GRAHAM. 



GREAT BETHEL. 



343 



paign of 1812-'14 he was present at Borodino, 

 Lutzen, Bautzen, Dresden, and Leipzig. In 

 1828-'9 he was general of brigade, and led the 

 sieges of Shuinla and Silistria, capturing the lat- 

 ter city after a long siege, and was advanced to 

 the rank of lieutenant-general ; in 1831, he dis- 

 tinguished himself in the war of the Polish revo- 

 lution at Grochow, where he was severely wound- 

 ed at the capture of the bridge of Ostrolenka and 

 the taking of Warsaw, and was made chief of 

 staff of the active army, as a testimony of his 

 ability as an officer. ' In 1843 he was appointed 

 general of artillery, and in 1846 military gov- 

 ernor of Warsaw, where he gained the affection 

 of the people by his efforts for the improvement 

 of the capital. In 1849, as major-general, he 

 took part in the war with Hungary. In 1852 he 

 attended the funeral of the Duke of Wellington 

 as representative of the army of Russia, which 

 had honored the duke with an appointment as 

 field-marshal. In 1854 he was appointed com- 

 mander of the army of the Pruth in the princi- 

 palities. He besieged Silistria for some months, 

 but finally raised the siege, and subsequently 

 withdrew his troops into Bessarabia, where, a 

 few months later, he received from the emper- 

 or the command of the entire Russian forces in 

 the Crimea. He was defeated on the Tchernayo, 

 but more than retrieved his reputation by his 

 gallant defence of Sebastopol, and by his skilful 

 retreat after its capture, which enabled him to 

 avoid a disastrous capitulation. After the death 

 of Paskiewitch he was appointed governor of 

 Poland, and exerted himself, up to his death, 

 to promote the peace of that unhappy country. 

 GRAHAM, SIB JAMES ROBERT GEORGE, an 

 English statesman, born at Netherby, in Cumber- 

 land, June 1, 1792, died at his residence in Neth- 

 erby, Oct. 25, 1861. He was educated at West- 

 minster, and at Queen's College, Cambridge, and 

 entered public life as secretary to Lord Mont- 

 gomery, in Sicily, and afterwards served in the 

 same capacity under Lord William Bentinck. In 

 1818 he was elected to parliament from Hull, 

 coming out in opposition to the political views of 

 his father, who was greatly displeased with his 

 conduct. He soon distinguished himself as an 

 able political writer, and advocated the prin- 

 ciples of the liberal school in politics. In 1820 

 he retired from parliament; in 1824 he suc- 

 ceeded his father as baronet, and in 1826 was 

 elected for Carlisle, and was a member of par- 

 liament, as the representative either of that 

 city, Cumberland, East Pembroke, Dorchester, 

 or Ripon, from that time till his death. From 

 1830 to 1834 he was first Lord of the Admir- 

 alty, and a member of the cabinet under the 

 Grey Ministry. In 1831 he was one of the 

 most efficient advocates of the Reform bill in 

 the House. In 1834, in conjunction with Lord 

 Stanley (now Earl Derby) he left the Grey 

 Cabinet, and for some years attached himself 

 to no particular party. In 1841 he was Home 

 Secretary under Sir Robert Peel. In 1844 he 

 was accused of tampering with the letters of 

 the Italian republicans, which passed through 



the London Post-office, and the accusation -was 

 sustained by strong evidence. In 1845 he ably 

 advocated the Free Trade policy of Sir Robert 

 Peel. In 1846, on the defeat of the Irish coer- 

 cion bill, he retired from office, but was ap- 

 pointed one of the council of the duchy of Lan- 

 caster in 1847. In 1852 he again became first 

 Lord of the Admiralty under Lord Aberdeen, 

 but resigned in 1855, under Lord Pa'merston, 

 from his opposition to the premier's views rela- 

 tive to the Russian war. Sir Charles Napier 

 brought very severe allegations against him for 

 his mode of fitting out the Baltic fleet during 

 his term of service, and these allegations were 

 sustained by the most convincing evidence. 

 The motives which prompted his action in this 

 matter were never explained. In 1859 he took 

 grounds with the advanced liberals in a speech 

 on Earl Derby's Reform bill, although he had 

 previously acted with the tories. He held no 

 office under the Government after his resigna- 

 tion in 1855. 



GREAT BETHEL is about 12 miles from For- 

 tress Monroe, on the road from Hampton to York- 

 town, and between two and four miles beyond 

 Little Bethel on the same road. This latter spot, 

 consisting chiefly of a small church, is about ten 

 miles from Hampton and the same distance from 

 Newport News, in Elizabeth City County, Vir- 

 ginia. At Little Bethel a Confederate outpost 

 of some strength was established, the main 

 army being in the vicinity of Yorktown. From 

 Little Bethel the Confederate troops were ac- 

 customed to advance, both on Newport News 

 and the picket guards of Hampton, to annoy 

 them. They had also come down in small 

 squads of cavalry and taken a number of Union 

 men, and forced them to serve in their ranks, 

 besides gathering up the slaves of citizens who 

 had moved away and left their farms in charge 

 of their negroes, and sent them to work on the 

 intrenchments at Williamsburg and Yorktown. 

 Gen. Butler, being in command at Fortress Mon- 

 roe, determined to drive out the enemy and de- 

 stroy his camp. At Great Bethel, which is a 

 large church near the head of Back River, there 

 was another outpost, and a considerable ren- 

 dezvous with works of some strength in process 

 of erection. Brig.-Gen. E. W. Pierce was ap- 

 pointed to the command of the expedition, and 

 issued the following orders : 



HEAD-QTTAEIEKS CAMP HAMTLTOX,' ) 

 June 9, 1861. f 



General Orders, No. 12 : A plan of attack to-night 

 is herewith enclosed and forwarded to Col. Duryea, 

 commanding Fifth Regiment New York State troops, 

 who will act accordingly. Col. Townsend, command- 

 ing Third Regiment New York State troops, will march 

 his command in support of Col. Duryea ; Col. Carr, 

 commanding Second Regiment New York Volunteers, 

 will detach the artillery company of his regiment, with 

 their field-pieces, caissons, and" a suitable supply of 

 ammunition, and take their position at the burnt bridge, 

 near Hampton. Cols. Allen, Carr, and McCbesney will 

 hold their entire command in readiness, fully prepar- 

 ed to march at a moment's notice. All the troops 

 will be supplied with one day's rations, and each man 

 with twenty rounds of ball cartridges. That no mis- 

 take may be made, all the troops, as they charge the 



