During the week preceding Friday, the 12th instant, the force at Winchester was kept unusually on the alert. Each night the picket line was strengthened, artillery with infantry support, placed in advantageous positions, and scouts were kept out all the time, companies being sent in every direction. On the night of the 13th, our regiment was commanded to strike tents and load all camp equipage into wagons. This occupied from 1 a. m. to 3 a. m. on Saturday morning, and the regiment was then drawn up in the line of battle. At 8 a. m. orders came to repitch our tents. No sooner was this done than they were again ordered to be struck and loaded. About 12 m. the regiment was ordered out the Strasburg road to support General Elliott. Cannonading was going on at our left on the Front Royal road between the opposing artillery. After some changes of position, at 3 p. m. the Twelfth occupied a woods on the right of the road going down the Valley toward Strasburg, just beyond the Union Mills. It was rather an elevated piece of ground, with cleared field beyond and then another wooded hill. From these woods the rebels debouched in very fine style, in perfect line, skirmishers in front. Our artillery near the mill shelled them, but with little effect. They soon drove back our cavalry skirmishers, and engaged the skirmishers of our regiment . The enemy soon doubled his line of skirmishers, and the action became quite warm. We continued to hold the woods for some two hours. During this flight we lost Second Lieutenant Thomas W. Bradley, Company I, killed, shot through the heart, and also 6 men killed, 16 wounded ; no prisoners. Being flanked on our own unprotected right flank by a force of infantry and cavalry, upon their opening fire we retreated in perfect order to the mill-race, our skirmishers following us in. Here we found the One hundred and twenty-second Ohio on the side next the mill, and the One hundred and tenth Ohio marching along the race toward the west. Night coming on, we were ordered to town, and remainder in a driving rain at the south end of Winchester till 2 a. m. Sunday. We were marched to the fortifications and remained there till 6 a. m. ; then crossed to the hills on the opposite side of the Romney road advancing to the stone wall. At the summit we encountered the enemy. Just here an order was passed along our line to fall back, from whom originating is not known. It was partially obeyed. The greater part of the regiment left the wall by squads, reluctantly, and formed a line at some distance back, leaving a considerable number skirmishing at the wall. During the day, sections of the Baltimore battery and Carlin's advanced and fired over our skirmishers into the woods beyond. Skirmishing continued at the stone wall during the day. In the afternoon, as three companies of our regiment were supporting a section of the Baltimore battery, Second Lieutenant Ben Gough, Company F, was shot by a rebel sharpshooter at not less than 900 yards distance . The lieutenant died in the Taylor Hotel hospital at 10 p. m. Sunday night. At 4 p. m. Sunday an advance was ordered . Two Ohio regiments were on our left, and our advance was to be governed by theirs. We moved up in the line to the stone wall, our skirmishers jumping over and advancing on the enemy . Here Lieut . James R. Durham, Company E, while leading on the party, was wounded by a rifle-shot in the arm and right hand while