New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-06-17
THE BATTLE OF BETHEL.
Full Account from a soItIJer on the e.roun,1s
2he hne01y PIT to Flight NTH Three Huncrs9 and
Fifty Ruled and Wounlle3,

By the arrival in the city yesterday of a gentle
man direct from Virginia, we are put in oosgessio,
Of Richmond papers of the 18th, containing fnlE
accounts Of the splendid victory of the Confede-
rate forces over the Yankee invaders at the battle
of Bethel Church. The following report of IT, com
manicated to Richmond paper by soldier in the
ldhHs' a member 81 the Howitzer Company of that
Guy gi7ea clear lGes Of the battle and fts results
we ieafh' however, thaS on the day after She bat
tie an oiRcer Of the Federal Army went ir1o our
camp at Bethel with fisg Of truce, and askes per
mission to bury their dead and care for Ehefr
wounded, which was granted-and thas they fosnd
three hu11oyed and .Jtyof tie Federal troops were
| killed and wounded, and ore hundred and fifty
more were missing, This report comes from 3:
Lieutenant Of the lForth CaroliEe troops, who was
present at the battle:
IOExT0wN, 5ure IL, 186i.-ha engagement
lasting four hours took PLACE yesterday GMonaay)
between hye regiments Of the troops from Old
| Point and 100 Confederate troops consisting of
Virginians and North Csrolinians under Gen. Ma
gr9der, at Bethel Church, York oornty. Before
telling you Of the battle will give Won some cir
| eumstance3 preceding it. About two weeks ago.
| party Of $50 Yankees came up frora Hampton
and occupied Bethel Church, which ooston they
held day or two and then retired, leaving written
! on the walls of the Charch several ina oriptions
| such as sc Death to the Traitors!" Down with
the Rebels J" etc. To nearly all of these the
| pensmen signed themselves as from New York, ex-
cept one, who was from Boston, Mass, U. 81 To
these excursions into the interior, of which this
| was the boldest, Gen. Magruder determined to put
a stop, and accordingly filled the place after the
Yankees left with a few companies of his troops.
In addition to this, he determinedto carry the war
| into the eneny's country, and on Wednesday last
| Stanard's Battery of the HowitZer Battalion was
| ordered down to the Church, where it was soon
Joined by portion of Browns Battery, of the
| same corps The North Carolina Regiment under
| Col. Hill, was also there making in all about 1loG
| men, and seven howitzer guns.
| On Saturday last the first excursion of consider
| able Importance was made. A detachment of 200
infantry and a howitzer gun under Maj. Randolph,
| and one of 20 infantry and another howitzer under
Maj Lane, of the N c. regiment, started different
| routes to cut off party which had left Hampton.
| The party seen and fred at by Maj. Randolph's
detachment, but made such fast time that they es-
capped. The troops under Maj. Lane passed within
sight of Hampton, and as they turned up the road
| to return to Bethel, encountered the Yankees num-
| bering about 80, who entrenched behind
| fence in the field, protected by high bank. Our
| advance guard fired on them. and in another mo-
| ment the North Carolinians were dashing over the
| fence in regular French (not New York; zouave
style, firing at them in real squirrel hunting style
The Yankees fled for their lives after firing for
about three minutes without effect, leaving behind
| them three dead and prisoner The fellow was
| stout, ugly fellow from Troy, N. Y. He said that
| he had nothing against the South, but somebody
| must be soldiers and he thought he had well
enlist. None of our men were hurt
This bold excursion, under the very guns OF the
enemy, determined the authorities at Old Point to
put stop to it and clear out from Bethel. This
determination was conveyed to us by persons who
came from the neighborhood of the enemy. On
Monday morning about 900 infantry and two
guns, under Gen. Magruder, left the camp and pro-
| ceeded towards Hampton; but after advancing
mile two, received information that the Yankees
| were coming in large force. We then retired, and
after reaching camp the guns were placed in bat
terry and the infantry took their places behind their
| breastwork. Everybody was cool, and all were
anxious to give the invaders good reception.
