Mobile Register

July 3, 1861

Page 1

Some Interesting Particulars of the Great Bethel Fight

[Extracts from a Private Letter]

HEADQUARTERS---REGIMENT

YORKTOWN, VA. June 21, 1861

Arrived in Yorktown, I found about 5,500 troops from Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana here. The Norfolk regiment, with a few from Georgia, some cavalry and part of the howitzer battery, had just whipped over 5,000 of the enemy, under Gen. Pierce, sent from Fortress Monroe to dislodge our troops, who had started on a scouting expedition, and had stopped at Bethel to rest on Saturday and Sunday. Our troops dug a little trench around them and threw the dirt outside, so that they could step into the ditch and not be exposed. The earth was embanked on the edge of a small stream only five or six feet wide. The Baltimore papers give a pretty truthful account of the fight—only they were most awfully fooled by a body of thirty North Carolinians who rushed out of some bushes, jumped the little stream and pretended to offer battle to the Zouave regiment, who were coming down a hill to attack in double quick time. When the Zouaves got within musket shot, the North Carolinians rejumped the ditch and hid in the bushes, pulling with them a few cut bushes and exposing thus a masked howitzer, which opened on the Zouaves with bombshells. This checked—then stopped—then changed the direction of their attack to another part of the ditch. Here again the North Carolinians met them with musket balls, and a few additional rounds from the howitzer caused them to break and run like sheep.

Meanwhile, a small rifled cannon kept up a constant fire upon the Albany and another regiment, both of which were formed in four ranks, and strung nearly half a mile down a straight road. The rifled cannon commenced at one end, and sent the balls through the entire length of their ranks. This and the howitzer were the only artillery that did any execution—the third was disabled accidentally after the second fire. A well directed effort on the part of the enemy would have given us hot work, but they could not face the music, and didn’t understand how the same ball killed men in their front and rear. So every one took to their heels, throwing away muskets, canteens, knapsacks, etc., leaving about 250 killed and wounded.

Our troops left Bethel, rested here until a few days ago—went there again, and tried to draw them out. Succeeded yesterday, but they left Bethel to their right and made up the road towards Williamsburg. Our troops at Bethel left there in a hurry for this place, (fearing they might turn up by a road leading to this point, four miles from Bethel). The enemy found we were about, and turned back. We will try and draw them out again in a day or two.

A portion of Col. Withers’ command (we learn to day) have entrenched themselves on James river, opposite Newport News.

B…………