Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
from the Peninsula.
Groves Wharf, June 28, 1861.
I send you a portion of one of the Yankees' rifled gun shell projectiles, the inspection of which may satisfy the curiosity of those of your readers who call at your office.
It was picked up on the conclusion of the Bethel fight, just in the rear of our forces.
The sound of one of those shells passing through the air is similar to that of a large spinning wheel in rapid motion, and serves as a caution for the shot-at to lower capats. One must observe that dodging the large balls is now an acknowledged rule in modern warfare tactics, vide Mexican war. During the continuance of the above battle, the noise of the numerous rifled shots in passing was absolutely devilish, at least to the ear and feelings of a tyro in the art of war. As customary in all the dealings of the North with the South, the latter paid with interest all it received at the hands of the former, and I have excellent reasons for believing that our hard currency was received with very bad grace; but our Northern ‘"friends"’ were always hard to please.
There has been so much said and written of the Bethel Church fight that I forbear to inflict you, but I am brim-full of gratitude and praise to our officers, from Col. Magruder down, for the almost reckless manner in which they exposed themselves in watching the movements of the enemy, and in sheltering us from their destructive fire.
Many of us were compelled to stand still and be shot at, without having the consoling privilege of returning it.
For reasons which will readily appear to the intelligent reader, I shall say nothing of the disposition, number, movements, or plans of our force — a feature in letter-writing that should be more generally adopted in Virginia.
Thus much I will say, on behalf of the companies at present under command of Lieut. Col. Stewart: they are all well, in fine spirits, and ‘"eager for the fray."’
It may not be out of place to mention here that Private Cornell, of the Young Guard, served as one of the aids to Col. Magruder during the hottest of the fight, riding from one end of our line to the other continually, with the coolness of a veteran.
Honor to whom honor is due.
The ‘"craft"’ is very well represented in the Young Guard, there being eight printers among them, who will handle the shooting-stick with destructive effect upon the solid columns of the Northern leaders, and will possibly double-lead all the minions the old Ape of the North can east against us. Excuse me, I am angry; my head was a trifle out of the way of two or three of their musket balls, and it makes me mad to speak of the animal. 