Carolina Watchman

              carolina watchman semi weekly vol xix salisbury n c june 21 1861 nt miser l j j brunrjj editos and proprietor terms *•_•.( in * h i h i 115.00 r :■■ \, m the same pro 1 each payment always in battle of bfitflsl church offfci l rtepoftt 1 vv kt.i.ih ffovtnter of kurih < a roll "". mi f have the honor to report hat ii obedience to ordets colli the cololrc commanding i marched on the 6tll in-t with niv regiment and four pieces of mnj t lylph's battery from \ orktown on il niipt ii itoad to bethel t hutch 9 miles | mil hampton we reached there after dark on a w.-i t mid slept w il houl tents kai iv on ... illuming ot the till 1 made a leeunnob mice of the ground pi eparaiory to fufti ■'. ui i found a branch of lilac k river n nur front ami encircling our right hank on our left was a dense ami almost im asssahle wood except about 150 vsiiih of , id held the breadth ol the road a thii k t i and a narrow cultivated field cover ed uttr rear the nature of the ground ieteriniiied me to make an enclosed work hid 1 had ihe invaluable add of lieut i ■■(•. of my regiment in its plan md instruction our position had the inhe rent defect ot being commanded by an immense field immediately in front of it which the masses of iheetiemy might be reidily deployed presuming an at tempt win hi be made to canv the bridge .. j.iss the stream a battery was made for it especial protection and maj randolph | i his guns so as to sweep all the ap lien lo it the occupation of two i immaitding eminences beyond tile creek ui our right would have greatly strengthened our position but our force k.v too weak to admit of the occupation lore than one of lliein a batten was lid uut on n for one ol randolph's how i rs we had only 25 spades i axes •('. ; 3 picks but these were busily plied u ihj and night of the 7th and all on ii 8lh < n the afternoon of the 8th 1 earned thai a marauding mini of tbe etieuiy vv.is in a few miles of us i called for h party of j4 men to drive them hack lieut roberts uf r company of mv regi ment promptly responded and in rive minutes his command was en route i detached maj randolph with one howitzer to join him and lieut col lee 1st regi ment x c volunteers requested and was granted permission to take command of the whole after a march of five miles limy came across the marauders busy over the spoils of a plumbed house a shell • ii p it the plunderers to flight and they *•"'•• chased over new market bridge where our little force was hailed iu gotoe • i'v'e of tl piiseiiee of a considerable ■ ■} stationed on the olhei side lieut i b-e brought mi one prisoner how tin l iheeuciuj were killed aui wound is net kuown none 1 oui command u -<- inirt soon after lt.ut col lee left tizell caiuu dashing ill wi'h the intor ii that 7ft marauders were on the * liiver read i called for apt me ell's company k of the 1st regiment v ' • volunteers and in three minutes u *»" hi hut pttiriiit lieut west of the i i ■ : •' izei llattalliun vvith one piece was ■ uejieil to join then and maj lane of ■ j ii'-in volunteered to assume com id i the whole after a weary march v encountered dispersed and chin.ed " hretehen o'.i n'-u marki't bht|g h-ing ihe second race on the same dav he v market course iu both of '"' the vank.es reached the goal first . . i eie biought in oue prisoner re 1 • cil 7.ens reported lhat two cart ea(|s 1 ,,,: '' huggy load of wounded were light iiiin hampton we iiad not a man killed or wounded col mu •' i came up that evening and h**4qmcd ll'lliuild 1 ''' sunday the 9th a fresh supply of ' " hal led us to put more men to work i when uul engaged ill religious duties ' men worked vigorously on theentrench ts we were aroused at 3 o'clock on day morning for a general advance die enemy and marched 3 miles 11 we learned that the foe in larffe force j within a few hundred yards of us ii back hastily upon our cntrerich ittiu and awaited the arrival of our in l'i lieut col stew hi i of ihe 3d va '' ennui having joined ua with some 180 • n u wis stalioued on the liiii on the ex treiue right beyond the creek and com pativ g ot my lb-gin ut was also thrown over tin stream lo protect t ii howitx t under ciipi browit apt lindgeis of coin any a 1-t n < '. iv mmcnt took pout i ' in the dens wood la-yond and to ihe left j ol the bridge mnj montague with three coiri|iati!es ut \ u • .» 1 1 ;■ ii i •!■. was oidered up j from tin rear an look post on ottr liohl i beginning m the chtircli and extending : along the entire front ti lhat side this j fine bod of itieii and the gallant colli j maud ot lieut ( ol stewart worked vvith i n-o;,t rapidity and iii an bom had coit stnici t ti iii|ior.irv shelter against the eii.incs file just at 0 o'clock a nl the in hv v lo.ktlllis 1)1 llie elicit v wei scell approach iut rapidly and in good order but wlieii randolph opined upon tl em at ; 9-j their organization wa completely broken up 1 he enemy promptly replied with his j artiileiy tiring briskly and wildly and ; made an attempt al deployment till our right ot tin road tinder cover of some i houses and n paling thev were how ever prompt h iliiveii back bv our artillery a \ iroiiii.