Camp Yorktown,11th June, 1861.
I'll give you some items about the fight we had on yesterday. First of all, the enemy had not less than four full regiments, and the prisoners say five. We had only fourteen hundred and seventy on the field, and or those not more than seven or eight hundred fired a shot. From the first gun to the last was three hours and twenty minutes. Our position was at Bethel Church; our right and left flank protected by a miry swamp. The enemy occupied a hill on the opposite side, and between us was a valley and a creek over which was a bridge. The enemy advanced by the flank, right in front, four ranks on the double quick. The Naval Howitzer which we had in position raked their line with grape and canister from right to left, and yet they stood three fires from this piece before they came down to quick time. The enemy crossed the swamp below the bridge and tried to storm a redoubt occupied by the North Carolina volunteers, situated to the left of our centre battery. They were met by a sheet of fire which rolled death and carnage into their ranks. The Captain of one of the assaulting companies sprung in front of his company, and waving his sword, cried to his men ‘" Forward Company B, the day is ours"’ Just then one of the North Carolina boys bellowed out, ‘"I can take that fellow down,"’ and red, the officer fell dead at the crack of the musket; the ball had penetrated his heart. He had on a fine gold watch, a splendid sword, and eighty dollars in gold. He was formerly Lieutenant Colonel of the Fifth Regiment New York Volunteers, but being upon a visit at Old Point, volunteered impromptu to lead Company B. New York Third, and paid for his fun. We buried him at sunset. The Carolina boys behaved with all the coolness of veterans, and delivered a deadly fire upon the enemy, which drove them back across the creek. The Howitzer rifle cannon did dreadful work; the shot striking on the right flank would go entirely through to the left. (The enemy advanced by the right flank, and never formed line of battle) One of these shot went through and through a farm house, and through a Yankee on the other side, and then cut a fine free half down. The hole in the man was about the size of a common water bucket. In the first of the battle the enemy threw forward four companies of New York Zouaves to cross the creek at a ford a mile below. Col. Magruder then ordered the Chatham Grays, 85 strong, with one Naval Howitzer, under command of Capt. W. H. Werth, to defend the ford to the very last extremity. Capt. Werth, with his command, left their redoubt on the right, and crossed a wide open field within four hundred yards of the enemy's battery, which was then pouring shot of all kinds and shell around them, about as fast as hail, down the side of the stream at a double quick, whilst the Zouave regiment was at the same speed going down on the opposite side, both aiming for the ford. The Virginians trotted the mite first, got possession of the ford, planted their gun, ambushed the infantry, and waited for an attack; but the Zouaves did not like the looks of things, and put back to the main body without once getting in range. All the trees around Bethel Church are cut all to pieces, and the foilage stripped off by the musket balls. The fire was terrible, and shot tell about as fast as any man would like. Not more than seven hundred of our troops got into the fight, owing to the fact that the enemy confined his attack chiefly to the centre, thus leaving all the troops posited to defend the flanks nothing to do but to play a quiet game of seven up. The Southern troops displayed remarkable coolness and determination, and made all the movements under fire with as much precision as it they had been on a common drill. We lost one killed and five wounded, besides four horses and mules laid hors de combat. The enemy lost, as near as can be ascertained from signs, and the prisoners, about one hundred and fifty killed and three hundred wounded. We have found them scattered all through the woods and marshes dead, having crawled away to avoid being scalped, as they all think we indulge in this luxury. They carried off their dead during the fight in four horse wagonlouis, and the road to Hampton was red with blood for six miles. Knapsacks canteens, haversacks, shoes, hats, military overcoats, blankets, rms and accoutrements, were scattered over the same road, whilst corpses were here and there found weltering in their blood. In the pocket of the Captain who was shot by the North Carolinian, was found a letter to his wife, stating that they were about to march against the ‘"traitors,"’ and would scatter us before them like chaff before the wind. He made a sad mistake. If they had whipped us at Bethel, they were to have attacked this place the next day. After the fight we all started to march here, upon empty stomachs and weak legs, and at two o'clock this morning we arrived, completely used up by twenty four hours constant hard labor. So much for the battle of ‘"Bethel Church."’ Volunteer
