The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-07-04
A Sharp Criticism on the Great Bethe,
Affair. ~


/ The Boston journal publishes tn,
following sharp criticism on the Grea
Bethel affair from the pen of an eye
witness
OF the battle, sufficient to say that i
was begun without any knowledge 0
the eneiny's position, and SO withou
any plan it was carried on without any
orders, each man fighting on his owr
hook, and it was ended fittingly by 9
routo and retreat, during which, had
the enemy been in conditionthey might
have killed our men like sheep. u And
more the retreat was ordered when
the Massachusetts, men had already
partially gained the enemy's rear, and
when a little more energy and perse-
verance would have given us the VIC
tory. The enemy's position was
masked in front by, bushes and trees,
and was flanked by woods and swamps
thus puzzling a man who, had a few
rules to fight by, and could mot 60 nc
farther Yet the retreat was the most
unspeakably disgraceful of all. A fresh
regiment arrived just before the retreat
was ordered Another was advancing,
and yet in such a hurly burly did the
men retreat that eight wounded men,
one sick man, and two dead men were
left behind to the tender mercies of the
enemy, to say nothing of the stragglers
Nothing but the cowardice of band
of some eighty Virginia horsemen who
pursued us, saved little squad O
thirty, and all these wounded from be
ing cut off. ~ ''.'.
Nothing can express the sense o.
shame which every soldier here feels
Gen. Pierce's name is now synonym
for imbecility and the least the soldiers
here will be satisfied with is that he be
recalled or compelled to resign Now
l have told a dark and shameful story,
but it is true, every word of it. In
bright relief to this is the conduct Of
my privates. So far as there was any
battle every man fought pretty much
on his own hook; and Massachusetts,
men and the Zouaves We're in the fore
front. Three of the four or five Massa-
chusetts men who were killed fell on
the very edge Of the trench behind
which the enemy's rifemen were stand
Ing. From this time on the cry of the
men is, give us men from the regular
army if he be only a Lieutenant to lead
us--a man whose business. it is to fight
and we will follow him rather than
any civilian officer. Had poor Greble,
who was murdered--and every man
who died was murdered-led US, we
would have taken the place doubtless
with the loss of scarce life. '-'''
A sergeant major who is here, ar
Italian who has studied seven years ir
the military schools of Italy, has held
a majors commission under Garibaldi
fought with him in Europe and South
America, and now carries four scars o
wounds received in battle, makes the
| following criticisms. 1t was blundel
to take outraw recruits at night. II
was a blunder to start in the night with
a. force three times. as large as that Of
the enemy. 1t was blunder. to start
off without train of siege pieces
when a fine park was in the fort i
was blunderl to start off when the
General did not know the character Of
the position he was to attack 1t wa:
a blunder to start without ambulances,
&C., for the wounded. Everything oi
thatleind we were compelledto plander
from the inhabitants Much more
might be said; but this is enough.
st'h3 h'i'i p" " Vours truIvl s-liG4& as
t9gidaJ moIl ,slsJ. HENRY JONES. 4