-i company ihe llie guard and i companies b c mid g of niv regiment tin enemy mail no deployment within musketry range during the day execjit v utter vovvv of woods fences or paling und«fcover u llie tiees lie moved al urotig oolumtl to an old ford some :{ of a ! mile im'low where 1 had placed a picket of i u 4n men col magrtidet sent capt n ol th'scoiiipanv uf moiilague'scoliitnand i with one howitzer under sergeant crane to drive back this column which was done by a single shot from the howitzer before this a priming wire had been broken in the v*-i,t of the howitzer commanded by dpi brow ti and leinleied it useless a force estimated at 1500 was now attempt ing to outflank ns and get m the rear vi lieut co stewart's small command he was accordingly directed to fall back and the whole ot our advanced troops were withdrawn at this critical moment i directed lieut col lee to call capt bridgets out of the swamp and order him to occupy the nearest advanced works and i ordered apt ross company c 1st regiment n c volunteers to the support of lieut col stewart these two captains will their companies crossed j over to randolph's batten under a most heavy fire in ihe most gallant manner as lieut col stewart had withdrawn apt ross was detained at the church near randolph's battery capt budgets ho w ever crossed over and drove the zou aves out of the advanced howitzer battery and re-occupied it it is impossible to overestimate this service il decided the action in our favor in obedience to orders i from col magruder lieut col stewart rushed back and spite u the presence of a foe ten tunes hi superior in numbers resumed in the must heroic manner pos session of his entrenchments a fresh howitzer was carried across and placed in the battery and capt avery of company i was directed to defend il at all hazards we were now as secure as at the begin ning of ihe tight aud as yet had no man j killed the enemy finding himself foiled i on our right think next made his final demonstration on our left a strong col j timu supposed lo consist uf volunteers frotn different legiiiietiis and under command of i capt winlhrop aid-de-camp to gen butler crossed over 1 1 it creek ami appeared at the tingle on uitr left those in advance i had put on our distinctive badge of a white i band around the cap and they cried out repeatedly don't tire this ruse was i practised to enable the whole column to | gel over ihe creek and form in good older thev now began to cheer most lustly think ' ing that our work was open al the gorge | and that they could get in by a sudden i rush companies b and c however ; soon dispelled the illusion by acool.delib ' etale ami well directed tire col magru der sent ovet portions of <■.( and n com panies of my legimetii to our support j aud how began as cool tiring on our side as was ever witnessed the three held j hic.rrs of the regiment were present and i but few shots wcic fired without their per ; mission the men repeatedly saying may i j tire i think i can bring him 1 hey were ! all ill high gu e and seemed to enjoy it as j much as bovs do abbil shooting capt j i wimhrop while most gallantly urging on j his men was shot through the heart when j i all rushed back with the utmost pieeipita ' 1 tion so far as my observation extended , i he was the only one of the eneinv who i j exhibited even an approximation to cour ! 1 age during the whole day the tight at ; the angle lasted but twenty minutes it < completely discouraged the enemy and be made no further effort at assault the house in front which had served as a hiding place for the enemy was now tired by a shell from a howitzer and the out houses and palings were soon iu a blaze as all slieller was now taken from him the enemy railed in his troops and started back for hampton as he had left sharp shooters behind him in ihe woods on odr left the dragoons could not advance until capt hoke company k 1st regi ment of n c volunteers had thoroughly | explored them when he avi the assur j anre of the wood being clear apt doit thtitt with some 10u dragoons pursued the enemy in his baste threw awav hund reds of canteens haversacks overcoats ev'c even the dead were thrown out of the wagons the put-suit soon became n chase ; and for the third time the ein-mv won the | race over the \. market course the bridge ' was torn up behind him and oui drag oii ' returned to camp j there were not juite soo of my regi i niciit engaged in the fiuht ami not one ' half of tlese drew a trigger during the tight all remained manfully at the post assigned and not a man in the regimen behaved badly the companies not en gaged were as much exposed ami render ed equal service with those participating ' in the light they deserve eotially the j thanks of the country in fact it is the most tivine ordeal to which soldiers cmii be subjected to receive a fire which their orders forbid them to return had a sin gle company left his post our works would have been exposed and the constancy and discipline of the unengaged companies cannot be too highly commended a detachment of fifteen cadets from the ' n c military institute defended the how i it/.er under lt hudson and acted with great coolness and determination i cannot speak in too high terms of my two field officers lieut col lee and maj lane their services have been of the highest importance since taking the field to the present moment mv thanks are due in an especial manner