tion of Colonel Ely, continually skirmished with the enemy in front of the forts and east of the town, between the Front Royal and Martinsburg roads. During this skirmishing the rebels took possession of a large brick dwelling, surrounded by dense shrubbery, on the Berryville road, about half a mile from Winchester . Our skirmishers attacked and carried the house, killing 1 officer and 5 men and capturing 11 prisoners. At one time during the day the rebels in considerable numbers appeared in the town, but were driven out by the Eighteenth Connecticut and Eighty-seventh Pennsylvania Infantry. On Sunday morning General Elliott, with a portion of his brigade, Carlin's battery, and the Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, took position on the ridge above described, about a quarter of a mile south of the Romney road . He had frequent and sometimes severe skirmishing. The enemy did not, however, at any time appear before him in force. In consequence of the overwhelming masses of the enemy about me, I kept my forces during the day well in hand and in immediate connection with the forts. As early as Saturday evening, after I learned of the presence of Lee's army in force, I made up my mind to act on the defensive, economize my forces, wait until the enemy had massed himself for the final attack, and then, unless relieved, force my way through what might appear to be the weakest portion of his lines . My belief was superinduced by the maneuvers of the enemy on Saturday and by the ground that the real attack would come from the Romney road. Early on Sunday morning, I ordered Captain Morgan, Of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, witch a detachment of two companies of that regiment to proceed out the Pughtown road as far as Pughtown, if practicable ; thence across to the Romney road, and by that road back to the forts. I instructed him to carefully observe the disposition and forces of the enemy, if any, in that direction. That officer returned with his command to the forts about 2 p. m., and reported that he had made the round indicated without meeting or detecting any traces of an enemy in that direction . Immediately west of parallel with the ridge on which the main fortification is constructed, and about 2, 000 yards distant therefrom, is another range, known as Flint Ridge, on which commanded the Pughstown and Romney roads and all the approaches from the west. These works were occupied on Sunday by the One hundred and tenth and part of the One hundred and sixteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Battery L, Fifth U. S. Artillery, under Colonel Keifer. The report of Captain Morgan relieved me from all apprehensions of an immediate attack in that direction, and induced me to turn my attention to the approaches in other directions. I am still at a loss to know how Captain Morgan could have made the tour which he reported without seeing or encountering the enemy, for within two hours after he made his report the enemy opened upon me from the west with at least four full batteries, some of his guns of the longest range, under cover of which fire he precipitated a column of infantry, at least 10, 000 strong, upon the outwork held by Colonel Keifer, which, after a stubborn resistance, he carried . This outwork was commanded by the guns of the main an star forts, which were immediately brought to bear upon the enemy, driving him from the position, and affording a protection to Colonel Keifer's command,