The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-06-19
THE BATTLE AT BETHEL.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF The YANKEE GENERAL

| falsehoods, and comment or our part IS un-
necessary:
| HsADorARTsRs DEPARTMENT OF VIRarx1A, }
| Fortress Monroe, June IL, 1861.
| tn Lte"f. ian Scott
| GEEERNL Having learned that the enemy
had es tablished AN on tpost OF some strength
at plac" called Little Bethel a small church
/ about eight miles from Newport News, and
| the same distance from Hampton, from
| y hence they we're accustomed nightly 10 ad-
| vance both on Newport News ana the picket
gnaIds of Hampton to annoy them, aud also
| from whence they had come down ia small
| squaus OF cavalry and taken a number of
/ Union IGen, some of whom had the safeguard
aud pTotect lion OF the troops OF the United
| Staes, ana foTced them iuto the rebel RANKS,
| and that they were also gathering no me
| slaves OF citizens who had moved avay and
| LETT their farms in charge of their negroes,
| carry ing them 10 work in entTenchments AT
| Williamsburg and Yorktown / had detarmin-
| ed - send mp force to drive them back and
| destroy their camp, the beadu uar ters Of which
| wac this small church. ] had also learned
| that at place short distance fuG ther on, on
| the ROAD to 0rktown, was al ou work OF the
| rebels on the Hampton side of a place called
! Big Bethel, large church, near the head OF
| tAs north branch oi Back Iiyer, a0d that here
| wa9 n very considerable rendezvous. Win
| works OF mora or less strength in proc.ss ul
! erection, and from this point the whole Noul,-
| try was laid under Contribu ton.
| Accordingly ordered GeueTal Pierce, who
| IS lii command of Camp Hamilton, 1T uamp-
| ton, To send DuryeS regiment OF T0uaye. 10
| b" f"Trted over Hampton Crsell at one o clock
| thts noraNs, aud 10 march hy the road nj, to
| NeT Market bridge, then crossing the 5rids-
| 10 go by a by-road, and thus put the regiment
| IN the rear OF the enemy, ana between Biz
! Bethel end Little Bethel i'll part for the ntIr-
/ nore OF cutting him OF. and then to make al
! attack upoa Little Bethel. directed General
| Pierce to support hiM from Uannton with
! Col. TowHseEd's regiment, with two mounted
| no*ifzerS. aud 20 march about au hour Ia t.r.
| Al the SAME time directed Col. Phelps com.
| manding ~ Newport News to send oi!t a hat
| talon, composed OF such companies of the
| regiments under his command ,ls he thought
! hest, under cOmrnaud OF Lieut.. Colonel WASH
| ourn, IN Iimr 10 make demonstration utUn
| Little Bethel III front, and to have him sup
| ported by Colonel Bendixs regiment, with
t*" Heid-rleces; Rendix'S and Townsend's
| regiments should effect 4 junction at 4 fork
| Of the road leading from Hampton 10 New
| port News, something like a mile and Ia +
| from Little Bethel. / drec ted the march
| - be 50 timed that the attack should De made
! just at day break, and that after the attack
| was made upon Little Bethel, Duryea's ragi-
| inent, and regiment from Newport News,
| Phou!d follow immediately upon the heels OF
the fugltlEeS, If they were enabled TO cut them
| OIL and attack the battery on the road to fl,-
Bethel, while covered by the iugitiyes: or If Il
| was thought expedient by General Pierce
| failing 10 surprise the camp ut Little Bethel
| they should attempt TO take the work near
/ big B@lhel. 10 prevent the possibility Of
mistake in the darkness, l direct ted HAT no M
| tack should be made until the WatcAword
X.
| and, in case that by any mistake ia the march
! the regiments that We're to make the junction
| should unexpectedly meet and he unknown to
each other, also direC ted that the members OF
Col. Iownsend's regiment should be known,
| II IN daylight, ny something white worn on
the arm. The troops we're accordingly put in
| motion lie ordered. and the march was 50
| tuned that Colonel Duryea had got in the posi-
| lion noted upon the accompanying sketch
| and Lieu tenant Colonel Washburn in corn
inand OF the regiment from Newport News,
| had got into the position indicated upon the
| sketch, and Col. bendix's regiment had been
posted aud ordered to hold the foII. of he road
| with two pieces Of artillery, aud Col. Town
| send's regiment had got 20 the place Indicated
| Just behtLd, and We're ahout - form 4 jruc.
! tIOn as he day dsTuetl.
Up 10 this point the plan had been yigor.
