BATTLE OF BETHEL CHURCH,
MONDAY, JUNE 10TH, 1861.
The above-named
place is a neat little country church situated some fifteen miles from
Yorktown, and twelve miles from Hampton. Since June 6th we have been throwing
up rude, but strong breastworks, and fortifying the place in the best manner we
knew how.
Our Parrot gun (No.
1) and a brass howitzer (my gun, No. 4) composed the main battery, just to the
left of the church. A howitzer of Captain Brown's Second Company was stationed
to our right, and about one hundred and fifty yards in our front. A rifled howitzer
of the Second Company was stationed about a hundred yards to the left of the
main battery. Two of Stanard's howitzers were stationed some miles in our rear,
to guard a flanking road, but came up in the heat of the fight and did good
service.
There was also a
howitzer a few yards to the left of the main battery, its position was changed
several times during the engagement.
There were in all
seven guns engaged in the battle, four belonging to the Third Company and three
to the Second Company.
All honor is due to
a noble hearted Virginia country woman, who undoubtedly saved our
camp from surprise, and kept the forces sent out early this morning from
running into the enemy unawares.
These troops were
under the immediate command of Colonel Magruder, and their mission was to
capture a post called New Market, occupied by six hundred Federal troops; they
having left Bethel Church about 3 A. M., with six hundred infantrymen, three
Howitzers and a small squad of cavalrymen, proceeding in the direction of New
Market, towards Hampton. After being on the road some two hours, this woman
came towards us in great haste, and gave Colonel Magruder the timely
information that the enemy a few moments since, some five hundred strong, had
been to her house, but a short distance in our front, had taken her husband
prisoner and were then marching to get in our rear.
Believing this party
to be an advance guard of the enemy, Colonel Magruder wheeled his column, and
we marched rapidly back to Bethel Church, to await further developments.
Our whole force only
numbered fifteen hundred, Virginians and North Carolinians, commanded by my old
Sabbath-school teacher in the Lexington days of long ago, Colonel D. H. Hill.
At 8 o'clock A. M.,
our videttes and advanced pickets commenced coming into camp and reported the
enemy advancing upon us, five thousand strong, under the command of Brigadier-General
Pierce, of Massachusetts.
Major George W.
Randolph, formerly Captain of the old Howitzer Company of Richmond, acted
during the day with conspicuous gallantry as Magruder's Chief of Artillery.
Then one by one and
in squads of five or six came the inhabitants, fleeing before the enemy. At
first they came in slowly, but anon their pale faces and the hurried manner of
their coming betokened the enemy to be not far distant.
Even the peril, so
near at hand, could hardly suppress the smile that flitted athwart our
countenances as a superannuated negro, driving lustily an aged mule attached to
a dilapidated cart filled with promiscuous plunder, appeared upon the scene
evidently making tracks for the rear.
Every man was at his
post, but not a cheek blanched, nor did an arm falter, for we felt as if the
entire South watched us that day, and we would pay their watching well.
Precisely at 9 A. M.
we saw the dazzling glitter of the enemy's muskets as they slowly appeared in
battle array marching down the Hampton road-then our trusty Parrot gun opened
its dark mouth and spoke in thunder tones the stern determination of our
devoted little band—then the howitzer on its left, and right, hurled shot and
shell into the bewildered ranks of the advancing foemen; and then came the
enemies shot, bursting and whizzing around our heads, and the sharp ring of the
rifle told of war in earnest.
Here on one side is
a band of beardless boys, who, heretofore, have scarcely been considered as
possessing a sufficiency of nerve to brain a cat, now handling their artillery
with a coolness and consummate skill that war-worn veterans would have gloried
in.
On the other side regulars and fanatics fought for PAY and for the upholding of a government whose
oppression had to millions of people now become unbearable.
And the death
missiles came hurtling and screaming through the calm, clear, summer's air, but
those brave boys quailed not before the storm of death—they thought of kindred,
of homes, of peaceful firesides and of loved ones, who, with weeping eyes and
anguished hearts were praying to the God of Battles to shield them from all harm,
when the hour that tried men's souls drew near.
