Question. Did you bring away the powder, cartridges, and other public property belonging either to the State of Louisiana or the Confederate Government?

Answer. I brought away every pound of ammunition and other pubic property in my charge. The following is a list thereof:

Barrels of cannon powder, 100 pounds each................. 182

Kegs of musket powder, 25 pounds each..................... 245

Boxes of cannon powder, 100 pounds each................... 62

Boxes of damaged Spanish powder, 100 pounds each.......... 150

Boxes of small-arm ammunition, 1,000 cartridges each......1,100

and a number of wagon loads of implements, tools, and Government property of all kinds.

Question. What was the quality of the powder brought to New Orleans by the steamers Vanderbilt, Merrimac, and Victoria in the winter of 1861? What was done with it?

Answer. The powder brought by these steamers was damaged and totally unfit for service. A portion was reworked, and the saltpeter extracted from the remainder and made into new powder.

Captain W. C. CAPERS was next sworn and examined as a witness.

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. What command did you have previous to and at the time of the evacuation of New Orleans?

Answer. I was in immediate command of Fort Macomb, one of the defenses of Lake Borgne.

Question. What additions, if any, had been made to the strength of Fort Macobm after General Lovell assumed command of Department Numbers 1, in guns, powder, munitions, &c.?

Answer. The additions to my armament were one 8-inch columbiad, four 42-pounder guns, six 32-pounder smooth-bore guns, one 32-pounder rifled gun, and one 10-inch seacoast, mortar, all in place of 24-pounder guns. I also received, in place of old and worthless powder, an ample supply of the best powder then to be had, with all the munitions necessary for the complete equipment and defense of the fort. In addition to these, all the timber bordering the pass above the fort, and which would have completely masked the enemy's vessels, thereby rendering my fire comparatively ineffective, was felled, presenting an open field of fire, both by land and water, to the mouth of the pass. General Lovell furnished me everything necessary for placing the fort on a firm war footing.

Question. Under what orders did you evacuate Fort Macomb?

Answer. On the morning of April 25, 1862, I received an order from Colonel Fuller to hold myself in readiness to abandon the fort, which was signed by order of General Lovell. This order I did to obey, as I wished the order to come through General Lovell's assistant adjutant-general. During that afternoon I received another order, signed C. a. Fuller, colonel, commanding Second Brigade, requiring me to destroy my guns and report to him at Madisonville. This order I had to obey, as my fort was in his district.

Question. What official conversation, if any, took place between yourself and General Lovell relative to the evacuation of Forts Pike and Macomb immediately after your arrival at Camp Moore, after that evacuation?

Answer. I had a conversation with General Lovell at Camp Moore on the subject of the evacuation of the forts, sought by myself, as I desired to know whether Colonel Fuller really had authority for his act. During that conversation General Lovell informed me that he had not issued any such order, and that Colonel Fuller had only been required to have the forts in readiness in the event it became necessary to a abandon them. He also said that, hearing the forts had been evacuated, he issued orders to have them reoccupied. This is as near as the frailties of memory will all me to say concerning this particular point.

38 R R-VOL VI