Ously, accurately and successfully carried
| out hut here, by some strange lltilitv aud
| as yet unexplained bluuder, without any
| word Of notice, while Col. Townsend was in
| column On Torte and when the head Cf the
column Waa withia one hundred yards, Col
BendIX f regiment opened fire with both ar
! tiliery and musketrv upon Col. Townsppd'. /.
| column, which, III the hurry and confusion
! |as irreSulariy returned 10y some OF Cot. Y. =
| men, VINO feared mat they had fallen into an
| ambusCade. Col f0wnseEd's column imlna-
dia teiy ia tre8 ted The etnlnence hear bv and
We're not pursued by Col. Bendix's men BY
| this aiuo-t criminal hlunder two men OF Col
| Townsend'5 regiment were killed nd eight
| more or less wounded.
| Hearing thiS csnnonading ana firing in his
| rear, Lieutenant Col. Wa4hburn, not know
| ing but that his communication might be Cut
| en-, immediately reversed his march, ~ did
| ca. Duryea. aud marched back 10 form y
! junction with his reserves
| Gen. Pierce, vino WAS with Col. Townseud's
| regiment, fearing that the enemy had got no.
! t!ce OF our approach aud had posted hiusplf
| in force on the line ot march, and not getting
| any communication from Col. Duryea sent
| back 10 me FOR reinforcements, and i'm inedl-
| ately ordered Col. Aliens regiment 10 be pat
| III motion, and they reached Hampton about
| O'Clock. In the meantime, the true state Of
| facts having been as"-rtained by Gau. Pierce
| the regiments ettee ted 4 junction, and resumed
! the line OF march. At the moment of the
| firing OF Col Hendix, Col. DGrYca hed sur.
| prlsed part ot an outlying guard OF the ane-
| my, consisting OF thirty persons, who n;,vc
BEEN brought IN 10 me.
of course, by this firing ali hone OF Il sur
| prise aoore the ca mp At Little Belhnl was
| lost, and, upon marching upon 1t, II was
| found 10 have baeu vacated and the 90 ", irv
had pressed toward Big Bethel Dol
| DuryeR, however, DESTROYED The camp ri Lii.
| tie Bethel and advanced. Gen. Pierce then,
a. he informs me, with the advice of his
| Colonies, thought best 10 atteppy 70 carry the
| works Of the enemy At Big Bethel, ana mace
! dispositions To tnlt effect. The attack com
menCed, AS am informed. (for l have not Vet
| received any o!iiciai repoTt) about halt pas.
| nine O'Clock,
At about ten O'Clock ieurral Pierce sent 4
| note 10 me- saying THAT there WAS q sharp en-
gageurent with the enemy, and that he thought
! i1t >1icuId Dt cbit - MAINTAIN MS position
| until reiniUrc"ments could come up. Acting
| upCn this intorula tion, Colonel Garr's Regi-
| menJ, which had been ordered IN the tnornip-
| Ia proceed rs far rs Newmarket Bridge was
| allowed 10 90 forward. | received this for
ma ton, tor which had sent a .neciaI ,n.S-
| senger about twelve o'clock. / immediately
| made dis position from Newport News to la We
| Colonel Phelps, from the four regiments there,
! forward tid Il ueceseAry As saor is these
orders Could Oe sent forward, | repaired TO
| Hampton tor the purpose OF having proper
ainoulances and wagons for the SICK and
wounded, intending 10 gO forward and ioin
| the command. While ne wagons were going
| forward, messenger came, announcing
| that the engagement had terminated, and
| that the troops were retiring III good order
| 70 camp L remained upon the ground Il
Hampton, personally seeing the wounded put
| IN boats and toTed round 10 the hospital and
| ordering forward Lieut.. Morris, with two
| boat hoWtzers, 10 cover the rear OF the re.
| turning column III case u should be attacked.
| Having been informed that The ammunition
OF the artillery had been expended, aud seeing
| the head OF the column approach Hampton ia
| good order, l waited for General Pierce To
| come up. l am informed by him that the
| dead and wounded had all been brought on,
| and that the return had be cond uc ted III order
and withO0t haste. learned fron him that
| the men behaved with great stsadiness, with
the exception of some instances, and that ,he
attack Was made with propriety, yigor and
courage, but that the enemy We're found TO be
supported by battery. variously estimated
- An AAttcH ~ ptetcsb some OF "nit.n
| were Tiiied cannon, which were very we'll
| served, and protected from being readily
turned 10y creek in front.
Our loss is very considerable, amounting
perhaps, 10 forty or fifty, quarter part OF
which you VIII see was from the unfor tuuate
nistake>-to call lit by 10 worse name--of Col.
BendA.
/ win, a. coon as official returns can be got
give a fuller detail Of the affair. and win only
add now that We have ~ regret especially the
death OF Lieut.. 1Teble, of the Second Artilie-
Tyi who went out with Col. Washburn, from