Not one of our men
failed in the discharge of his duty, but silently and rapidly did we pour shot
and shell into the enemies ranks.
'Twould be a vain
endeavor to attempt to describe one's feelings in a battle, for I believe after
the first shock is over they become somewhat blunted, and yet we all thought
enough to fall flat whenever we saw a shell coming from the Yankee battery. But
the musket and rifle balls could not be dodged and they whistled around us in a
perfect storm. There seemed to be some unseen hand that warded them off from
the men, but the horses and mules were not so fortunate. There was a very
stubborn, thickheaded old mule belonging to the Second Company Howitzers, and
just before the fight one of the boys hitched him to a cart and endeavored to
make him work, but 'twas no use, Mr. Mule asserted the popular theory of
rebellion and declined to be pressed into service, whereupon the soldier gave
him a “cussing," and tied him to a tree, hoping at the same time that the
first shot from the enemy "would knock his 'dern'd' head off." Alas,
for the poor mule!—the second shot fired by the enemy struck a tree just to the
left of my gun, glanced and passed directly through the mule, who, in the
agonies of death, doubtless deplored his untimely fate and refusal to work.
For nearly two hours
the fight was confined to the artillerists almost exclusively, but so soon as
the enemy came in musket range our infantry gave them a reception worthy of
Southern hospitality.
About this time one
of Captain Brown's howitzers, the one in front and to the right of the main
battery, became spiked by the breaking of a priming wire in the vent, and was
rendered ineffectual during the rest of the engagement.
By reason of this,
three Virginia companies of infantry on the right front flank were in
a measure unprotected, and were withdrawn by Colonel Magruder to the rear of
the church.
The New York Zouaves
seeing the gun disabled charged upon the works in which this howitzer was
placed, and our men retired slowly, discharging their pistols as they fell back
upon the North Carolina infantry.
Colonel Magruder
immediately ordered Captain Bridges of the "Edgecombe Rifles" to
retake the lost position, which 'tis said he attempted to do by himself,
failing to order his company to follow him, in his eagerness to obey orders.
But his company did
follow him in gallant style and drove the Zouaves off at a double-quick. The
two howitzer guns of Stanard's Third Company now coming up from the rear, under
the command of Sergeant Powell and Lieutenant Edgar F. Moseley, were
immediately placed in position, and again the battle raged.
Major Winthrop, aid
to General B. F. Butler, in command at Fortress Monroe, having come up with
reënforcements wearing our badges, white band around the cap, made an
ineffectual attempt to carry our works, and lost his life in the endeavor.
After his fall the enemy fled in disorder, having also lost a valued artillery
officer, Lieutenant Greble, who commanded his battery with great bravery. Badly
crippled and much worse frightened, they now were in precipitate flight toward
Hampton, hotly pursued by a small squadron of Virginia cavalry, who
reached the field just as the fight ended. If Magruder had have had a thousand
cavalry we could have taken the whole force prisoners. Our loss has been
comparatively small-one killed and ten wounded, three of the wounded belonging
to the Second Howitzers-Lieutenant Hudnall and Privates John Worth and Henry
Shook. The only one killed on our side was Private Henry L. Wyatt, of the North
Carolina Infantry, who fell in endeavoring to burn a small wooden house in
which the enemy were harbored. The Yankee loss was heavy, though we could not
find out the exact number, as they carried off many of their dead and wounded
in carts, wagons, carriages and buggies, which they took from the neighboring
farmers. Their loss was between two and three hundred. They had boasted that
they would, with cornstalks, drive off the mob of Virginians and North
Carolinians hastily collected together to impede their would-be triumphal
march.
About 4 o'clock P.
M. we were reënforced by the Second Louisiana Regiment, and had they have
gotten to us sooner our victory would not have been fruitless. Thus ends the
first pitched battle between the United States troops and the Confederate
forces. Although in itself it was a battle of no magnitude or great importance,
yet it showed to the boasting North how terribly we were in earnest, and gave
comfort and encouragement to the faint and weak-hearted on our side.
SOURCE: William S.
White, A Diary of the War; or What I Saw of It, p. 96-100
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