea came into actol
and to men unaccustomed such sights the scene vas
sublime Alter the first fire all the Lestancy and GtiF
dston incident to the first battle was over, aud e'ey
felt eager to give them salute There was GEE
saiion Of firing for FIVE minutes when guns con-
| msnced again, and constant aud rapid hiring was k'p
up for one hour more, cur guns wOrkicg besuuiuuy
and doing great damage The shot OF the enemy soune
ed three OF Howiz.rs and one OF the North CaFoA
| regiment men. -
During this engagement the hoNzer gun in the ed
was accidentally Disabled by the breaking OF the 'el1
| wire n the touchbole and had 10 be hauled u tLe
woods and abandoned; and Col S.ewarts command sn
ordered to close in upon the Notifications and dee.a
the interior Of our camp as we moved oil reglntI'
Of infantry 10 HE up the road to the south
position, in order to get 10 rear aud several el
non ordered to the road through winch they h''
| pass Tie cannon were supported by The comman'' 80
Col Stewart aud Cap Montague; bus the! did 10; mi'
their appearance, aud remained int rested specs
tors of the third attack holding position u tle
trenches, and PREPARED to defend the rIyine and nc
| road to the south and west Of our Notifications.
| This attack few minutes after u oelo''
and Was the mos. severe Of ell the days work. o1
guns commenced again. and after exchanging shos J"
fifteen twenty minutes, the enemy form,d 10 eouu
| nd nder, bac nd Of a