The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-13
THE BATTLE At
BE THEsDA CHURCH H
Graphic Description Of It BY
Lieutenant Colonel G. B.
Christian.
THE coLoR-BEAR'jE:.R KILLED .I:
One Among the Blootlicst Con
tests Of the Great War OF
the Sixties.
ne COLOR-BEARER KILLED

the Sixties.
II, The sharp combat at Bethesda Church,
on the afternoon Of May 80. 1864 was the
beginning of the series Of battles ut Cod
1Iarbor which wound up by the decisive
repulse OF Grant OH June Sd. Cur loss
on that occasion, except in iegrain .
brigade, was small, says General Early3
In his report, which is found In Voi. 81
Part /, Series l. of the War Records'
Serial Number 107 Re was at that tlme
commanding Ewellz corps. Colonel Ed
ward Willis, Of Georgia, and Colonel ..
e. Terrill of the Thirteenth virginia mad
both been named MS Brlgadier- Generals
but were killed ere their commissions
reached them Willis was II brilliant
young officer OF great promise and OF
distinguished service. West Polhtera
nv training, ho had won q name winch
will live in the annals of the Army or
Northern Virginia.
Colonel j. b. Terril was q graduate
of the Virginia. Military Institute; had
long commanded the Thirteenth virginia
With great courage and skill. succeed
ing James a. Walker and A. p. I'LL rs
colonel of a regiment which had no SUI
pcrlor in the Confederate Army Ills
brother, General Tcrrill, of tho United
states Army. was Il West Pointer, and
had been killed at Perryvllle, Ky.
Colonel Christians account of this COM
nat gives US q picturesque glimpse OF the
charge of the Forty-ninth Virginia Reg'-
mcnt, which made It's mark under Colonel
(Governor) William Smith, at First
nf,nossos. and sustained It's reputation to
{ the close Of its career. Colonel Christian
vac " Ar T. man and one OF those
sturdy frhtin,, men who always had "his
,,,ooo IN Inc nicturo bv the blasting of the
me, 1JIs adventures from Bethesda
Church 10 Morris Island bring wildly
hofore the mind the days that verify
cried mems souls
The army was so steadily Fighting at
the time of thi action that reports are
.o,nt and Colonel Christian is doing his
STATE and his comrades worthy service
n Tins giving his memory Of valiant
aaods JOHN w. DANIEL.
-
1,ditor of The ,rlmcs-Dispatch:
cir This was the bloodiest fight Of our
civil War considering the number en-
gagged on our side. The per cent, In killed
md wounded was three times ms great
rs that of the French ut inc patue
~ waterloo. The loss Of officers was
Ell minet ,.in;or cant. OF all engag, 4.
Imosilv ,tl1,h ut was there the dashins
Cn,onn, edward Willis of the Eighty
second Georgia On temporary command
~ orr hriralc). was killed. Els STAFF Of
eoar the chiyalrous young Lieutenant
pondo,nh of Richmond. also was killed:
,t.. there the brave Colonel J. b. Ter
rom of the Thirteenth Virginia, ended
h,s ,..r,,1 career. MS did also, Major Wat
,.ns no brave soldier Of the Fifty
sann,a
,rr,,s there Colonel ]. G. Gibson. like
IA ..war-horse., always seeming the
ha,t,n IN the breeze, came down from
the hospital on one leg and got me
e.hor shattered TO pieces. In fact, every
t,a,d o,ficer and nearly every company
t,,aor IN. tho brigade. present In action
VI a,.,,ar killed or wounded. Genera
Tao ,,,,os w.ro formed 1T right angles
:. ~, - road lending down James
r :" ~. oor second Cold lIarbor The on
our front shifted their position
einS ,n,ro,y mn earthworks lower DOVE
an. an" ad and parallel to It. Orders
w ~ Early's old brigade Uhe Fourt
,am,d composed of the Forty
.,,nt, L,ifty-second. Fifty eighth, Thirty
e., nd Thirteen,h Regiments, to marc
49,, ,he rond and make RECONNAISSANCE
Sr,,,,,,nory TO second Cold IIarbor BATH,
onr rcr,ment. the Forty-ninth Virginia
,oy,nr lost nine color bearers In IN
n".,nh 60, ,v5I1nrness TO Richmond
phults NO ,,nn "a select another
"Nnl ".ou ,arl;y honrdless boy fror
chH'e ~ :" ~, ~, ~ Amherst with n .'rc
lho -, saon "a die but 10 die game
G"P - "ornndorr win YOU carry III
49, o., a. ronI,nd ives Colonel
cur", 800, 4t,on Thoy KILLED my brothe
49," ,a az. now damn tfenl let ihel
me "Aii'f w.. ~, ~ ~, III, ,l,,, sn soo