The National tribune., 1907-05-09

OOIl " lHt Slaves 10 ulOHlHS
afterwards. y
The Affair mt Big Bethel.
Unfortunately, Gen. Buffers open
contempt for West Point and the Regu-
| lar Army could not help making him a
lot of powerful enemies from Gen. Scott
down, who were not anxious for his
| success, and who did not, to say the
| least, extenuate his failures. Unfortun-
utely, too. Butler the General was far
| from measuring up to Butler the law
yer and administrator.
| Buffers first move, naturally, after
| taking command at Fortress Monroe,
was to get little more breathing space.
| He was tired of Virginia cavalry riding
| up almost to the moat around the fort
and looking into the mouths of his can
non.
His first step was to push out some
| seven miles to Newport News and es-
| tablish fortified camp there, to which
the Confederates responded by estab-
| fishing batteries at Pig Point and Sew
airs Point. some four or five miles away,
| across Hampton Roads and about three
and a half miles from Fortress Monroe.
The Confederates had taken up a
| strong position at the historic old York
| town, some 25 miles from Fortress Mon
roe, with the dashing John Bankhead
Magruder, the Prince John" of the old
Army, in command. An outpost of some
strength had been established at place
called Little Bethel, small church
about eight miles from Newport News
ana me same distance from hampton
"a ieW iiiies III rear Vi ',iis was stroils
ei u'pos. at ahother cnurch caiied DE
i be.Iiei. Wheie the Toau from for,resa
monroe crost lack hlser. FROM THESE
outpOsts cavalry squads were sent out
every night to annoy our pickets, gather
in the young men of the neighbOrhood
anu n force mem INTO the army. ana carry
on tie slaves 10 Worh upon the IN
trehchiheiitS at Wililarhspurs ana YORK
Gown; Ihe Big Be'hel lntrenc hments
II. .idd oeeh gun, anu mere were kno"H
20 pe some cannon IN position, with
h torcG h sta'ed o os the o country , people 10
We apoui 4,Voo OF 2'ooo. ms was. Oh
course; SHOWN TO De ar exasseraton.
i IN reality hu.ier was wei, INFORMED tha'
'hgIe were ohis ABOUT i'iVo 'here.
me movement PLANNED was one OF
.hose concerted ATTACKS Wnicn look 50
taseiiia'',is On PAPER put when ohiy III
tnolue-'is succeed, even WIN veteran
aroops' r anu almost never win greer
o.'en ne tui'iiIit'fo'i vi me eiiaptei
vi iiii9Iidps Mas mat me pan was Iiaue
upon d srotesqueiy erroneous map. IN
WHICH, 'ileIe was MISTAKE "i some iouf
VI nv iilieS III Instance Oh not over
~ ~. me pan was prepared by MAJ.
in|"uoie "ii'hrop, nIshlS accom-
pt.ei'eu Souiis man IRON. Mdssac y.
IS -, -, - .iI On rS,. 'io.'S
quisite novel Cecil Dreeme' The exc
cution was intrusted t, Prig.-Gen +. w
Pierce, of the Massachusetts Militia. M
officer who had singuarly i'll luck in al!
that he ever undertook. according tel
the plan, Col. Durye2. 5th n. Y. was te
move out at IL o'clock. with $50 me,
for Little Bethel, to be followed t,y,
hours later hy the Cd y Y Gel Town. |
send, $50 men, and detachment of Tho
I'd n Y. under Col. carr. with tw.
mountain howitzcrs. This column W..
to march on the right bv The way n
Hampton. while another cGIunn CON
listing of Pendix's 9TH 4. Y. 500 Nor
of tn, 1st VT. under L;eut Col. Wash. |
burn and 900 of The 4th Mass with one
field piece under the cottima,,d of I;,u+
John r. Greble. OF the 81 r & Art s
hat time Col n ~ Jriu 'hrte,. Gown. |
Commander in the ARMY OF Noriherr
Virginia. bu. then commanding tha 1c. |
y. C.. had taken II, = strnno nositio, =,
he Big Bethel Church whcra a hronct |
IF Back River ran in f-or,t ana encircIa. |
his right flank. on his ieft was a dens,
ond otros, i,pna.s., bia ,,.oo5 ~ -
pected an attack unon him nm rho rooI |
and constructed battery So as to swee,.
the road. Hill said that he had ahou. |
200 men in The action of vhor, only
200 we're actively engaged at anv time |
Bufr.r.s r,.e -nc.t,..
utter > histi uc'lohs contemplated |
e".i.s Aittie bc'hei some TIME IN IN
hoi lilis'' eNtepin5 over II without DC
a." -, MS LIZ Eetiei ABOUT Gay
wen tlerc was 10 De one F"ile;
80. ~ S',,. .ne sui pi ,seu enemy 10 De
ioiio"e Gu up Wy pdSohct chtrgc
- roopS "eie " using uish them
ny N!ii.e 'otH' ar'u.ia theif arm
M Imu IN IT,. Molo was 10 u Bostoa.
80 -, ~. "a VI eah tNs rear regimen
=, ny. ~, ieit .oidiiii' uiiucr 'oi- BendiX
'nu INC i,"i ioSi-isHt OF tle fiSht col
-, H!uIr eoI- ioWhscnd, came 10
: az a. VI. Jui,'tioii oi the ROADS hea:
80. Ls.iie' a'''i, hi-S,a hi'S each othe'
~. 'hJ eHei,s' c.,eiied iire: TOWNSEND
- 80 .ia,iiieu MAJ Echoix men ire
-. - d, "i.nou' mfr lhS tie siishtest cHoi
" .'iii "ist,ei tieg were i.lehas
:. i fs. anu tliat they returned III
~. i SOME minutes Nhen IN SONS
49, ~ "a2 uise'Neieu 'hat tneE Were
49,, on, me- MES. toi. Io"h.
~ I,Siiicht iost ~ IN Killed an?
"ou.iueu peiore the mistake was Giz-
SoTcIec.
~, ". n. warren, afterwaru
ri taJoi belonged at that time Il
hui yea LouaVes, ana ne stated In h