[
504]
Road, and received orders to command the expedition.
He was directed to lead
Duryee's Fifth and
Townsend's Third New York Volunteers from Camp Hamilton to a point near Little Bethel, where he was to be joined by a detachment from
Colonel Phelps's command at
Newport-
Newce.
These latter consisted of a battalion of
Vermont and
Massachusetts troops (the latter of
Wardrop's Third Regiment), under
Lieutenant-Colonel Washburne;
Colonel Bendix's Germans (the Seventh New York), known as the Steuben Rifle Regiment, and a battery of two light field-pieces (6-pounders), in charge of
Lieutenant Greble, who was accompanied by eleven artillery-men of his little band of regulars.
As the expedition was to be undertaken in the night, and there was to be a junction of troops converging from two points,
General Butler ordered the watchword, “
Boston,” to be given to each party, and that they should wear on their left arms a white rag or handkerchief, so as to be known to each other.
The column at Camp Hamilton was to start at midnight, and that at
Newport-
Newce a little later, as its line of march would be shorter.
The troops at Camp Hamilton were ordered to shout “
Boston,” when they should charge the insurgents; and other precautions were taken to prevent blunders, into which inexperienced soldiers were liable to fall.
Duryee and his Zouaves left Camp Hamilton at near midnight,
preceded by two companies of skirmishers, under
Captains Bartlett and
Kilpatrick. Hampton Bridge had been so much injured by the fire that it might not be safely crossed in darkness, so the troops were ferried over the creek in surf-boats, after considerable delay.
Colonel Townsend's Albany Regiment, with two mountain howitzers, marched an hour later to support
Duryee.
The latter was directed to take a by-road, after crossing New Market Bridge, over the southwest branch of
Back River, and, getting between the insurgent forces at Big and Little Bethel, fall upon those at the latter place, and, if successful there, push on and attack those at the former.
Bartlett and
Kilpatrick reached New Market Bridge at one o'clock in the morning,
where they awaited the arrival of the Zouaves three o'clock. They then pushed on toward the new County Bridge at Big Bethel, and at a little before daylight captured an insurgent picket-guard near there.
In the mean time
Lieutenant-Colonel Washburne had advanced from
Newport-
Newce, followed by
Bendix with his Germans, and
Greble with his battery and artillerymen, as supports.
Butler had directed the march of both columns to be so timed as to make a simultaneous attack at Little Bethel just at dawn; and to prevent mistakes he ordered the troops that might first attack to shout “
Boston.”
Every thing was working admirably, according to instructions, when an unfortunate circumstance ruined the expedition.
Duryee, as we have observed, was pressing on to get in the rear of Little
