Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-06-18

ba .chooled into generssbp but the education 10 too
cosy The people will not consent that their best and
brsvest-tbs patriots who first FASTENED to the protsc-
tom of the Uniou aud the soldiers Who In the very hour
of merrill proved how much valuable they 10 be
TINS s.crced-shall DO squandered to political
hacks into heroes aud balance aud adjust the chances
of future Presidential campaign We must have lead
ers worthy of men, or the army will perish through
kess slaughter melt away through disgust and de-
decentralization. Let the administration see 70 Is.
From the Of the lsth.
Raore recording any thing more than interocutory
Judgment upon the disaster near yorktown, justice re-
oaires US to await the official dispatches Of Gen Butler
inat these had not reached Washington as promptly AZ
the detailed accounts Of newspaper correspondents Is the
occasion of surp ise Tie probability IT, however that
Cen BUTLER ndisposed let bis report OF the mis
hap 70 forward without the panode of subsequent sue
a. ard that when he shall be heard from he will have
tls of indicated honor tell While therefore, we re
tain the impression conveyed by the first rumor oil the
busine.s-an impression extremely uufavorabls to the
IN litary skill and good Judgment OF those who ordered
and conducted the unfortunate dion /. only
s,n.ble TO suspend final opinion until the officers have
made their defence.
While therefore,we cannot on such evidence as u
now public acquit Gen. BsrLIR Of imprudence and sub
ordinate officer Of stupidity and oowardce, 1t Is fair tt
SAY that measure Of the responsibility is to be sscrbec
70 an inproyidence for which they lot slswerabe
1t is onl' to be regretted that With knowledge OF suct
fatal cecencies the commanders should have conducted
their operations as if no such deficiencies existed.
From the New York Daily Nevi
-sn The conflict at Bethel a name suggestive o
other horghs than OF slaughter, initiates the campagi
in Virginia Who can tell the long list Of engagement
that ere to follow unless an unlocked Tor and provi5en
tia nterposon snail the terrible drama OF ratri
cdi hate end mu usl destruction! Have our rulers NJ
Arber but the sword and terms but submission e
propose to those who their brethrcns Where Is tn
conca,ory and affecting spirit which pervades the las
words of counsel that Washington and Jackson left as e
gacies TO their cOuntrywen,
We have many other extracts from Northern papers
but the foregoing sufficient to show how the news wa
received Tue New York Herald the rebels Lad con
sructed an enlrenched camp, comprising Fix batteries o
rasd cannon and sixtyeight weyepound bowiIers; an
in another place the paper sludes to the capture
IL 900 rebels" and shout joyousy -"Butlsr evidently
tue right man in the righ, place !"
rHs BALrIMoRs REPUBLICANS ACCOUNT.
The following account s from the Baltimore Republi
can Of Wednesday afternoon. There are inaccuracies
it. one of which is the oversatemeDt OF the Confede
rate loss Tne loss of the Federass put down at 400
in killed. wounded and missing, which comedies With th
accounts we have received from Yorktown, and ia, WI
doubt not, correct:
By the arrival this morniog of the steamer Georgian
na, Captain Prarson. from Fortress Monroe, we arr
ssion of additional particulars relative TO the lat
bltt!e and the further details show thet the defeat
the Federal troops has been moro complete and disas
rous than at first reported The detaIls, as the!
come to hand from other sources attest that the vc'oJ
of the Virgnians ia Of uncommon brilaDcy, ant
the repuse Of the Federal troops equally disastrous ant
disgrsceiu.
Among the regulars at the Fortress, great surprise
and indignation expressed that Butler should haze
permitted so large force to leave on this expedition
without himself accompanying them. Both the oficer
and men of the regiments engaged, as general thing
49, anfu AL
on the part Of the regulars who claim that all the fight
ing that was dons by the few artierists who &C
companied them" The mistske" as it is official
termed by Butler through which Col BendiIs German
Regimen. defeated Col Townssnds Albany Regiment
the latter having iDgloriousy fled in the widest coniu
spn upon the tall OF three OIL their men, SUBJECT
universal ridcue.
