been ordered up to the support of the other brigades, was ordered back to Ketrnstown, where it was placed in position to protect the ambulances, wagons, and artillery, which had been brought up to that position, from an attack from the left and rear, and Herbert was ordered to take position which his battalion of infantry on the right of Gordon, who had extended his line on the right across the Valley turnpike. In this position the troops remained all night, under a drenching rain. Early next morning, the 14th, I ordered Gordon and Hays, respectively, to advance a regiment across the creek and get possession of Bowers' Hill, then occupied only by the enemy's skirmishers, as his artillery had been withdrawn during the night. This was accomplished after some skirmishing, and the skirmishers from Smith's brigade were also advanced across the creek, to the left of those of Hays and Gordon. General Ewell having come up in the meantime, we proceeded together to reconnoiter the position, and, having gone to the top of Bowers' Hill, now occupied by my skirmishers, had a fair view of the enemy's works about Winchester, and from this point we discovered that the hill to the northwest of the enemy's works, which I had been directed to gain, had also been fortified, and was occupied. It became necessary, then, to take this hill by assault, and, having discovered a position to the northwest of it from which it was through it might be attacked with advantage, I was directed to move my division around to that position and make the attack. leaving a force where the division then was to amuse the enemy and conceal the movement upon his flank and rear. I will here state that when Hays' and Gordon's skirmishers had advanced to Bowers' Hill, Major [W. W.]Goldsborough, of the Maryland battalion with the skirmishers from that battalion, had advanced into the outskirts of the town from their main fort, I ordered him back. After receiving final instructions from General Ewell, I replaced the skirmishers of Hays' and Smith's brigades by other from Gordon's brigade, and leaving General Gordon, with his brigade, the Maryland battalion, and two batteries of artillery (the Maryland battery and [A.]Hupp's battery, of Brown's battalion) to amuse the enemy and hold him in check in front, I moved with Hays' Hoke's and Smith's brigades, and the rest of Jones' and Brown's battalions of artillery, to the left (west) following the Cedar Creek turnpike for a short distance, and then leaving that and passing through fields and the woods, which I found sufficiently open to admit of the passage of artillery, thus making a considerable detour, and crossing the macadamized road to Romey about 3 miles west of Winchester and a half mile from a point at which the enemy had had a picket the night before. After crossing the Romeny road, at which point I left the Fifty-fourth North Carolina Regiment, of Hoke's brigade, on picket, I continued to move on until I got very near to the Pughtown road before I reached the position from which I wished to assault the enemy's works, which proved to be a wooded hill, a part of the range of hills called Little North Mountain, close to the Pughtown road, and on the south side of which was an old orchard and the ruins of a house called Folk's Old House, and on the side a corn-field, on Mrs. Brierly's land. Both these points afforded excellent positions for