Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-06-13
Battle OF sethei-A militant Affair.

Battle Of Bethei-A Brilliant Affair.
The fuller ,ccounts received yesterday mpart to The
sgs, at Bethel a much greater Importance than had
attached 20 It, It was pitched bat,Ie-with great odd
10 favor Of the enemy-and brilliant and almost blood
less victory to U.s. We give below letter from gaan
Young soldiers member of the Hovizers-who was il
the thckest Of the SIGHT With only one killed and q
10 with slight flesh wounds it would seem that Providence
IS protecting she brave defenders Of their homes anC
liberties Let the same spirit and determination to con
quer or die which characterized the heroes Of Bethel
animate every vrgniln on all OCCASIONS without regarc
to odds aud we shall soon see the foul invaders driven
from our land
TUESDAY, Nav 18th 1861.
avail myself Of the kindness Of Mr. L., TO send YOU
an accoun, Of the battle of Bethel Church, the only
battle have been in yet
We received orders ABOUT o'clock P. NJ, Sunday tc
ion Capt Brown al Bethel which is sixteen miles from
Yorktown. Everything was got in order Immediately
tor marching and got under way about o'clock and
reached Bethel aoou, 10 thar night We camped on The
ground and had a very good nights rest.
We had just finished breakls. Monday morning when
the scouts ia st u speed and reported the enemy
advancing on Us aud only about two miles of. Every
thing was soon got in order TO give them warm recep
uoa We waited for hour the expiration Of wbici
time We caught glimpse Of the advance guard Of the
enemy marching in solid body about threequar;ers o.
mile OIL. We occupied high piece Of ground, partl,
sheltered by woods. The enemy were posted On hig-
piece Of ground also, about quarter OF a mile Of
vine running between the two armies
s,,r a. shp fuar-v -,,z,Ifor VA o~--a1 rrfr
them from our batteries fgag hres or four shots before
tboy were replied TO- the enemy cheering Justify in the
meantime our shots being considerably on. Of range
which gave them some encouragement. But tieir cAeeI
were soon changed 20 groaas os tlo fourth shot scat
tered bem right and lef After that they opened upon
rs d terrific FIRE CT ease. gran, aud shell. which ie
sroucd us as thick as hail were.urnei their FIRE prompt
II with SIX Of our pieces When the action b,,aue gsr
raj some twelve or fourteen pieces bechag forth thua.
der al the time.
The ensmy5 guns were Of superior c-la-c TO ou--.-
The ground all around vas p,oUghedlp IN !gr.ovsty
their bolbs and the grape and the small shot we're scat
tered over Che a,Jls rain. TIE ground on each side
was contested for sU11orly bc. they c7-l no, stand
the vel directed -e trcu ols batteries and % get "a OF
81 attempted 90 srs on tie right a1d 5f side q: The
same time but obey were met by calling fire from Che
North Carolina regiment and the Vrc,ail1s who ucr,
euJgeachc5 o. eiAc5 side Their cs1coa ceased PLAYING
upon Us for amc, and they commenced heayy tire O.
uusSetry.
The action commenced at o'clock in the morning
and vas KEEP, up ill O'Clock, p. H. an ircessszt fri-g
going on al tie time. -Four or FIVE steps from me-
mule killed, tie ball passing through him. One o.
the howiJzsf horses, ridden b7 Young McRse, son
Colonel AcR15l received bal. in the shoulder vh'cl
made him manageable aud Oh tour vent Ola. full
speed with the c-isscl GcR Jumped off aad made h,
way into the eutrencamens without; hurt -Four or five
horses were killed, dropping dead 10 their tracks.
The enemy outu-u5e-ei us nearly log- 90 one they
counting about FIVE thousand, We a5Cu. thirteen hug
dred they having also The advantage OF position. Th,y
approached sometimes Within seycnty-Gye Yards Of Us
but they could not stand the deadly Ere of our sharp
shooters They were in marshes and behind trees, an,
had fair chance US but they could Lot shoot liz,
our boys.
They were under command Of Butler. Colonel Waters
of the New York sd reg=en,, was killed and his BODY
left upon the field. good many officers we're touu5
upon the Held, and four Eve prisoners taken. The,
rs;reated in disorder battery playing upon then
AL the WHILE causing great slaughter among the Zouayes
conspicuous for ,heis red pautllooas and caps
the loss OF the enemy amounts to from two hundred auc
nifty to three hundred The injury to our side is one
killed young Wyatt Of Richmond and eight or te
wounded. Among these are sbree of the Hov.zer mer
Joha werth has desh wound above the knee, not a, al
dangerous In their slight the enemy left great man,
things behind ,beu.
vent over the field after the fight The Sigh. Va.
sickering Here lay the body of Zouave the bloc
s.il gushing from bis wound little further The bod,
Of one Of other regiment with his musaet in hi.
Cleacled hand and all about las the dead. with thei
ewes glazed and fixed Ba. have neither lime nor dis
position describe the results Of the just AID terrible
punishment visited upon the wre,ches who have dared ~
invade our soil.
In the evening, returned to Yorktown, from which
place send you these notes, written in great haste.
P S-I should have mentioned that our force was
commanded by Gen. Nagruder in person The Lousian.
regimen, rsae1e the 6ei soou. one hour after the fb
ended quckug nearly all the way from yorktown
From the Dispatch Extra Of yesterday.
YORKTOWN, June IIth, 1851.
You have no doub. hesrd, long ago, Of the battle
which took place o. Monday and Of the glorious vic.
tory which she result Nevertheless will venture
10 10 my mite, ahougI l.rua.e.y speak uot a.
an eyewitness bavi1g been left behind With seventeen
Others Of 10Y company, not worthy u presume) to
feed powder IN the Of the Southern COnieteracy
send you ar outline, prepared under the eve OF Off
Ger Of high rank, who had a Distinguished command on
the occasion. From i- your readers vii be enabled 10
form q just idea OF the locality, AID the marGuvrcs
without feeling themselves coufused By the details
which are always cucumber the narrative Of an
inexperienced writer, o. Of VINO writes UPON con
tracIed view Of the whole field
OUTLINE.
The road from Bethel Church 70 Hampton runs South
The Coasder1tes posted themselves both sides of It at
the Church, facing down the read 70 Hampton. The L.
s. troops came up il until within artillery range and
planted their battery IN the road but screened from sglt
by a small house snd by woods. The Confederate bat
terry on the right aud close 20 the road opened on the L.
s. battery and the column 10 It's rear Tle L. S. bat
terry replied and columns Of L. S tsoos wheeled TO tie
right and Left crced around the position Of the Coned
ers=s aud assaulted it on the right and Left. On the
GIT Of the C0aiederates there outer line Of dc
fence consisting Of battery Of hoWitzer supported
by Colonel Suart's battshon entrenched on the rich
and Company Of North Csr5n2 infantry entreached on
me Iett The howzer becoming spiked by the breaking
OF Puang wire vas run back into the bushes and the
nianry supports retired The outer line being lost tie
I. > troops approached aud opened a heavy FIRE OF
mustey on TIE Conedera,es concentrated on the hill az
the Church ou. owing the thick growth of woods IL