to lieut 1 m ; poteal adjutant and lieut j w ratch fbrd aid both f them cadets of the n c military institute at charlotte the i huter received a contusion in the forehead ! from a grape-shot which nearly cost him ; his life capt liridgers company a ; lieut j owens commanding company b capt j ross company c capt ashe company i 1 apt mcdowell company e ; capt j starr company f capt avery company t i ; capt huske company h ; lieut ' whitaker commanding company i ; and capt hoke company k ; displayed great , coolness judgement and efficiency lieut gregory is highly spoken of by maj lane for soldiery bearing on the 8th lieuts cook and mckelhan company h crossed i over under a heavy fire to the assistance of the troops attached on the left so also , did lieut cohen company c lieut hoke has shown great zeal energy and j judgment as an engineer officer on various ! occasions corporal geo g williams company a ; henry l wyatt thomas kalian jno thorpe private company a ; volunteered to burn the house which concealed the en emy they behaved with great gallantry i wyatt was killed and the other three weie recalled sergeant thomas j stewart company a and private win mcdonell company a ; reconnoitered the position ol ihe ene ; my and went far iu advance of otir troop private j w potts of com pat m \'>; is.s pecially mentioned by his company com mander so aie c l wyatt company c w h mcdade company it ser geant j m young corpora john ding ier privates o 11 a adams r v cudg er t w jenkins company k ; ii w steadman m e dye ilk benton j \>. smith company k g w l'uhman jas j c mcliea company ii cast alt iks l'rivate henry l wyatt company a ; mortally wounded ; lieut j vv hatch ford contusion ; privates council lodgers and oh as williams company ii ; wound ed severely s patterson company i » ; slightly wounded ; william \\ lute com patty k ; wounded ; peter l'ot'ct ooinpa ! tiy g slightly wounded 1 cannot close this loo elaborate report without speaking in tin login t terms of admiration of the howitzer latial on and j its most accomplished commander maj randolph he has no superior as an ar i tillerist iu any country and his men dis i played the utmost skill and coolness the left howitzer under lieut utidnai j being nearest my works came under my i special notice the names of those at it are as follows : lieut hud nail commanding wounded sergeant s 1 hughes s 11 pendleton 11 b l'leasants vv m caldwell george w hobson w m cartby h c shook wounded ; l w tiwibeilake george t hughes john werth 1 b clark l'erinit me in conclusion to pay a well deserved eompliment to the firsl regiment n c volunteers their patience under tri.-il perseverance under toll nud courage under fire have seldom be«n surpassed bv veteran troops after working night und lav sometimes without tctiis und cooking utensils i iiiiirnnir li.-i never escaped thein to my knowledge they have done a latere portion of the work on the intrench tiit-nt al as well us tliosc at bethel had till the regiments in the field worked with the same spirit there would not be mi i-sailable point in vir ginia after the battle the shook hands affectionately with ihe spades calling ihein clever fellow ami good friends the men are influenced bv ! i i r 1 1 moral and religions s i.tinioiiis ; and their conduct has furnish ed another example of the great truth thai lie who fears in | will ever do liis duty to hit country the confederates had in all about 1200 men in the action the enemy had llie regiments of col duryea zouaves col can col all.-ti col bennediett ami col wald top massachusetts from old point comfort ami five companies of phelps regiment irom newport news we had never more than 300 actively engaged at ah v lime the confederate loss was 11 wounded of tliesi i mortally the ene my must have lost sojne 500 j could not vvitliout great disparagement of their cour age place llielr loss at h lower figure it is inconceivable that 5000 men should make so precipitate a retreat vvitliout hav ing sustained ut least this much of a re vel se let us devoutly thank the li vino god • c for his wonderful interposition in our fa vor and evince our gratitude hy the ex eiiiplariiiess of our lives i 11 hill col 1st reg n c vs battle at bethel church at length a large force of lincoln has left its strong hold ntid has been met by north carolina and virginia volunteers who beat them badly the report of col hill to gov ellis sliuws that they outnum bered us about four to one that three dis tinct well sustained charges were made by them that each time they were repulsed with loss that tiny retreated in disorder pursued by cavalry for six miles that their loss was from 150 to 250 and that only one man was killed and seven wounded of our troops the result as to the vic tory is just as we expected our troops h'oht for everything they hold dear : and hence will fight with a cool uess precision and determination ol the best veterans and now and then in the headlong charge will surpass tliein lint the result as to casual ilh-s on our side agreeably surprises us — forty-five hundred finely armed and with good hatter lies against eleven hundred and sixty chargingthem repeatedly with energy for hours and killing but one and wounding seven is truly wonderful and excites our gratitude to god never in the