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pushed forward until they had penetrated into the streets of Winchester. Here
the fighting was spirited, until the troops were ordered out of the town by
General Early. But they went no farther than the outskirts, and during the day
kept in check the Fifth Maryland Federal Regiment with its supports.

On this day Major Goldsborough's orders were to keep the enemy engaged,
but not to press forward. The object was to amuse him and distract his
attention from the real points of attack.

After a reconnoissance of the enemy's position by Generals Ewell and Early,
it was determined to move Hays', Hoke's and Smith's Brigades and the rest of
Jones' and Brown's battalions of artillery to the left, across the Romney road,
about three miles from Winchester. After crossing the Romney road General
Early soon reached a good position for posting his artillery within easy range of
the enemy's works on the hill overlooking his main fort. Colonel Jones, in
command of the artillery, placed his guns in position as quietly and quickly as
possible. The artillery was divided so as to put twelve pieces in an orchard and
eight pieces on the edge of a cornfield north of a woods. Hays' splendid
Louisiana Brigade had been selected to make the assault upon the fort.

About an hour before sundown Jones brought his artillery by hand over
the crest into position, and opened with the whole of his twenty pieces before the
enemy was aware of his proximity, so much was he absorbed in the skirmishing
so vigorously pressed by the Second Maryland Infantry on the opposite side
of the town.

So rapid and destructive was the fire from Jones' batteries that in half an
hour the enemy's guns in his fortifications were silenced, when General Harry
Hays was ordered to make the assault. With a yell, the gallant Louisianians
dashed forward, over abatis of brushwood, over every obstacle, and swarmed into
the fort, taking six pieces of artillery, and at once turned them upon the columns
of the enemy that were being formed to recapture the fort.

In the meantime the skirmishers of the Second Maryland Infantry had not
been idle, and their vigorous and persistent attack upon the enemy posted in
the cemetery had not only diverted his attention from the real point of attack, but
had kept a large force from co-operating with the main body. When night set
in they held the position they had been ordered to in the morning by General
Early, and had successfully repulsed two assaults of the enemy, in one of which
Lieutenant Joseph P. Quinn, of Company E, was captured through his own
indiscretion.

Late in the evening of the 14th Major Harry Gilmor brought an order from
General Ewell to Major Goldsborough to press on into Winchester at the break
of day, and if possible ascertain at intervals during the night what the enemy
was doing. From reports made by several of his most reliable men who were