The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-06-13

.rs..tL ooKK8sPoNDRscE OF The DISPATCH.
IoRRrowS, June II, 1861.
engagement. lasting four hours. took place
v.-r.rtay Monday between five regiments of
....raep= from old Point and loo Confed
.-.,, r,ops consisting Of NirSinians and
E-h Ca7oiini4us, under General Magruder
-. B-,hvl Church, York county. Before tell
- VOC OF The battle, Will give Won some
instances preceding IL. About two weeks
.., a party OF 30 Yankees came up from
Hampton and occupied Bethel Church which
.-...lru they held Il day or two and then re-
a,-. leaving written on the walls of the
,1l..A several inscriptions, such as death
,..Lr Traitors =" Down with the Rebels 80
To nearly All Of these the names of the
wr',r- we're detiAntly signed, and all Of the
p...-.,a signed themselves as from New
}..s except one. who was from "Boston.
.s-a L. :. To these excursions into
rho Interior. OF which this was the boIdest.
General MaZrUder determined to put {. stop.
AMI as-0rdiugly flied the place after the Yam
sp,,- Iet, with Il few companies OF his own
troops In addition 10 this, he determined TO
..trry he war into the eneInF'S country, and
.. Wednesday last Sutnard's battery of the
81 ntl-T battalion was ordered down 10 the
church, where II was soon Joined by p0T-
ZION ~ Brown'E battery. of The same corps
The North Carolina Regiment, under Colonel
N.U vas also there, making in all about J, loo
s.-l. and seven howitzer guns.
tu Stturiay last thu first ursi0n or CON
Siderable importance was made 4 detnch-
r.r,.- II 1Ht infantry and hUwitZar gan un-
.:.rMt Randolph, and one OF 20 infantry,
..t another howItaer unter Mai. Lane. Of the
~ g regiment, started different routes TO cut
CIT party which had LETT Hampton. The
f.t-ly va ssru and fired At by Mai. Ran
3 '- t-F II i~f
r'tt they escaped Tie troops under Mai
i.s..-. pa-sed within sight Of Hampton, and
.- ,A"v turned up the road 10 return 10
Bethel, encountered the Yankees, nun boring
about ~, who were en treuchrd behind 4 fence
tu H.. Held, protected by high bank. Our
advance guard fred on them, and i'll another
moment the North Csrolinians were ASKING
over the fence III regular French mot New
Iu.E Xuuasa style. firing at them III real
r4ulrr-i hunting style. The Yankees fled for
liz. 3 hives after firing for about three minutes
v;nout effect. leaving behind them three
dead aud a prisoner. The fellow was Z tout,
ugly fellow from Troy, n. Y. He said that
be- htA nothing against the South. but some.
BODY must BE- soldiers, and he thought he had
Ia Wlil enlist. None OF our men were hurt.
rhss bold eNcErElOn, under the very guns of
the enemy. determined the authorities at Old
POINT 10 put "A stop y il and clear lis out from
B-,Arl THIS determination was conveyed 10
u. - persons who came from the neghbor-
Ap.i ~ the enemy. On Monday morning,
about t-J Infantry and TWO guns, under Gen.
Nsgru1rr. left the camp and proceeded to-
wards Hampton but after advancing 4 mile
or tao, received Information that the Yankees
we've coming IN large force. We then retired,
sud after reaching camp The guns were
Ill.~j. ~ battery, and the infantry took their
places behind their bTeastwork. Every body
Wa cool. and sll were anxious TO give the i'll
NHdrTs \ good reception.
About O'Clock the glittering bayonets of
th- rhrIny appeared on the hill opposite, and
above them waved the Star Spangled Banner.
The moment the head OF the column ad vauced
tgr enough 10 show one OF two compaales, the
Parrot gun OF the HowitZer Battery opened
Ga them, throwing i she'll right into their
uid-t. Their ranks broke in confusion, and
PIE column, OF n much Of it As We could see,
!ctrrAtsd behind two small farm houses -
Prom their position u fire opened on us,
RLlch was replied to by our battery which
commanded the route OF their approach. Our
NTIug was excellent, and the shells scattered
IA all directions when they burst. They
could hardly approach the guns which they
we've lining for W. shells hitch came from
our battery Within our ehcampment fell d
perfect hail storm OF canister shot. bullets
ana btlls, remarkable 10 say, not one of OuI
men was killed inside OF our encaInpment.-
>'~"rsl horses We're slain by the shells and
bullets.
I.D4Ing that bombardment would not an
-Ner, the enemy, about IL O'Clock, tried tC
,arTy Jhe position By assault, but met q terri
hie repulsv - the hands of the infantry as ht
tTi-C 10 ale the breastworks. The men dis
regarded sometimes the detences erected fol
them, aud, IeapIug on the emoankment, stooc
and fired At the Yankees, cutting them down
s., tney came up One company OF The Ne"
OK seventh Regiment, under Capt. Ward
Top. or Winthrop, attempted TO take the re-
doubt on the left. The marsh they crossed
"a7 strewn with their bodies Ihell
captain, a tine looking man, reached
TIE fence, and lcaping on Il log, waved his
sword CRYING, Come on, boys; one charg,
an1 lne day Is ours" The words We're HI,
last for Il Carolina ride ended his life the mex
I4yu.eut and his men fled In terror back. A
re r,doubt on the right a company OF abou
80. N~w York ZouAyos charged one OF ouI
guns, but could not stand the fire of the in.
halry, and retreated precipitaCely.
During these charges the main body Of the
cLrluy, on The hill, were attempting 10 con
leatfaje Tor general assault, but the shell
from iAe H0Wilzer Battery preFent ted them
As enc regiment would give up the effort
another would be marched TO the position
Out VitA no better success, for she'll would
scatter them like ch1f. The men did not
trrin able 70 stand fire ut all.
About one o'clock their guns were sile need
ana few moments al Ter their infantry re
Treated precipltately down The road 10 Hamp-
ton.
our Cavalry, numbering three companies,
went III pursuit, and harassed them d own 10
NE edge OF Hampton. As they retrea ted
many Of the wounded fell along the road and
died, and tho waoie road 10 Hampton was
>.
musGets. &c, which The men had thrown on
IL their retreat.
Alter the battle, visited the position they
held. The houses behind which they lad been
la had been burnt by our troops. Around
us y4rd were the dead bodies OF the men who
LAl teen killed by our cannon. mangled iii The
most irighLtui manner by the shells. The
uniforms on the bodies were very different
AID many OF tAemare like those OF the Viz
GINA soidiery. a little fsrther on We GAME
~ Tie point 10 which they had carried scms
81 tLesr wounded, who had since died. Ihs
gay looking uniforms OF the rev ork Zou
a'es con tras ted greatly with the paled, nxet
iAs"s Of their dead oWpsfs. Going 4
The swamp through which they attempted
~ pass 10 assault our lines, presented
smother bloody scene. Bodies dotted the blacl
ih"raAs from one end 10 the other. i saw
vhS bUyish, delleH te looking fellow lying OF
Tue mus with IA bullet hole through his breast
Eis nand was pressed on the wound from
which hls life blood had poured, anc
TIE other was cisnehed ia the grass tina
se" near him. Lytag on The ground was 4