ments, directed by General Ewell and led by Colonel Scott, although his command was afterward driven back to the woods with severe loss. The batteries were all safely withdrawn, except one of Captain Poague's 6-pounder guns, which was carried off by the enemy.

While Winder's command was in this critical condition the gallant and successful attack of General Taylor on the Federal left and rear diverted attention from the front, and led to a concentration of their force upon him. Moving to the right along the mountain acclivity through a rough and tangled forest, and much disordered by the rapidity and obstruction of the march, Taylor emerged with his command from the wood just as the loud cheers of the enemy had proclaimed their success in front, and, although assailed by a superior force in front and flank, with their guns in position, within point-blank range, the charge was gallantly made, and the battery, consisting of six guns, fell into our hands. Three times was this battery lost and won in the desperate and determined efforts to capture and recover it. After holding the battery for a short time a fresh brigade of the enemy, advancing upon his flank, made a vigorous and well-conducted attack upon him, accompanied by a galling fire of canister from a piece suddenly brought into position at a distance of about 350 yards. Under this combined attack Taylor fell back to the skirt of the wood near which the captured battery was stationed, and from that point continued his fire upon the advancing enemy, who succeeded in recapturing one of the guns, which he carried off, leaving both caisson and limber. The enemy, now occupied with Taylor, halted his advance to the front. Winder made a renewed effort to rally his command, and, succeeding, with the Seventh Louisiana, under Major Penn (the colonel and lieutenant-colonel having been carried from the field wounded), and the Fifth Virginia Regiment, Colonel Funk, he placed part of Poague's battery in the position previously occupied by it, and again opened upon the enemy, who were moving against Taylor's left flank, apparently to surround him in the woods.

Chew's battery now reported and was placed in position, and did good service. Soon after guns from the batteries of Brockenbrough, Courtney, and Rains were brought forward and placed in position. While these movements were in progress on the left and front Colonel Scott, having rallied his command, led them, under the orders of General Ewell, to the support of General Taylor, who, pushing forward with the re-enforcements just received, and assisted by the well-directed fire of our artillery, forced the enemy to fall back, which was soon followed by his precipitate retreat, leaving many killed and wounded upon the field.

General Taliaferro, who the previous day had occupied the town, was directed to continue to do so with part of his troops, and with the remainder to hold the elevated position on the north side of the river, for the purpose of co-operating, if necessary, with General Trimble and preventing his being cut off from the main body of the army by the destruction of the bridge in his rear; but, binding the resistance more obstinate than I anticipated, orders were sent to Taliaferro and Trimble to join the main body. Taliaferro came up in time to discharge an effective volley into the ranks of the wavering and retreating enemy. The pursuit was continued some 5 miles beyond the battle-field by Generals Taliaferro and Winder with their brigades and portions of the batteries of Wooding and Caskie. Colonel Munford, with cavalry and some artillery, advanced about 3 miles beyond the other troops.

Our forces captured in the pursuit about 450 prisoners, some wagons, one piece of abandoned artillery, and about 800 muskets. Some 275 wounded were paroled in the hospitals near Port Republic.