148
OPERATIONS OF 1861 ABOUT FORT MONROE.
On the 10th of June, 1861, occurred the disastrous tight at Big Bethel,—battle we scarce may term it. Up to this time but few soldiers had beenunder tire, and the confidence which must exist between men and officers tomake an army effective was lacking. To the want of that experience andconfidence a great measure of the failure at Big Bethel may be attributed.
At noon of Sunday, the 9th of June, Gteneral Ebenezer W. Peirce receivedan order to go at once to headquarters at Fort Monroe. Arriving at GeneralButler’s quarters, he was shown a plan of attack on both Little and Big Bethel.
Minute directions for conducting the attack were given,and Peirce was assigned to command the expedition.The march was begun about midnight, June 9th. Peircewas to lead one column from Camp Hamilton to a pointnear Little Bethel, where the column advancing fromNewport News was to meet him, and together they wereto surprise and attack both Bethels. The troops takingpart in the action on the following day were 5 NewYork regiments, the 1st, 2d, 3d, 5th, and 7th, detach-ments from the 4th Massachusetts and 1st Vermont ,and a detachment of United States Regular Artillery(11 men), with 2 field-pieces, under command of Lieu-tenant Greble. Reports credit us with 2500 menengaged; I believe we had not less than 3500 men.General Butler had taken precautions against errorswhen our men should meet, having given the watch-word “ Boston ” to be shouted when unrecognized troops should approach.Colonel Bendix, of the 7th New York regiment, did not receive informationon this point. The several detachments were approaching the point desig-nated as a place for meeting, and some troops had already departed forthe rear of Little Bethel, when Townsend’s (3d New York ) and Bendix’s troopsapproached each other, a dense wood having intervened for part of the march.Bendix, seeing troops in gray uniforms approaching,— the uniform of earlyregiments were in many cases gray in color,— and supposing them to bethe enemy, opened fire on them with musketry and one piece of artillery.The watchword was shouted, but Bendix, being ignorant of its significance,continued firing. Townsend retreated a short distance, and the error wasthen discovered. Duryea (5th New York) and Washburn (1st Vermont ), whowere in advance, hearing the firing, concluded that the Confederates hadreached their rear, and immediately retraced their march. The possibility ofsurprising the enemy was now past. The shots of Bendix’s and Townsend’smen had aroused the Confederates, and preparation for defense was made by
THE OPPOSING FORCES AT BIG BETHEL, VA.— JUNE 1 OTH, 1801 .
Union Forces: Brigadier-General Ebenezer W. Peirce. Total Union loss: IS killed, 53 wounded, and 5 miss-4th Mass. (5 co’s), Maj. Horace O. Wliittemore; 1st N. Y., ing = 76.
Col. William H. Allen ; 2d N. Y. , Col. Josepli B. Carr; 3d Confederate Forces: Col. J. Bankhead Magruder. IstN.N. Y., Col. Frederick Townsend; 5th N. Y., Col. Abram C., Col. Daniel H. Hill ; 3d Ya. {detachment), Lieut.-Col.Duryea; TtliN.Y., Col. John E. Bendix; 1st Yt. (5 co’s), William D. Stuart; Va. Cavalry Battalion, Maj. E.B. Mon-Lieut.-Col. Peter T. Washburn; Regular artillery {4 tague; Va. Howitzer Battalion, Maj. Geo. W. Randolph,guns), Lieut . John T. Greble (k). Total Confederate loss: 1 killed and 7 wounded = 8.
UNIFORM OF DURYEA’S ZOUAVE8.