entire column, near Bartonsville, on the night of the 24th ultimo. I immediately threw forward Companies A and K, under the command, respectively, of Captain Fletcher and Lieutenant Kurtz, as skirmishers, with instructions to advance cautiously and to scour the woods and country on either side of the road, superintending the movement in person, assisted by Lieutenant-Colonel Funk. The remaining eight companies followed some 400 or 500 yards in the rear. Owing to the frequent ambuscades of the enemy, which exposed them to a dangerous fire, the darkness of the night, the roughness of the country, and the exhausted condition of the men, the advance was necessarily slow, but was kept up constantly.

The enemy was driven back, about 20 of his number captured, 3 wounded, and 1 killed.

Finding my men almost broken down, I asked for assistance to relieve them, and one company of the Second Regiment (Captain Burgess) was sent forward for that purpose; but as only three of that company were acquainted with the neighborhood I received but little help from it.

At dawn my skirmishers had advanced as far as Hollingsworth's Mill (taking possession of a camp of the enemy's cavalry, apparently just deserted) and discovered the enemy upon the hill in the suburbs of Winchester, to the left of the road. I ordered Companies E (Captain Newton) and G (Captain Richard D. Simms) to support my skirmishers, and moved the line forward rapidly. The enemy's cavalry made its appearance in the main road, but was soon driven back.

By direction of Brigadier-General Winder I pushed forward Company C, commanded by Lieutenant John F. Litten (Captain Trevey being sick), to drive the enemy from the brow of the above-mentioned hill and advance it in conjunction with the Second and Twenty-seventh Regiments. The remainder of the regiment, under the command of Major Williams, was ordered to follow and support the movement. The enemy retired rapidly, and I placed the skirmishers under the brow of the hill and behind a stone fence, so as to protect them from the enemy's sharpshooters and enable them to drive them back without any loss, which they succeeded in doing.

Perceiving the enemy was shifting his forces to his right (our left), I ordered forward Companies D (Captain Randolph), L (Captain Burke), and I (commanded by Lieutenant Arnold), and placed them on the left of Company C, thus nearly filling up the space between the right of the Second Regiment and the main road. All of the companies thus thrown forward were placed behind the hill and stone fence, and, being armed with long-range guns, did good service, and were in a most excellent position to enfilade, with a raking fire, any force which might attempt to retake the hill, which I thought it was then the intention of the enemy to undertake.

This position had not been occupied long when, perceiving the left of our line moving forward, I ordered my men to charge, which was done with a cheer and in gallant style. Warned by a lady just at the edge of the town that the enemy was still making a stand, I rode in advance, and found that he had formed three sides of a square at the intersection of Loudoun and-streets, so as to rake our forces as they advanced in three directions. I directed two companies to attack the enemy on the one side and led two others around the square, so as to attack him on that side also. He did not stand, however, but a short time, and my advance companies, in conjunction with some of the Second Regiment, pursued him down Braddock, Loudoun, and Market