Special Orders, Numbers 63, paragraph VII, current series, from these headquarters, and will report without delay to the president of the Board.

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By order of Major General C. C. Washburn:

W. H. MORGAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Colonel GEORGE B. HOGE--examination continued.

By the PRESIDENT:

Question. What was the state of the weather during the march of the expedition?

Answer. It rained every day with the exception of one day, which was Sunday, the 5th. On the 10th it was excessively warm and oppressive.

Question. What was the condition of your men when they went into the fight?

Answer. Jaded and forlorn; exhausted. I never saw men go into a fight in better spirits and more confident of the result than they did; but some of them actually dropped from exhaustion as they were going in; and when put in position some of them were so much exhausted that they were unable to load their pieces.

Question. Did your men load their pieces before or after getting into position?

Answer. We were halted at the cross-roads about three minutes, as I judged, for the purpose of loading. Some of the men of the first regiment were so much exhausted that they could not load, and being then ordered to hurry them into position as soon as possible, I placed them in position before loading, about a THIRD of them having already loaded. The second regiment (the One hundred and twentieth) was halted at the cross-roads, from three to five minutes, to load. The men were so much exhausted that many of them could not load. General Sturgis and Colonel McMillen were so very urgent that the regiment should be in position, and the regimental commander not being at the right of his regiment, I took command of it myself, brought it to a shoulder-arms and right-face, and started to march it into position myself, when Colonel McKeaig came to the right and took his regiment into position under the direction of one of Colonel McMillen's staff officers, Colonel McMillen having ordered me to return back to the cross-roads and attend to placing my other regiments in position. My entire command, except the Ninety-fifth Illinois, seemed to be about equally exhausted, this regiment having come up at a more moderate gait, still all suffering more or less from exhaustion.

Question. Had any of your regiments loaded their pieces before reaching the cross-roads?

Answer. None of them had done so as a regiment to my knowledge, for there had been no such order given.

Question. What proportion of your men fell out after you were ordered forward to go into action?

Answer. I think at least 20 per cent.

Question. Did the whole of your line become engaged at the same time?

Answer. The engagement became general along the whole line at nearly the same time.

Question. After the fight had commenced on your line did you see any of our cavalry on your left?

Answer. I did not. They might have been there, as I could not see far for the timber.

Question. Do you know of any effort being made to form a line on the ridge, about one mile and a half back from the cross-roads?