Butler condemned Pierce the cause OF their defeat
and Pierce attempts 10 throw the odium upon Ma o
Winthrop Who, he charges gave the order which eI
posed the troops the fatal fire Of the Confederses-
while all eX ept Butler himself thiLk be SHOULD have
led the expedition. The lie o! E'J'r Winthrop is ye
A matter OF doubt. He was at fret supposed 10 have
been killed as he was missing when the repulsed Fed
eri troops made inquiry into the eIent OF their LOSE
uDou arriving q. Hampton alter rapid retreat Oh over
eight miles However, as no one, so far as can DO az
csrtained him fall various cojectures now account
for abseppe-sGme think be was ked, some that he
was sakeu prisoner, anu otsrs tst no Is laas IL the
woods, near the scene of their defeat.
/, is stated positively at Hampton that Col j. b. Ma
ruder was n command of the Confederate forces which
contested of one artillery corps, with one hundred men
and -x pieces cavalry corps OF one hundred and three
hundred rnene .,.G :..rry-h'e hundred in all. AL,
sc the cavalry we've advance force from yorktown,
.ul were engaged ia erecting battery weta tic engage
uen took place to intercept The ddyaccc of B1th on
Yorktown About Two HlGe from Great Bethel the forces
OF Pierce discovered Of the cavalry which trom
Hampton, doing duty as pic&ets'
Taag succeeded in capturing one Of them, who loved
to be Captain Whiting and who is said to have allow ed
himself e taken il order TO enable his conrads
cape reach the calp, ana report 49, sprroach OF
the enemy to Colonel MGgrudIr. His confade started
fu speed TO give the alarm wheE the pprsuers led
several shots him. and although supposed to be wound
ed he fell upon the geek OF his hOre be succeeded in
reaching the Confederate camp and ensOl Col. Magru
der to hastily prepare for battle before his enemy cac up
IL bad previously burned the bridge and has men
were engaged in digging trench and throwieg up
breastTOTks when the wounded picket announced the
rapid approach Of the foe oil Il then planted bis SIX
pieces the bank Of the .tfeam-our in the front
rank and the other tSo short distance III the rear,
rho hill side with bis rid men and infantry ia the
flashed trench, aud his cavalry thrown back re-
serve.
The Federal troops moved up to the opposite side Of
the stream with three pieces in tho front Of the col
umn, commanded b3 Lieutenant Grebe, apparently gn
Of the position of the Confederate forces u1t
they had opened them with their artillery ril IS and
The shock was so gres. that tho advance
colum fell back in great confusion leaving their dead
and wounded rhers they fell
Lieut. G.eble then planted his battery in piece Of
woods on side OF the road, by which they had sp
prosched and the principal portion of PeEces command
rushed into This wood where they were formed for bat
tie. Col Duryces Zouaves took Q position in and be-.
hind bsrh on the opposite side of the road where the
land cleared, but Col MsgruderI artillery dis
lodged them AID drove them out
The rapid aud effective FIRE Of the Conederates into
the woods thew the Federal troops again into CON-
fui9n and slenced Ethe battery Of Lieut. Grebe, Col
Naguder having moved tao oil his four ront rack guns
farther up the HILL that he was enabled to rake the
from three points, with crcss-Ere.
The Confederate loss, reported, three men killed
and ten twelve wounded, while the oss OF General
Pierce is nearly quite four hundred in killed, wounded
and missing
Colonel Duryee, ard Captain Fitzpatrick of his reg
ment, are SAID have borne themselves with marked
bravery, and in vain attempted TO induce their Zousve
regiment to maintain their position. Captain Fitzpatrick
was wounded in the leg by cannon ball, the same
having carried eff one Of Colonel TownserGs epsulet,es
before striking Captain X. His wounds considered
dangerous The loss of the Zouaves was seven killed
forty-two wounded, and fifteen missing.
Colonel Townsend, of the Albany regiment, driven to
desperation BY The Disgrace attached TO bis command
from ther brush with Colonel BendiI's &c mena 10
said TO have exhibited reckless daring, 10 trying
gain the good they bore before they had bsea tried
and it was deemed wonderful that Colonel To snsend es.
capped 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 Confede.
rate forces is only some eighteen twenty yards in
width, yet effort made to cross over to Col Ma.
gruders battery When the order was at length given
retreat the Federal troops started in wild confusion,
and Col Magruder ordered his cavalry IN nnrsue the
which they did with deadly effect and also secured
number of prisoners. The cavalry followed them seye-
raj miles, seriously harrassng the Of the retreang
army.