Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-06-27
Battle Of Bethel Church.-Oaic,.,

no.
SIR have the honor to report tbat ~ ",%tGq;
orders from the Colonel commaudino~ Ia
9th inst. with my Regiment and fonr ,;nd On the
RandoIphs battery from Yorktown IN t tL Of Mai
Road, to Bethel Church, miles from Hamn+n hampton
we reached there, after dark, on wet pr u;n,
slept without tents Early on the mornn,, ngnt and
made reconnaissance OF the ground nrs1 VI the 7h
fortifyng. found branch of Back P;1n. paraoy
and encircng our right flank On our left III Our front
and almost impossible wood except aho+ was dense
of old field. The breadth of the road . lou Yards
and narrow cultivated field covered onr "Ick Wood
nature of the ground determined me to ,0a aN' The
closed work, and had the Invaluable a;5 an En-
Col Lee, OF my regiment, IN its plan aud ut
Our position had the Inherent defect If ~, uclon
1nanded by an immense field immediatov j Is CON-
it, upon which the masses of the enemv - 'front.' Of
readily deployed. Presuming an attemnt 6Gt be
made to carry the bridge across the srasr, would be
was made for it's especial protection and Mai oate
placed his guns so as to sweep all the
The occupation of two commanding emineroae TO
the creek and on our right would have greatly ld
ened position, but our force Was too waoi ,oenSG
of the occupation of more than one of tham " admit
terry was laid out on it for of Randophs H o
We had only 25 spades, 6 axes and hicks Izer
were busy piled all day and night of the I'm I
on the 9h On the afternoon of the 8tb arnu5 a Gay
marauding party of the enemy was In few miles ne
called for party of "a men to drive them back
Roberts, of f company of my regiment prompJv uI
ded, and in five minutes his command was en- ron
tached Maj. Randolph with one howitzer to ion Ill., d
Lieut.. Col. Lee. lst Regiment n. c. VoInn,oo1L aud
quested and was granted permission to take co re
of the whole. After march of five miles tIo On'llaOd
across the marauders busy the spoils of zane
house. A shell put the punderers TO liah.tq
they were chased over New Market Bridge wbs. aud
little force was halted In consequence Of the preno
a considerable body stationed on the other side Tf
Toe in
enemy were killed and wounded is not known Nn. NC
our command was hurt. Soon after Lieut. Col IoTS@
a citizen came dashing in with the information tbo.
marauders were on the Back River road carS 90 20
Capt McDowell's Company E of the LIST Regimen NJ
G. Volunteers and in three minutes it waS IN bot Nv
suit Lieut.. West of the Howitzer Battalion with Pa
piece was detached to join them, and Mai Lana a.
regiment, volunteered to assume command of the wb!
After weary march, they encountered dsrersqd ori
chased the wretches over New Market briIge-tisI,p
ing the second race the same day over the New Nv
ket course, in both of which the Yankees reached %
goal firss. Major Lane brought in one prisoner P1.
BILE citizens reported that two cart loads aud one bn
load of wounded were brought into Hampton. WeEi
not a single man killed or wounded Col. Msrrnis
came up hat evening and assumed command
On Sunday the ninth, fresh supply of tools pror,
us to put more men to work. and when not epgaoq1
religious duties, the worked. vigorously on tb4 n
trenchments. We were aroused a. 3 O'Clock on Man
day morning, for general advance upon the erpmv
and marched 3 a miles, when we reached that tn. ri
large force was within few hundred yards of U.s. W.
fell back hastily upon our entrenchmtnts and AWAITED
the arrival Of invaders. Lieut.. Col. Stewart Off
Sd Va. Regiment, having joined US with SOM lSOmp7
was stationed the hill the extreme right beyond
the creek, and company of my Regiment was also
thrown over tie stream to protect TIE Howzr under
Capt. Brown. Capt. Bridgers of company A, lstNC
regiment took post in the dense wood beyond and TO tie
left of the bridge. Mai. Montague, with three compl
MES of his battalion, ordered up from the rear and
took post right, beginning at the Church ande
tending along the entire front on that side. This fe
body of men, and the gallant command OF Lieut.. Co.,
Stewart worked with great rapidity and in an houd
constructed temporary shelters against the enemy fire.
just O'Clock, A. NJ, the heavy columns Of theua
my were seen approaching rapidly and in good order
but when Randolph opened upon them at 81 their or
ganization was completely broken up. The enemy
promptly replied with his Artillery, firing brsky and
wildly, and made an attempt at deploymen on our rph
of the road, under cover of some houses and pang
They WERE however, promptly driven back by our Ar
tlery, Virginia company (the Life Gnard) and con.
panies, B, Q, and G, of my Regiment The enemg no&
no deployn1ent wathan nuSkery range during the dag
except under of qOoOdS, fences paiing Undr
cover of the trees, he moved strong column to an Old
ford some q of mile below where had placed picket
of some forty men. Col Magruder sent Capt Worls
under Sergeant Crane, to drive back this column which
was done by single shot from the howizr. Before
this, printing wire had been broken in the vent ts
hoWitzer commanded by Capt. Brown and renderedus-
less A force estimated at 1900 was now attempting
Outlank and get in the rear of Lieut. COL SeWan3
small command. He was accordingly directed tOtaI6N6
and the whole of our advanced troops were withdrawn
At this critical moment | directed Lieut. col LIE 70
call capt. Bridgers out of the swamp and Odr hint
occupy the nearest advanced work and | ordr,d capt.
Ross, company O., LIST Regiment n. G. Volunteers
the support of Lieut. col. Stewart These two captains
with their companies, crossed over to Randophs battery
under most heavy fire, in the most gallant nan0a-
AS Lieut. col. Stewart had withdrawn, capt Ross was
detained at the church near Randolp hS Battery Capt.
Brdgers, however crossed over and drove The Z)uay
out of the advanced HOwitzer Battery and TeOc0pH
it. 1t is impossible to overestimate this service Lac
cded the action in our favor. la obedience to Ooa'
from col. Magruder Lieut.. COL Stewart rushed Oa.a'
and spite of the presence of foe ten times his super"
in numbers, resumed in the most heroic maIn3r posi-
sion OF his entertainments A fresh howzT was cfIEi
across and placed in the Battery, and capt AVay~
company e was directed to defend it at all haz Gd We
were now secure st the beginning OF the 19oN a
as yet had no man killed. The enemy finding bu'D
foiled on right flank next made his final d'ly,
stration on our left. strong column suppotu
consist of volunteers from different regiments ana u.
der command of captain Winthrop Ad-dec.IP
Gen. Butler, crossed over the creek and appear
the angle on our left. Those in advance had pl' y.
our distinctive badge of white band around toe r
and they cried out repeatedly don't fire" Ilsa
was practised to enable the whole column to 81 ,
the creek and form in good order They now % o1
to cheer most Justify thinking that our WORK was G
at the gorge and that they could get IN 6y su
rush. Companies and q, however soon ds 9a C
illusion by cool, deliberate and well directed me- o o
one Magruder sent over portions of G. ana row
| nf N
gan as cool firing on our side as was ever wiDes.
The three field officers of the regiment were Pr.
and but few shots were fred without their RE nI os
the men repeatedly saying may fire. do5 jl seemed
bring him." They were all in high g5 o4I Capt
Winthrop, while most CALAMITY on his T nb F
utmost precipitation So far my oD rSo eRbo
died. he was the only one of the enemy WIZ rboe day.
an approximation to courage during tnl ,;nns; il
The fight at the angle lasted but twenty 3o op no fur,
completely discouraged the enemy and ne Ia mich had