About o'clock the glittering bayonets of the
enemy appeared on the hill opposite and above
| them waved the Star Spangled Banner. The mo-
ment the head of the column advanced far enough
| to show one or two companies, the Parrot gun OF
the Howitzer Battery opened on them throwing
shell right into their midst Their ranks broke in
confusion, and the column, as much of it as we
could see, retreated behind two small farm houses
From their position fire opened on US, which
was replied to by our battery. which commanded
the route of their approach. Our firing was excel
lent and the shells scattered in all directions when
they burst. They could hardly approach the guns
which they were firing for the shells which came
from our battery. Within encampment fell a
| perfect hail storm of canister shot, bullets and
balls. Remarkable to say, not one of our was
killed inside of our encampment. Several horses
were slain by the shells and bullets.
Finding that bombardment would not answer
the enemy, about II O'Clock, tried to carry the po
sition by assault but met terrible repulse at the
hands of the infantry he tried to scale the breast
| works. The men disregarded sometimes the
defences erected for them, and leaping on the en-
bankment, stood and fred at the Yankees, cutting
| them down as they came up. One company of the
| New ork Seventh Regiment, under Capt. Ward
rop, or Winthrop, attempted to take the redoubt
| on the left. The marsh they crossed was strewn
| with their bodies. Their Captain, n fine looking
man, reached the fence, and leaping on log,
waived his sword, crying, q come on, boys; one
| charge and the day is ours.n The words were his
last, for Carolina rife ended his life the next mo-
ment, and his men fed in terror back. At the re-
doubt on the right company of about three hun
| dred New York ZOuGves charged one of our guns,
but could not stand the fire of the infantry, and
| treated precipitately.
During these charges the main body of the en-,
| emy, on the hill, were attempting to concentrate
| for d general assault, but the shell from the
| Howitzer Battery prevented them. As one regi-a
ment would give up the effort another would be
| marched to the position, but with no better sue
cess for shell would scatter them like chaff. ,The
| men did not seemGbie to. stand fire at all.
About one O'CLOCK their guns were sileneed, and,
| cpately down the road to Hampton.
| Our cavalry, numbering three companies, went
in pursuit. and harrassed them down to the edge Of
Hampton. As they retTeated' many of the wounded
| Hampton st1ewn with haversacEs. overcoats,
| canteens, muskets, etc. which the mca had thrown
off in their retreat.
After the battle, visited the position they held,
The houses behind which they had been hid had
| been burnt'by our troops. Around the yard were
the dead bodies,of the men who haG been killed by
| our cannon mangleA in the most fcightful manner
| by the Shells. The uniforms on the bodies weras
very different, aa& many of them are like those OF
the Virginia sOdieFy. little farther on we came
to the pontto whch they had carried some of their
| wounded; who had since died. The gay looking
uniforms of tbs, New York Iouavss contrasted
| greatly with the paled, fixed faces Of their oead
| owners. Going to the swamp through which they
attempted to pass to assault our lines, presented
| another bloody scene Bodies do5sed the black
morGss from one end to the other. saw one BOY
ish delicate looking fellow lying: ca the mud with
ballet hole through his oreasts His hand:,was
pressed on the wound from which his life blood had
poured and the other clen5hed in tho grass
that grew near him. Lying on the ground was a
| Testament which had tallsu from his pocket, dab
blad with blood. On opening the cover found the
| printed inscription Presented to the Defenders
Of their-oonDtry, by the ~New Cork Bible Society,"
An Unita8 States flag vas also stamped apon the
| title page
| ArlcGg the haversacks picked up along the
routa Eere many letters from the Northosn States.
asking if they liked, the Southern farms. and il
the Southern barharians lad been whipped out
Il yet
Il Taa force of the enemy brought against us was.
4009 according to.the statement OF tie SIX prison.
er5s we took. O4rs was ll00. Their loss IN Killed
AID wounded mast be Esarly 200. CGr loss IS enc
killed and thres wounded. The fatat,c was that
G2 a North Cacaliuian who vounteefeA,to hre enc
, Of the heuses behind which they we're stationed.
> He started fran the areastwork % accomplish it,
) bu+ ,,o. rL,t in head. HI died this mOPutnu