Question. How were the animals of the infantry and artillery supplies with forage?

Answer. They were dependent on the forage which we obtained from the country, which at that season of the year was very scarce indeed.

Question. What means were adopted to secure forage on the march?

Answer. Foraging parties were sent out. I organized foraging parties from my command and sent them out every day, independently of any arrangements made by the commanding officer of the expedition.

Question. Were any orders issued by General Sturgis or yourself prohibiting forage being taken, or any guards stationed for that purpose?

Answer. No orders were issued by me nor General Sturgis, to my knowledge. Guards were stationed at private houses along the line of march, with instructions to prevent marauding and pillaging at such houses. Foraging parties were instructed not to take from families everything they had to live upon, but leave sufficient for them to live upon.

Question. Were you present at a consultation of officers with General Sturgis, at Ripley, on the march out?

Answer. On the morning following our arrival at Ripley I was sent for by General Sturgis, and on arriving at his headquarters was informed that he desired to see me in connection with General Grierson. I went to General Sturgis' room and found General Grierson with him, and also one or two other officers, whose presence I think was accidental.

Question. What was said, and what conclusion was arrived at that consultation?

Answer. I can give only the substance of the conversation. When I entered the room General Grierson was talking to General Sturgis, portraying the difficulties and probable disaster which would attend the farther march of t that time. The impression I received at the time was that General Grierson considered it extremely hazardous to go beyond that point, and favored a return from there. I waited until General Grierson had finished his conversation, and was then asked by General Sturgis for my opinion as to what course he should pursue. The substance of my opinion was, that we had better proceed on our march on the line indicated in General Sturgis' orders, until the object of the expedition, as developed in his orders, was accomplished, or until we were stopped by the enemy. I made the remark that I would rather go on and meet the enemy, even if we should be whipped, than to return to Memphis without having met them. General Sturgis received our opinions, the interview closed, and a short time afterward we received marching orders, and moved out from Ripley, on the Fulton road.

Question. Had you at that time any information as to the enemy in your front?

Answer. There was a brigade of cavalry at Ripley, with which our cavalry had a skirmish the evening before. We had that two brigades of cavalry had been sent in pursuit of a detachment of our cavalry under Colonel Karge', which was sent a few days before to cut the Mobile and Ohio Railroad at Rienzi. One of these brigades passed through Ripley in pursuit of Karge, and the other went on the other side ofneral Forrest, with his main army, was supposed to be at or in the vicinity of Tupelo. The day after we left Ripely, I think, I heard of Forrest's moving north to form a junction with Roddey, who, reports said, had been assigned to his command.

Question. What time did you leave camp at Stubbs' plantation on the morning of the 10th?

Answer. I think it was 6 o'clock when the infantry left; I don't know exactly.

Question. Was the march from La Fayette to the camp at Stubbs' made as rapidly as possible.

Answer. Yes, sir; the only surprise is that it was made as soon as it was.