came to me and informed me that General Jackson had ordered an advance; that General Trimble would advance on the right over the side of the mountain (Slaughter), supported by the Louisiana Brigade, of General Ewell's division, and that I would advance from the position I then occupied, and be supported by General Winder with three brigades of General Jackson's own division, nd he directed me to advance as soon as I received a message from General Winder that he was in position to support me. While waiting for the message from General Winder I reconnoitered the ground in front, and the position of the enemy's cavalry, which was in the fields of Mrs. Crittenden's farm, to the left of the Culpeper road, deployed as skirmishers, supported by about a squadron in reserve. My command was concealed from this cavalry, and I determined to advance upon it, if possible, so as not to be seen until within a short distance of it and I discovered a way which I could, in all probability, do so. On riding back to the school-house I found a courier from General Winder with the information that he was ready. I then commanded my movement, being about 2 p. m., and made a detour to the left, passing through the edge of a woods and behind a hill until I reached the place where I proposed to form my line of battle.

In making the advance from this position I found it necessary to march the greater portion of the brigade in line across a corner of woods through which the Culpeper road leads, so as to get in reach of the cavalry. I sent forward the Thirteenth Virginia regiment, under Colonel James A. Walker, deployed as skirmishers, a short distance into the woods behind which I desired to form line of battle, and as soon as the skirmishers had advanced the required distance the brigade was formed in a meadow on the north of a branch of Cedar Creek, in an oblique direction to the Culpeper road and to the left of it. While the line was forming a few shots were head on the left of the skirmishers, which proved to have been fired on a body of cavalry, which immediately gave way. As soon as the line was formed I directed the skirmishers to advance, taking care to bear to the right, so as to cross the road and come into the fields beyond, in order to form upon the brigade, and ordered the brigade forward, sending the Twelfth Georgia Regiment, which was on the right, by flank to form behind a ridge, beyond which was the enemy's cavalry. The brigade moved forward through the woods in handsome style until it camp up with the Twelfth Georgia Regiment, when the whole advanced until it came in sight of the enemy's cavalry. About this time Colonel Walker's skirmishers commenced firing, as did the regiments on the right, and the cavalry scampered off. The brigade continued to move forward, swinging around the corner of the woods and coming out into the open field in line of battle. It had by this time got to the right of the Culpeper road and moved in pursuit of the enemy's cavalry through the fields in a direction parallel to the road until it came to a farm road running from Mrs. Crittenden's house, on the right, perpendicularly to the Culpeper road. Here it was halted for a few minutes behind a fence running along the farm road, and the Thirteenth Regiment was drawn in and formed on the left. The fence was then pulled down and the brigade moved forward in line to the crest of a hill which commanded a view in front of what afterward proved to be the battle-field. As soon as the brigade reached the crest of this hill three batteries opened on it, and a large body of cavalry was discovered in a wheat field in front to the left. I ordered the men to retire few steps and lie down, so as to avoid the effects of the enemy's artillery. The Seventh and Eighth