The enemy could have marched down to Murfreesborough or they could have marched directly on McMinnville. They had their option, if they held that place.

Question. Do you know anything of the character of Caney Creek, a stream which passes between McMinnville and Sparta?

I do not. I believe the country is rough, but nothing more.

Question. Did the interruption of the line of communication of the army with Louisville and the means which the enemy had of continuing that interruption make it necessary to them to throw at least a portion of the army into Kentucky independent of the presence of an enemy into Tennessee?

Absolutely necessary; and I was expecting and feared all the time that General Buell's army would have to abandon that country for supplies, if for nothing else.

NASHVILLE, December 11, 1864-10 a.m.

Commission met pursuant to adjournment. All the members present; also the judge-advocate and General Buell.

Examination of General McCOOK continued.

Cross-examination by General BUELL:

Question. Please state, from your observation, what you know of the practicability of maintaining the available part of the army at Altamont.

It was absolutely impossible to do it. I know of no place on the top of the Cumberland Mountains where a division of 10,000 men could have lived a week. I was stationed at Altamont myself till my animals ate up every available stack of fodder in reach of me on the mountain. When I left my position at Altamont all my supply of stock water was exhausted. We had but one spring, and that was up on a run, and the soldiers were clamoring, about that run to get water for their canteens when I left there. There was a little water in a stream about 3 1/2 miles from Altamont. The water was standing in pools, but was stagnant and not fit for use nor sufficient in quantity anywhere near. All supplies that possibly could reach that army would have had to be hauled from adjunct coves from 10 to 14 miles, and for anything like a supply yo would have to go 20 miles, and nothing the could have been obtained but green blade fodder, and that would had to have been wagoned up the mountains over the worst roads I ever saw. It took my own division train, when I was traveling with reduced baggage, from 8 a.m. to 12 at night to pull up the mountains, and then only with the great assistance of my men. I had companies stationed along the road at distance of 100 yards apart to help the wagons up, and I think I had the reputation in the Army of the Ohio of having the best transportation in it, that is, the animals were in the best condition in it.

Question. Do you know any point at which an army concentrated could prevent an enemy from crossing the Cumberland Mountains into the plains of Tennessee?

No, sir; I do not know any point that could prevent them from crossing into the Tennessee Valley.

Question. What would you think of the plan of distributing the army which I commanded, say, from Decherd to Sparta, so as to guard the different passes by which an enemy could debouch into the plains of Tennessee?

I think it have subjected the army to be whipped in detail,because the communication between Sparta and McMinnville is bad, and therefore it would have isolated the troops at Sparta, and therefore subjected them to capture or death. The troops at Pelham or McMinnville might have been concentrated in the rear somewhere.

Question. Supposing the stream which passes between McMinnville and Sparta and the character of the country between those points generally being such as to afford more than one or two practicable passes, would it or not be practicable for an enemy to cross from Pikeville to Sparta safely?

Yes, sir; I think it could be concentrated there.