history of battles have we read of such a result before we are more deeply impressed with the beluf that jod was and is with our troops they were at jlethel in deed — god with us in every engage ment from the bombardment of sumter lo the battle of bethel the lives of the confederate forces have been most wonder fully preserved by providence nine en gagements have taken place in all anil but a very few killed and wounded on our side and hundreds killed and wounded ot ihe enemy truly ihe lord of hosts is with us ; llie god of jacob is our retufle 1 1 c*t washington i>ispa tch a voluntak v ura ft it has been suggested by a couple of our most influential citizens that in order to avoid the unpleasantness of a regular au thorised draft our country being engaged in war and many are deterred in conse ijiioiice of family ties and complicated busi ness engagements from coming forward as \ volunteers a voluntary draft lie made in cli.nlotte heat from all men under the age el fifty vear hl>le to bear arms in defence i i tlicir count i v it has also t een suggested that a meet ing of the men coinpomiig charlotte bent be held on thursday afternoon next at 4 i o'clock at the coin house lo make suit able arrangements to carry out the propo sition we approve the suggestion for then there will be furnished an honorable excuse for those who are liable to do duty but are inactive whilst men who are exempt by age will waive their exemption if physical ly able thus removing an excuse used by many \( this plan be adopted the public will be prepared to put a suitable brand upou those who will not take up arms in defence of their country these who are willing to defend their country will not disapprove of this propo sition — bulletin titk heroines — the two loy.v women who at the peril of their lives from hired enemies and homo trait ins eflcaped from the black repub lican at grafton to cry to our troops at phillippi : to your arms ()' israel ! the enemy are upon yon are now at the virginia hotel in staunton refugees from their homes had the commanders at phillippi been made of such stuff as these fait ones are the surprise and stampede which took place and which nothing hot fighting to the death on the par of the retreating troops can atone for never would have happened staunton ( va vindicator the richmond dispatch of the ltlh itist announces the arrival of these heroic ladies in that city they had an interview with gov letcher who requested them to make the ex ecntive mansion their home during thelr stay in the city a letter received in tli ie city also alludes to these heroines and we have been kindly permitted to pub lish the subjoined extract on the sub ject the spirit of 76 is still alive and the mothers and daughters of the south are as true a6 patriotic and as brave to-day as their auces tors were in the times which tried men's souls who can doubt the result of this contest when the women are emula ting the men in the deeds of daring ami in devotion lo their southern homes ? all honor to the daughters of virginia — the heroines of phillip pi but to the extract : staunton va june 14 " there are many beautiful young ladies here who add much to our pleasure among them are two young heroines who arrived day before yes terday they resided in the north western part of the state nearly all the inhabitants were our enemies and when the hirelings of lincoln invaded the state not a man who saw them moved to arrest their pro gress these two yonng ladies knowing that our soldiers at phillip pi were in danger mounted their horses and alone in a heavy rain rode forty-two miles to warn our soldiers of their approach they then rode to this place staunton riding on horseback a distance of one hundred and fifty-two miles and then gave their horses to two soldiers who were going to fight the enemy the black republicans have offered a reward of twenty-thousand dollars for these two rebel ladies a party was given them last night and the officers of our regiment invited ; we went and had a delightful time the young ladies were there and the officers of our regiment promised that they would defend the two young hero ines and elect them daughters of the regiment i was surprised to find them well educated ladies — and not as we supposed plain country girls the names of these ladies are — miss mollie mcleod and miss abbie kerr daring exploit — two lincoln prisoners were brought to manassas junction friday morning who were captured in the following daring manner a volunteer from hanov er county was out on picket duty when the two lincolnites came snd denly upon him and leveling their guiih at him ordered him to surren der our picket however instead uf surrendering immediately drew his revolver and aiming it at tbe enemy ordered them to surrender or their lives would be the forfeit the cowardly lincolnites thus bold iv confronted at once dropped their arms and to save their bacon allow ed themselves to be quietly taken to the junction as prisoners of war we are unable to learn the name ot the hero of this bold exploit lynchburg republican . the yankee druggists refuse to send any more quinine to the south since the battle of bethel they find it will al be needed in the fedetal army to btop the ague which is sha king the courage of their soldiery