, 1861-06-19
THE TWO RsS--BVTLER AMI
RENDIX.

Aut lou8 lepOIt VI deQ. BuIler 10 ifn.
Scott in regard to the affair at Great Beth
el, need not be republished in our columns,
as in he main, it only confirms the tele-
graphic accounts. According to Buffers
statement, his intention was to surprise
the advanced position Of the enemy at Lit
tie Bethel, drive them back to Great Beth
el, and then make an effort to carry that
position also. The surprise WIS frustrated,
however, by the misunderstanding which
led to the firing Of our troops On each 9TH
er. Little Bethel vas evacuated when our
regiments arrived, and everything was pre-
pared to give them q warm reception at
Great Bethel.
In regard to the misunderstanding at Lit
th Bethel, Buffers report has the follow
ing:
"To aTofd the possibility Of a misunder-
standing In the dark, had given the order
that no attack should be made before the at
case that by some accidt the regiments who
were to unite, should meet each other unex-
pected1y, and unknown to each other, I had
ordered that Colonel Towseud's regiment du-
ring tie dsy, should wear Hhite badges round
the AMI In obedience to these orders, the
troops Fere put in motion, and the march
Eas 30 veil calculated, that At break OF day
Colonel Duryea aud Lieut. Colonel Washburn,
Who commanded the regiment from Newport
News, had taken their positions, IS shown on
the accompanying map. Col Bendlx's steu-
ben regiment, With two pieces Of artillery,
stood At the junction Of the streets, and Colo.
ne! IoWnsend's regiment had advanced to tho
af f1T1f ksx,.
hind them, and was on The point to mite with
Col Behdi1's regiment
ssThus far the plan tad been carried ont
With precision and effect But here by
strange fatality or blunde1 not yet explained
!. ~ happened that without any notice, while
The ttte Of his regiment not f6o yards distant.
Col Bendtx's regiment opened q fire Of nrtll.
lery and muEket1y upon them,s which. in tha
hurry and confusion Of the moment, was verV
Hreg ular1y returned by Col Towaser1d's men.
who feared they had fallen Into an ambuscade.
Col Townaeod's column at once retrested to
Col Btndt1 By this almost criminal blum.
der two Of Col. ToWuseud's men were killed
and eight or more wounded.
After Gen. Butler has explained the
blunder, he proceeds as follows::
Jast when tbs fire Of Col: Bendi1 COM
meneeo, Col DuIyea had taken prisoners .
scouting party eof the enemy, numbering thlc.
y meu, whom ho sent to me. But by this
aa1.og " hopes Of surprise Of tho Camp at
Little Bethel vera lost, and at the arrival Of
cur troops they found 1t abandoned and the.
cavalry In quick retreat on Great Bethel"
At another place Of his report, Butler
says:''.:
q Our 1ofeea are considerable, perhap. from
forty to f1y, and IS you SEQ, aboat the fourth
part Of them by the unhsp9y mlsuude,staud-
ing-to ,uso no worse e1pression-of Col.
Bendjx" =
Thus the German, Col. Bendix, Is made
the scape:goat Of the atfsir by Butler,
while he has no word Of censure for the
conduct Of Gen. Pierce, who exposed the
defenceless troops for an hour to the ter
rlb1c fire Of the rifled cannon Of the enemy.
He tries to whitewash his New England
count1yman at the expense Of the Ger.
mans. Certainly Gen. Butler. has nothing
to say. about his OWL asinine management;
for with such word his whole plan has
to be stigmatized; for in the mime of com
mon sense, where Is the General who can
Jay claim to such title, who conceiyes
. plan to storm fortified camp. dc.
+ Tended BY rided cannon, protected By an
impaseable. creek OF ditch in 'front.' with
troops who carry with them three misera-
BILE hovitzers.
But let us return to Col. Bendi1 Thrice
in his report Butler admits that when he
made It he had not yet received an
official account from the leaders Of the ex-
pcdision to Little md Great Bethel And
still he charges the German Col Bendix
with q "c-iminRl b1under;" while he
emooths over the palrable stupidity Of Gen.
Pierce, 80:
But Nj. Butler and his friends had not
% wait long for the justification of the
conduct Of Col. Bendix. The New York
.DemosTnt publishes the following AuruEn-
TIC report furnished By The Adjutant of
the eteuben Regiment, L. sclade.. WHO
accompanied the remains OF tho r.lIaot
Lieut.. Grebfe, killed .. Great Bethel to
New York. This report Is coafirrncd by
the letters Of Mr. Aug. Bicker, one Of tic