miles distant from Harper's Ferry. The above distances are taken from the maps, and the dates from telegrams and reports of scouts; they may not be absolutely correct. The distance marched between the 8th and 14th, including the 8th, was different for different corps, averaging about 6 miles per day. It is not easy to answer the latter part of the question of the Commission without a full knowledge of the position and forces of the enemy. General McClellan has not made any report of his operations in Maryland, nor have I seen any report of his subordinate officers. But judging from all the information I could obtain from scouts, spies, deserters, and prisoners of war on all these matters, I am of opinion that it was possible for General McClellan to have relieved and protected Harper's Ferry, and that he should have done so.

By the COURT:

Question. Will you please state to the court who placed Colonel Miles in command at Harper's Ferry, and if it was the intention of the Government that he should be the permanent commander there?

Answer. He was in command there when I arrived here. I do not know who placed him in command. He was under the general command of General Wool when I came here. I suppose he was the commanding officer of the post, appointed as such. As to that I do not know.

Question. Here is a telegram to Colonel Miles before General White came to Harper's Ferry:

WASHINGTON, D. C., September 7, 1862.

Colonel MILES, Harper's Ferry:

Our army i in motion. It is important that Harper's Ferry be held to the latest moment. The Government has the utmost confidence in you, and is ready to give you full credit for the defense it expects you to make.

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief.

Was it intended by that that he should continue in command there?

Answer. So far as the telegram is concerned, there was no intention about it. It was a communication to the commanding officer of the post, and applied equally to his successor, should he have one. In respect to the numbers of the enemy, I would say that there has been an examination of prisoners of war from every corps and regiment, prisoners captured up above here and also out at Manassas, at the different battles, and the statements made by those prisoners as to the numbers of the corps, or even regiments, to which they belonged have all been put down. A very full examination has been made, sifting the testimony of a very large number of witnesses to that fact, under the direction of General Banks, and the general average of the forces, taken from these different sources - and they differ very little - is 97,000, total force under Lee's command. They were not all in these battles; that is, the whole force.

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. What was the force of General McClellan at that time?

Answer. Over 90,000 in the field.

The Commission then proceeded to deliberate with closed doors.

Subsequently the Commission adjourned to 11 a. m. to-morrow.

WASHINGTON, D. C., October 30, 1862.

The Commission met pursuant to adjournment.

* * * * * * *

The Commission resumed the investigation in relation to the evacuation of Maryland Heights, and the surrender of Harper's Ferry.

Major General JOHN E. WOOL, called by the Government, and sworn and examined as follows:

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. Will you state what command you held during the late events which resulted in the surrender of Harper's Ferry?