through whom we draw them from the Government, and precisely as we did it then, while we were supplied with half rations when marching from Decherd to Nashville.

Question. In what condition did those supplies exist in the country; that is, were they scattered over the country in the hands of the producers or were they collected in large bodies?

Generally on the farms of the producers.

Question. Can a large army operate actively in the presence of an enemy and depend upon supplies to be procured in that way?

Bragg's army, supplies in that way, generally kept us at bay through Tennessee.

Question. That does not answer the question.

That is my answer, general. I do not think that an army engaged in an important campaign could be subsisted for any very great length of time by drawing supplies in that irregular manner from the country; but the rebel army did go to Kentucky and back to Tennessee, making quite a successful campaign, and drawing their supplies from the country in the manner I have suggested.

Question. In procuring its supplies in that way from the country through which it marched did the rebel army have the assistance of the population? Did they bring in supplied freely to the army on its line of march?

The rebels undoubtedly had the sympathy of the population, but to what extent the people engaged in transporting supplies for them I have no means of knowing. I have heard,however, that in a portion of Tennessee the people did haul supplies in very considerable quantities to the rebel camps.

Question. Could we receive any such assistance?

Not without compelling.

Question. In what manner would you do that?

I would send a quartermaster out, with all the transportation of his regiment or of the brigade, to get supplies; direct him to order the negroes of the rebel citizens to hitch up their wagons - the same wagons they hitched up for the rebels - and haul such provisions as they had to the camp. I would compel them to do it if they refused. In other words, I would coerce them to do precisely for us what they had done voluntarily for the rebels.

Question. To what extent upon either side of the road do you suppose an army of 30,000 would have to go to procure supplies for its subsistence through such a country as that between McMinnville and Nashville?

Judging from that portion of it I passed through, an army of 30,000 could subsist in marching by going, at the farthest, 3 or 4 miles from the road. We subsisted half that number with half rations by going a very short distance. We only drew half rations from the Government, and supplied the balance from the country without going a mile from the road. The country was well supplies with cattle. There would have been no difficulty in finding beef. The commissaries had a pretty good supply of beef when we got here drawn from the country. It would depend, of course, a great deal upon the country, the seasons, and the crops.

Question. Could that be done in the presence of an enemy?

Unless the enemy lived on the road all the way. You would have to take the risk of getting a foraging party captured occasionally, just as they are doing now in front of Nashville, and we would have had the same opportunity to capture their foraging parties as they would ours. They were subsisted on the country.

Question. Is it true you would have the same facilities in this country as the enemy has for gaining such advantages?

It is not true that we have such facilities for getting information. The enemy have greatly the advantage in that respect.

Question. Suppose both armies living in this manner from the country,