The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-06-28
A sharp Criticism on the Great Bethel
Affair.

n sharp CRITICISM on the Great Bethe
Affair.
The Boston journal publishes III,
following sharp criticism on th,
Great Bethel affair, from the pen o
an eye witness:
OF the battle, suffice it to say tha
it was begun without any knowledg,
of the enemy's position; and so
withou any plan, it was carried OF
without any orders, each man fight
ing on his own hook, and it wal
ended tittingly by a rout and a re
treat, during which, had the enem,
been IN condition, they might have
killed our men like sheep. Anc
more-the retreat was ordered wher
the NJ massachusetts, men had alread,
partially gained the enemy's rear
and when little more energy anC
perseverance would have given n.
the victory. The enemy's position
was masked in front by bushes anc
trees, and was fanked by woods and
swamps, thus puzzling a man who
had few rules to fight by, and
could 90 no further. Yet tue retrea,
was the most unspeakably disgrace
fnl Of all. A fresh regiment arrived
just before the retreat was ordered
Another wns advancing, and yet in
'nch hurry did the men retreat
that eight wounded men, one scl,
man, and two dead men were left
behind, to the tender mercies Of the
enemy, to say nothing OF the strag.
glers. Nothing but the cowardice
OF band Of some eighty Virginia
horsemen, who pursued us, saved a
little squad OF thirty, and all these
wounded, from being cut off
Nothing can express the sense Of
shame which every Soldier here
feels. Gen. Pierce S name is now n
synonym for imbeciIity, and the
least the Soldiers here will be sat.
istied with is that he be recalled or
compelled to resign. Now, have
told n dark and shameful story, but
it is true, every word Of It. In
bright relief to this is the conduct
Of may priva'es. So far as there
was any battle, every man fought
pretty much on his own hook. and
Massachusetts men and the Z,nave.
we're in the fore front. Three Of the
four Massachusetts men who were
killed icll on the very edge Of the
trench behind which the enemv's
rlil'mcn were standing. From this
time on, tho cry Of the men is, give
us men from the regular army, il
he be only a Lieutenant. TO lead US
q man whose business it is TO fight
and we will follow him rather thar
any civilian officer" Had POOR
Credible, who was murdered and
every man who died was murdered
led us. we would have taken the
tn" place, doubtless, with the loss of
scarce Il life.
a Serge ant Major who is here, an
Italian. who has sindicd seven years
in the military schools of Italy. has
hc'd n Majors commission under
Ghr!baIdi, fought with him in Eu-
rope and South America, and now
carries four scars of wounds received
in battle. makes the following crit.
iciSms: II was n blunder 10 take
ont raw recruits at night. 1t was
hlunder 10 start in the night with
force three times AS large as that of
the enemy. IL was a blunder 10 st rt
OIL without a train of siege pieces,
when fine park was in the fort
1t was = blunder TO start off when the
General did not know the character
Of the position he was to attack. 1t
WAS blunder 10 start without am.
hnlanccs, etc for the wounded -
Everything of thar kind we were
compelled to plnnder from the in
habi'an's. Much more might be
said, bnt this is enough.
Yours truly,
j. Henry JONES.