New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-06-20
THE BATTLE OF BETHEL,
Additional and Interesting Trc,,,n,, J.

From the Petersburg Express, of Saturday last.
we gain some further particulars of the great VIC
| tory at Bethel. We make room for the following.
| The enemy made their appearance atont o
O'Clock, and prepared for battle, hating one If
tnelr cannon IN me middle Of the road, and placing
enemy stood four ABREAST, and it was evident from
their maneuvers that they did not expect the first
snot to come from u.s. On our side, al things being
| ready, at quarter past rifled cannon we'll
| AIMED, was discharged, which took effect in the
| ranks, scattering them well and This being fol-
lowed up by discharges from two of our howitzers,
pom occupying eligible positions, raked the Yam
| KEGS from front to rear
They speedily recovered and returned orr FIRE
so high that it scattered the branches ard leaves
| Of the trees, bat shed no blood. The eannonadinp
| now continued in good earnest on both sides for
thirty minutes, doing but little isjury to the Com
| federates, while our guns raked the enemy badly,
| and evidently convinced them that their long and
undisturbed entry into Virginia at last to be
holly contested, for already the fact was realized
| that g somebody was certainly hurt.o
The fight continued until ! O'Clock, with three
Or four intervals of fifteen or twenty minutes and
| it was subsequently ascertained that these inter-
their dead and wounded During the battle, three
| separate and well sustained charges were made,
| but each time the enemy was repulaed with great
| loss. The last was the most desperate, and con-
sisted it is thought of at least 1000 men, led on by
| Capt. Wadrop, who made detour to the right
| and endeavored to flank our forces at the left.
lNey crossed the raVlne, blt became entarglel
a raorass, from which they with difficulty extricated
themselves. Capt. Waldrop finally emerged from
the bog and scaling a small hill leaped upon a log
| and waving bis sword, said come on boys and
| the day is ours The EdgeC0mbe Guards Of the
n. c. Regiment, were ordered to fire upon them,
and responded by pouring deadly Tolley into the
rank of the enemy. Capt W. fell first, and First
Lieutenant who took his place speedily followed.
The falling of the leaders carried terror and dismay
into the ranks, and they fed precipitaely from the
scene, while the noble Edgecombe Guard con-
ann
the Yankees at fearful rate.
After the battle, numbers Of our men went over
and explored the ground occupied by the Yankees
during the engagement. Many sckeung sights of
| the dead and dying were presented. Just where
one OF the enemys cannon had been stationed,
and upon which the shot from one rifed cannon
played with such deadly effect, DR.. William r.
| Vaughan, of Hampton, was attracted to a spot in
the woods by the~grOans ofsOne one in great agony.
Upon going to the place, he found q man lying in
| the grass, suffering from most frightful wound,
one of his legs having been shot entirely off near
| the thigh " What can | do for you my frend?"
asked the Doctor, 8. as suppose we can call each
lnl for any assistance you. can render" said the
suffering man. If you do anything at all, y he
continued, it will be more than those with whom
I have been fighting have done. They promised
me everything before my enlistment, but now they
have run of and left me here TO dia.n The man
was removed by our soldiers to house near by,
the bleeding of the artery stopped aud portion
of the limb was subsequently ampRtated. His
prospects of recovery are favorable.
All day Tuesday, the wounded and dead we're
being found in the foods; and we hear from gen
were found Wednesday. Many have probably
penetrated the thick recesses OF the forest, and
| there died perhaps from sheer neglect
A detachment Of Confederate troops Under Gom-
| mand Of Capt. J. Thompson Brown, of Richmond,
buried some eighteen or twenty dead bodies after
the battle, and provided FOR several Of the wound
! ed who were left to shift for themselves by their
cowardly aud heagtless frienda.
lady, living in the vicinity and near The road,