Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-17
FIRST AT BETHEL.
More Light on the Heroism of the
Five.
Raleigh News and Observer

Raleigh News and Observer
To the Editor: In your issue of Janu-
airy 18th / find an article from o. w.
Blacknall, anent the killing Of Wyatt at
Bethel on 10th of June, 1861, and from
that article clip the following:
"As is usual for perilous service. volun-
teers were called for. Then Bradley,
Wyatt, and Williams responded, left
shelter of the breastworks and sprang
forward under point blank fire TO burn it.
Wyatt fell, and the other two survivors
were ordered back"
This shows how incorrectly and UNI
consciously the truth Of history may be
perverted, and an inaccuracy, oft repeat
ed is taken for fact.
Having heard the relatal Of the incl
dent-One of the most notable in the
heroic annals Of the civil war-from both
Captain John II. Thorpe and George II.
Williams, lately deceased, and having
published the same i'm the Tarboro'
Southerner while l was its editor, l was
somewhat astonished at the misinforma-
ton in the article alluded to.
In order that the true account might
be placed on record before the last sur
vivOr had gone to answer the final roll
call, wrote 10 Captain Thorpe, requesting
him to write his recollections for me.
This he did in the subjoined letter.
Captain J. II. Thorpe was as gallant
soldier as he is modest as a gentleman.
He is highly intelligent-being a gradu-
ate with distinction of our State Univer-
sity, and for the last three years of the
war was captain Of Company "a"
Forty-seventh North Carolina Regiment.
AT Home, Near Rocky Mount,
January H. 1888.
Dear Sir-Your very kind letter was
received last night and / am deeply CRATE
fui TO you for it. 1t also recalls a SINH
lar kindness and honor you did me seve-
raj years ago by public speech or news
paper article in Tarboro
The fact is this: Bethel incident
in the light of rapidly succeeding events
has always seemed TO me a trivial affair
and were no other than myself counted
with it | would say it has received far
more praise than it deserved. However,
for the sake of North Carolina, and
especially Edgecombe county, every citi-
zen of which has uniformly been kind to
me, I take great pleasure in telling you
what came under my eye on 10th of
June, 1851.
First let me say, that Bush George
t. Williams did not remember that r.
III. Bradley was one Of the heroes, but l
do remember il. l will go to town to-
morrow and show you a good map Of the
battlefield of Bethel and explain so as
to show what honors accrued to North
Carolina | can show you how the Edge
combe Guards did most of the infantry
fighting on the Confederate side in that
battle.
II am going TO have the cheek to tell
you that before the battle opened the
Edgecombe Guards-Company A, First
ID. I "a
were sent a long way in front, on the left
of the, New Market road, as skirmishers,
with orders from Colonel Hill to watch
the Back-River road TO Hampton, and if
any of the enemy crossed the road for
us to retire to the entertainments.
well. as soon as Company A formed
a skirmish line, Captain Bridgers sent
Wyatt and myself to do picket work far
to his left and front, TO watch the road
and report if any one crossed. We went
about 500 yards, when Wyatt stopped,
and I went still further to his left. soon
after this the cannon opened fire, and
[ saw a body Of the enemy cross the
road still to our left My heels took me
rapidly TO report Of course, to where
Wyatt was posted, and he, too. had seen
them. We hurried and reported the mat
ter to Captain Bridgers Up TO this tima
a gun had not been fired by Company y.
Captain Bridgers ordered a retreat. or
course this was done in confusion, as
Company A had not been called 10 order.
We waded Back river as we came 10 IL,
and as we ran over the little breast.
works into another company, Magruder,
commanding the Cohfederates, said some
ugly things TO us, not knowing Captain
Bridgers was obeying orders. Captain
IpyfTr trfa 10 hnt
allowed to do So
"Magruder ordered US back TO our
former position, and we promptly obeyed,
though this was a most difficult thing
at that stage of the war. The body or
the enemy we saw crossing the road was
doubtless commanded by the gallant
Major Winthrop. who struck our left
flank an hour later and, but for whose
fall-shot dead I'm advance Of his troops.
the history OF Bethel might have been
dlnerent.
''Company A became engaged with the
Federal skirmshers at once, and We're
firing and being tired at when Captain
Bridgers was ordered I'm for the purpose
OF recapturing an advanced post on our
right abandoned by our side, and the
cannon spiked. l am not certain, but |
think IL was understood that those OF
COiilpdIly - WIZ NNiN n'hiiA'h N'NNfRA
WyatO. Charles Williams and others,
received their wounds while passing
through the main fire from left TO right.
Company a did not hesitate or falter,
but recrOssed the river 10 the right and
each man for himself. through
the quagmire, thigh deep to the deserted
position. The more | think Of II the more
gallant the company appears. When we
got there L saw Zouave regiment of the
enemy in line OF battle about 300 yards
away. our boys popped away at them,
but the fire was not returned. Then, In
good order, they marched away down the
New Market road Probably the order TO
retreat had been given the whole Fede- |
raj army.
"A few minutes later. Colonel Hill, /
passing from our right through the com
pany. said: Captain Bridgers, can't you |
have that house burned? and Immediately |
went on.
Captain Bridgers asked II five of the |
would volunteer to burn II. sug |
costing that one OF the number should |
be an officer. Corporal George T. Will |
iams said he would be the officer and |
four others said they would 60 Matches |
and a little Ratchet were provided az |
once and a minute later the little party |
scrambled over the little breastworks In |
the following order: George L. Williams. |
Thomas Fallon, John II. Thorpe, Henry |
ssI