The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-06-13

YoSaroWy, } une tn, 1901.
You have 10 doubt heard, long ago, Of the
battle which took place on Monday, and OF
he glorious victory which was the result
Nevertheless | viii venture to add my mite,
although, unfortunately, / speak not "a an
eye witness, having been left behind with Sc
ypnteen others Of ms company, rs not wor
thy j presume 10 feed powder IN the cause OF
the Southern Confectionery. l send you an
outline, prepared under the eye Of al officer
II nigh rank, who had distinguished COM
nand Oh The occasion. IRON 1t your readers
viii DO enabled 10 form Just idea OF the To-
rallty. aud the manfruYres, without feeling
themselves confused by the details, whlC l. are
tIways sure 10 cucumber the narrative If an
inexperienced writer, or ot one who writes
upon Il CONTRACT ted view OF the whole field.
OUTLINE.
The road from Bethel Church 10 Ham ton
runs South. The CDntedeIateS posted them
selves on both sides OF il at the Church, facing
down the road 70 Hampton The U. >. troops
came up il until within artillery range, and
planted their battery IN the road, but screened
lrOm sight by Il sInlll house and by woods
The Confederate battery on the right and
close TO the road opened ON the L. ,. battery
and on the column IN its rear. The L. :. bat
terry replied, and columns of L. ). troops
wheeled 70 the right aud Ieft, ClTCled around
.he posi- ton Of thc Cuntederates, aud assault
I'd ii on the right and let. On the right of
the Coafederates there was route lne>of de-
fence consisting OF a battery of one hOWitZer,
supported by Colonel Stuart's battalion en-
treuehed on the rSht,aud company of y orth
Carolina infantry entrenched or the left
The hoWitzer becoming spIked by the break
ing of 4 prIlning wire, WAS run back into the
bushes, and the infantry supports retirsd.-
The outer line being lost, the I. ). troops APP
preached and opened heavy fire OF lnusketr try
On the COnfederates concentrated on the hill
1T the Church; but owing 10 the thick grow III
Of woods intervening, the fire was not eff
fective. At the same time the left OF the
ConfederaJes were assaulted D. Il column
which approached to within fifty or sixty
yaris under cover OF WOODS and dep!Oys IN
front OF them. This fire took the main bate
~ Of the HoWitzer Battalion in the INK
wounded three men, ana killed and wounded
u fine horse, struck their pieces aud ammuni-
ton cheat. Inc H0WitZcr Battery could
not, however, return the fire, without firing
over the North Carolina infantry, entrenched
on the lett, and rIskiuE them. The lire OF
the battery Wac, therefore, main tanned 10 the
front on the troops and battery OF the enemy
IN the road and the North Carolina infantry
repulsed the assault on the left. Another
hoWitSar arriving from three miles III the
rear, was run out TO the outer line on
the right, which had been previously re-
coupled by Confederate infantry, the enemy
falling back The howitzer Immediately
opened with shell en- L house occupied by
the enemys sharp shooters, and which also
served to screen the U. :. battery from view
The U =. battery replied with round shot,
all OF which passed over the hOWitZeT, while
the shells from the hoWitzer fired the house,
probably crippled l.; for, after five or six shots
On each side, the fire OF the enemy ceased and
the battle ended
THIS first battle has, l suspect, given the
Yankees 4 taste Of a very different Kind OF re-
CtntiOn from what theyhaye suspec ted. ] have
T OF the least doubt that they eXpec ted 10 sweep
away our little band at the first onset, and
march on III triumph 10 this place. II such
were their calculations. never were men more
fearfullv mis- taken. They We're met at the
mouth Of the cannon, repulsed, routed, driven
OF he field with little hope OF rallyIac, that
they threw away arms, hayersacks, every
thing that could impede their flight. In one
instance, they even left the ramuer of a can
non on the field, and two medicine chests
were captured Arms ard acCou trements
OF all descriptions were among the trophies
gathered from them.
The boosted ZOuaves did not wait to cross
bayonets with the North Carolina Regiment.
They fled upon the first fire, aud could not be
brought to toe the mark q second. An officer
of The eth Regiment of New Iork was killed,
endeavoTng to induce 4 company (nOto lou
Hves, howeyer,) to follow him. He mounted
"A fence that separated his company from our
infantry, with great gallantry, waving his
sword aud calling on his men to follow him,
when he received 4 musket shot in the breast
aud fell dead His men immediately fled -
The dead officer had Il furlOugh IN his pocket
He had gone to Old Point on leave of absence
and had probably volunteered to lead the
troops, at the head OF which be fell. His rank
was ascertaiued from his turlough. 1t was
that OF captain.
The North Carolina regiment behaved
splendidly on the occasion, did Stewart
conmand-compr iSing the Young Guard, Cap
lain Walkers company, Life Guards the
Southern Guards, the Pitts lyania Rifles
Captain Werth, and, indeed, ali our troops
Ii must have been SO, or how could !, 100 men
have SO utterly routed 4 900, for such was un
doubtedly the force OF the enemy For my
own corps-whose fortune and glory, alas,
did not share-they won the highest encOmi
nm from the commander, Colonel Magruder
who declared he had never seen more effective
service from any artillery, and said he was
proud OF them. In fact, the battle was more
an affair OF artillery than anything else, like
| that of Volney, which saved France In 1872
although not more men fell then than fell a
Bethel Church, 600 at the lowest estimat,
killed and wounded.) The general character
| rlstic of all our late battle was not wanting
| on this occasion. The HowitZers lost not
| man killed and but three wounded. TIL
| North Carolina regiment lost one man killed
| and two or three wounded. The other troops
| Lost two or three wounded. Surely, thus far
| the Lord seems TO have been on our side.
| have not room in this letter for details.
| will give you enough of them hereafter.
| would merely mention, here, that one OF our
| corps picked up, on the field of battle, memo
| randum book belonging 10 one X. ", Parker
| private in the I'd company, LIST regiment Ner-
| mont Volunteers, in which l Had the follow
| ing entry
| June 5th. Harriet Lane demolished the
| battery opposite Six Massach usetts priYate'
! shot acclden tally-careles in an attack -
| Eight hundred more troops arrived ROW New
| York. H. L0He tCds Struck-25 on boarc
| wounded"
| SO, there is the truth about Pig Point. W.
| have punished the Yankees awfuily, depend
! upon il, in every battle We have yet had with
| them. r.