Orange Light Infantry.
(Written by an old Confederate, who
was at the Battle of Bethel.)
Editor of The News:
Let’s keep history straight as far as
it goes. I was a member of the Orange
Light Infantry, Co. D., First North
Carolina Reg. (Bethel Reg.) T joined
the company at Chapel Hill before the
war came on. After it became evi¬
dent that we would have to go the of¬
ficers that were chosen were R. S.
Ashe, Captain, with Richard Saun¬
ders, James Jennings and Male! Lieu¬
tenants and Fletcher Freeland as Or¬
derly Sergeant. On the 17th day of
April, 1861, we were ordered to Ral¬
eigh and camped in the old fair
grounds, where the Regiment was
formed with D H. Hill as Colonel,
, Lee, Lieut. Col., Lane as Major, Po-
teat Aujutant, Dr. Hines of Raleigh
as Surgeon. On the 20th day of May
the State seceeded. On the 21st day of
May 1861 we were ordered to Richmond
and took up camp in Howard’s Grove,
where we stayed but a few days, and
were ordered to Yorktown where we
were put to work in good fashion,
drilling, cutting down timber, throw¬
ing up breastworks, pulling up big
guns with ropes, of the Balgreen va¬
riety weighing 16,000 pounds, 16 feet
long, to be mounted in the forts. A
few days before the fight came off at
Great Bethel we were ordered there.
On the morning of June 10th, ’61, the
regiment was formed in line, the cav¬
alry and a battery of artillery were
placed in front, and the command
given to march. About three miles
below Great Bethel is a church called
Little Bethel. We marched about 2
or 3 miles and were halted. All were
anxious to know what was the trouble.
Word was soon passed down the line
that the Yankees were advancing on
us, but they took the road to Little
Bethel, otherwise we would have met
in open battle. We were ordered to
about face double quick march, and
the command was obeyed to the letter.
We took our positions in line of battle
and threw up some temporary breast¬
works as best we could out of logs and
sand then waited for the Yanks to
come on and try their corn stalks on
us and see how they would come out.
But after they got in the right road
they came on with a brigade (five reg¬
iments) with artillery and cavalry to
match. Everything being ready, we
waited for the attack. Colonel Hill
came around and said when you hear
the bugle blow you may know the
enemy is in sight. We did not have
longTo wait, for it blew with that pe¬
culiar sound that will never be forgot¬
ten: ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
ta ta ta ta ta, dwelling on the last
three notes. Immediately our artil¬
lery at the church opened fire on them.
A wounded prisoner that was brought
to headquarters said the first two shots
from our artillery went over their
heads b ut the third hit him above the
knee and cut his leg off. He said it
turned him around, and as he fell he
saw that every man in the same fire'
was cut down for at least one or two
| hundred yards, for the road was
| straight and level. Then they filed
! left and formed in line of battle on
! our right and the fight commerced in
dead earnest. Col. Winthiop who com¬
manded the forces that attacked us on
the left, crossed the creek under coyer
of the trees and undergrowth and
j opened fire on us. Col. Hill ordered
us to hold our fire until they came out
into the open field, which we did. They
made a charge on our works, but were
driven back. Again they charged, but
all in yam, At this point Col. Win-
throp mounted a stump and threw his
sword over his head and said, “come
on my brave men, never disgrace
yourself in the face of the enemy.”
Capt. Ashe said to Wane McDade,
“Shoot that d - Yankee. He fired
] and Winthrop’s sword fell from his
| hand and he tell backwards with a
i bullet in his breast. Capt. Ashe asked
! Sam Mayho if he wanted to shoot; he
said yesvand fired. Who killed Win-
throp I do not know, as the bullets
were coming thick and fast. While
this was going on the Yankees had
heavy columns on our right, and their
sharpshooters had made their way to
! a house in front of our line, and were
| shooting out of the windows. This
I was the house that Wyatt volunteered
to go and fire. Gen. Magrude ordered
it fired by shell which was done. The
battle lasted for three hours. Then
the enemy withdrew their forces from
the field, but we did not know whether
they intended to renew the attack or
not, so we remained there until about
night but they neyer came, so ended
the first battle of the war.
As soon as I got the chance I went
' out over a portion of the battle field ,
and I coutned twelve dead Yankees.
I heard a cavalryman say he counted
eighty wounded in one yard. They
carried all off of the battle field they
could. So it will never be known how
many they lost, but we will always
believe that they lost between two and
three hundred killed and wounded I
shall always be thankful to God for
two things that happened that day,
for it seemed that His merciful provi¬
dence protected us. First, that they
took the wrong road and we did not
meet them in the open field. Second,
that the shell they fired at our right
flank hit a large white oak and glancj
ed down the creek. Also for the good
mothers, fathers, wives, sisters and
sweethearts that were praying for us,
About night we took up our line of
march back to Yorktown to the song
of the “Old North State Forever.”
But alas, there are but few of us
left, they have passed over the river.
We soon shall follow.
C. Whit Lloyd.
Chapel Hill, N. C.
