The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-19

somewhere about 100 yards In front OF
this six.gun bat,ery spoken Ero.,a OF SO, SO
order to halt, the order was given to
charge, and soon after In this charge
Colonel Ship was wounded. Ihese
statements are carefully and thought
| fully made. after a deliberate discus
sion with other cadets who were on.
the field Of action, as wei ~ r. y VOW mar
Co. b, v. NIL. Cadet Corps.
NIGHT ATTACK ON NEWPORT NEWS
The "l'crlorn Hope. on Yorktown
1 Peninsm1n.
(Written for The Times-D ispatch)
/ The battle OF Bethel, fought on the
| 10th day or June. 1851. on the PENN
sula OF Yorktown. some miles below
1 that old time town, scene Of the cul7
minating triumph OF the American
i Revolution, does not and will not take
rank In history as one OF the great
| conflicts of ancient or modern times.
| But 1t was more important engage
nent than perhaps 1t is given credit
for; It's moral effect was extraordinary
and far-reaching.
| The French army of Italy. numbering
not more than $4,000 men Of all arms.
| badly equipped and new to battle, saw
| themselves surpnss In victories and
conquests the veteran legions OF Maa-
sena and Moreau, and, inspired by the
| genius OF Bonaparte, they carved re-
publics out of stbjugated Kingdoms
and dictated terms to even the supreme
head of the church in the sacred city
of Rome.
So the Confederates. having routed
at Bethel larger, better armed nnd
better furnished Federal force. marched
back to Yorktown eIate and trl-
umphant, but not vainglorious. They
had known ali along that they we're
| willing to fight; they found out that.
better still. they know how to fight.
! Tho large majority of them had never
before seen a battery of light artil-
lery or a uniformed trooper. THEY
went into that baptism OF fire volun-
teers; they came out OF 1t soldiers.
The First (BetheD Regiment OF
i North Carolina Infantry, which made
4 up the greater part Of tho Bethel Con-
| federate forces. was perhaps. in nuns
bers. personnel and equipment the fin
est body OF men organized during the
4 war. Increased to twelve companies
soon after its arrival at Yorktown,
each numbering from 100 to 12O mon
rank and file, 1t presented on drill and
1 dress parade an appearance splendid
4 striking. almost Kaleidoscope, MS all
i the companies were handsomely but
4 differently uniformed. Its officers were !:
D. II. Hill, colonel: c. C. Lee. lieutcn-
ant-coonel; j. H. Lane major; j. M
T Poteat adjutant.
4 The field and company staff Of this
4 regiment subsequently furnished some
of the best material In the armies OF
the Confcderacy. Hill became a lieu-
4 tenant-gencral, one of the hardest
a fighters of the war: Lee was killed on
the field, and was the most daring and
graceful rider / ever saw, not except
ing even Gen. Robert Ransom; Lane
was afterwards one of the finest gem
!, eral officers OF the Army of Northern
E Virginia; j. B. Starr. captain OF Com
pnny T. became distinguished rs COM
mander of light artillery: r.. F. Hoke
!, a lieutenant OF Company Il. made a
!, record so superb that mention Is need
: less; w. G. Lewis, n lieutenant of Com
pany a. rose to the rank OF brigadier-
; general.
ii The Louisiana Zouaves did not reach
Yorktown until late at night after tile
battle of Bethel; and l have often won
dcred just what sort of factors they
would have proved in that fight had
/, they been on the field. In camp and
off duty, they were perhaps the worst
set OF soldiers ever got together. On
, the train between Wilmington anG
q Richmond they fought among them.
{ selves like wild beasts, and were
Q treated like wild beasts by commits
X stoned and non-commissioned officers
beaten into submission with swor,
/. hits and tho butts or muskcts. T,
: Richmond they broke bounds d,rn;
~, ~. 49,, 'u =. nsu % W
! e..y ~ elielf ,uWiess'iess--as savage
y mon as me ArInagnacs and Burgun
st pf E>o nj prit 4 !,
y reign of Charles VII shortly afte
:. their arrival at Yorktown they mini
y MED on account Of . dnlav IN IN 49,
g iss,,,,co or r,Iinns rns,aa ~ -. ~
10 lSsuh'iceA ~ HTaIloi's, fusheu- out OF cam
y WIN their guns, and began shooting
q down and butchering the cattle or tn
farmers in the neighborhood Cor