and Waters' batteries, was near 2 miles below Mount Jackson. Colonel J. S. Burks' brigade,consisting of the Twenty-first, Forty-second, and Forty-eight Regiments Virginia Volunteers and the First Virginia Battalion Provisional Army Confederate States, and Marye's battery, was near 2 miles about Mount Jackson.

The three brigades were ordered to march at dawn of the following morning. All the regiments, except the Forty-eight (Colonel John A. Campbell's), which was the rear guard, arrived within a mile or two of Kernstown by 2 p. m. the 23rd,, and directions were given for bivouacking.

During the march information had reached me from a reliable source that the Federals were sending off their stores and troops from Winchester, and after arriving near Kernstown I learned from a source which had been remarkable for its reliability that the enemy's infantry force at Winchester did not exceed four regiments. A large Federal force was leaving the alley, and had already reached Castleman's Ferry on the Shenandoah. Though it was very desirable to prevent the enemy from leaving the valley, yet I deemed it best not to attack until morning. But subsequently ascertaining that the Federals had a position from which our forces could be seen, I concluded that it would be dangerous to postpone it until the next day, as re-enforcements might be brought up during the night.

After ascertaining that the troops, part of which had marched over 14 miles since dawn, and Garnett's and Burns' brigades, which had made a forced march of near 25 miles the day previous, were in good spirits at the prospects of meeting the enemy, I determined to advance at once.

Leaving Colonel Ashby, with his command, on the Valley turnpike, with Colonel Burns' brigade as a support to the batteries, and also to act as reserve, I moved with one piece of Carpenter's battery and Colonel Fulkerson's brigade, supported by General Garnett's, to our left, for the purpose of securing a commanding position on the enemy's right, and thus, turning him by that flank, force him back from his strong position in front, which prevented a direct advance.

Soon after, Captain Carpenter brought up his other pieces, also McLauglin's and Waters' batteries came forward, the eminence was reached, and the three batteries, under their respective captains, commenced playing on the enemy, whose position was now commanded. We continued to advance our artillery, keeping up a continuous fire upon the Federals on our right, while Colonel John Echols, with his regiment (the Twenty-seventh), with its skirmishers thrown forward, kept in advance and opened the infantry engagement, it which it was supported by the Twenty-first, under Lieutenant Colonel J. Patton, jr., as no other regiment of General Garnett had yet come up. Well did these two regiment do their duty, driving back the enemy twice in quick succession.

Soon a severe wound compelled the noble leader of the Twenty-seventh to leave the field, and the command devolved upon its lieutenant-colonel, the dauntless Grigsby. Great praise is due tom the officers and men of both regiments.

Colonel Fulkerson having advanced his brigade, consisting of the Twenty-third and Thirty-seventh, which were, respectfully, commanded by Lieutenant Cols. A. G. Taliaferro and R. P. Carson, to the left of Colonel Echols, judiciously posted it behind a stone wall toward which the enemy was rapidly advancing, and opened a destructive fire, which drove back the Northern forces in great disorder after sustaining a