The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-18
FIRST ENGAGEMENT OF THE WAR BE-
TWEEN THE STATES.
BARELY MENTIONED IN HISTORY
But an Affair of So Much Importance
That 1t Deserves to Be Recorded on
It's Paees-Men Engaged In It on Both
sides Who Afterwards Became Fa-
mous-state of Feeling I'm b North
When the wires Flashed the South
ern Victory, as Renected Dy Ne"
York Papers
York Papers

Forty years ago, the tenth of last
June. the first battle of the civil war
was fought at Bethel Church., Va, be-
tween the Federal forces of General 3.
F Butler with General PIERCE in i'm
mediate command) and the Confeder-
ates under General John b. Ma
gruder. Though comparatively a small
affair.", considered in the light Of subse-
quent events, at the time of it's occur
renee it was thought to be a great bat
tie and was flashed all over the coun-
try and was the subject of comment
in every household. In the South it
was an affair of considerable impor-
lance. inasmuch as it. sent the first
glean1 of sunlight through the dark
cloud of war that overspread this sec
ton, while in the North it served to
convince the people. that the South was
In earnest in the secession movement.
What soldier does not remember his
first battle? / will never forget this
one. TIL G early morning breakfast, the
silence and seriousness that took pos
session of the troops as they marched
to their positions, the hurried erection
of breastworks, and the masking of
AAlCA Will 1GGA Ao bA0AA~S $1,000 f'NA~
growing wild in the vicinity, the fire
from which was d~emoralizing to the
enemy when the troops behind them
rose as if out of the ground and de-
hvered a deadly volley into their ranks.
What a feeling takes possession of a
man when he is crouched down behind
earthwOrks awaiting the approach of
the enemy, all unsuspecting, and he
rises up from behind a masked battery
and delivers his fire for the first time!
Early in June, 1861, the Confederates
established an outpost at Bethel
Church., on the Peninsula formed by
the York and James rivers, about thir-
teen miles from Yorktown, eight from
Hampton, and eight from the now
fouriShing town of Newport News, but
which was then an insignificant hamlet.
Fedora raiding parties had previously
visited Bethel, and inscribed on it's
church walls such terrifying" words
as Death to TraitorSi' Down with
the Rebelsi" etc.
General 3. F. Butler, who was in COM
mand of the Department of Virginia.
with headquarters at Fortress Monroe,
determined to break up this observation
post of the Confederates, and organized
an expedition for that purpose, con-
sisting of about 400 men from the
First, Second, Third, Fifth, and Sew
enth New York regiments. under the
commands of Colonels Allen, Carr,
ISSIuy DdySds liz SANA =
spectively: the First Vermont, Fourth
Massachusetts, and Second United
States artillery (regulars). under Lieu
tenant John II. Greble, with orders to
''burn both Bethels; blow up If or
brick (meaning Little Bethel and Big
Bethel churchesl.
To meet this then formidable host the
Confederates had assembled, under
General John Magruder,
about 1,400 men, consisting of the First
North Carolina Regiment, Colonel L.
II. Hill; three companies of the Third
Virginia Regiment afterwards the
Efficiently, under Lieutenant-Colonel
Stewart; three other companies OF Vlr-
gfnia troops, under Major Montague;
one mpan of the Richmond Howit-
ger battalion, under Major George w.
Randolph, and two companies of Vlr-
ginia cavalry of about one undred
men. From the foregoing it will be
see n tina there were about 4,4Oo men
on the Federal side against about l,4UO
on the Confederate.
General Pierce, of the Federal army,
in command at Hampton, was in
charge of Buffers forces, and his COM
mand broke camp at 1 o'clock on the
morning of the 10th of June, march
ing by two roads,, with the intention or
forming a junction near Little Bethel
church, about three miles below Big
Bethel, and marching in solid column
on the ConfederateS. When the two
Federal commands met one mistook the
other for the Confederates, Immediate
ly swung into line of battle, opened
fire, and killed two and nine
teen of their friends before he mis-
take was discovered, including four
officers.
While this little family affair was
going on the Confederates were mass
ing their roopS and preparing for the
impending attack. for which they had
but a little while to wait. Soon the
drumbeatS of the enemy were heard
so faint at first as to be hardly dlStln-
guishable, but clearer and clearer as
the enemy drew nearer, until about 5
o'clock in the morning, within
about eight hundred yards in front of
them. the Federal line of battle was
formed, with Captain Judson Fitzpatrick
with two companies of Duryea's Fifth
New York Zouaves (the Fire
they were called, in advance, the Con-
federate picketS were driven in. and
the first battle of the civil war begun
at a point about thirteen miles from
Yorktown, where the revolutionary
war practically ended just eighty years
previously.
The first move of the Federals was
by a portion of TownSend'S Third
New York regiment against the Con-
federate right, which was quickly
driven bach by II Confederate artii-
lery n one company of the Ihlro
Virginia.
More trops were brought up and a
determined effort made to carry the
Confederate left, but with only tempo
rary success, when a gun of the Con-
federate battery was accidentally
spiked by the breaking of a printing
wire. and the troops supporting it were
ordered to fall back to a less exposed
position, and the enemy advanced n
occupied this work.
Shortly after this the abandoned re-
doubt was charged by a company OF
North Carolinians and retaken. In
front Of it was a house in which the
Federal s-harpshooters were concealed,
n from which they were annoying
the Confederates. Five men of the
First North Carolina volunteered to
burn the house, and, provided with
matches and a Ratchet, leaped over the