division advanced to the edge of the town of Perryville and sent me back a report that the enemy had evacuated it. We were then ordered to advance to the town and to encamp at the springs beyond it, nearly on the Harrodsburg road. In this movement we saw nothing of the Harrodsburg road. In this movement we saw nothing of the enemy, but learned from citizens that he had fallen back toward Harrodsburg. The object of that answer is to intimate that I saw nothing of the enemy personally that day. After receiving the report from these two brigades I rode into the town of Perryville myself, preceding the commencement of the move ment of the troops toward that town.

Question. When it became known that the enemy had fallen back from Harrodsburg, was it understood what was the object of that movement on their part at the time?

I do not know it was understood what was the object of the movement. I presume most of the officers who are acquainted with the movement had their won opinions about it.

Question. What was the opinion among intelligent officers as to the object of the movement?

There was some variety of opinions entertained on the subject, so far as I heard opinions given; but the weight of opinion, so far as I had any information, was that the object in falling back to Harrodsburg was to form a junction with Kirby Smith's force and make a stand there, of at the crossing of Dick's River, or at Camp Dick Robinson; but various opinions were entertained at to where they would make a stand, as would be the case in all circumstances.

Question. What was Kirby Smith's forces estimated at?

I have heard them variously estimated at from 12,000 to 25,000. Among intelligent officers generally the force was never estimate at over 15,000 men.

Question. You can state whether the retreat of the enemy from Bardstown to Perryville and from Perryville to Harrodsburg toward Cumberland Gap was conducted in and orderly manner, or did it partake in any degree of the character of a rout?

As I did not see a great deal of the enemy's forces while it was in retreat, it is almost impossible to say whether it was conducted in and orderly manner, except from results and inferences, and, so far as I could judge from the indications along the line of march, my opinion is that it was conducted in and orderly manner, and did not partake in any degree of the character of a rout. This opinion is based upon the fact that had there been a general rout we should have captured more prisoners, more supplies, and munitions of war. I think the retreat was a rapid one, but well conducted for so large a force and with such large supplies.

Question. Can you give the reason for the delay that occurred after the fifth at Perryville in pursuing the enemy?

No, sir; I do not know the reason.

Cross-examination:

Question. Had you any opportunity of gaining information in regard to the strength of the enemy at Chattanooga or the strength with which he crossed the mountains to invade Kentucky?

I received information from an expedition which I sent to Altamont from the neighborhood of McKinnville about the 22nd of August that General Bragg had crossed the Tennessee river in the neighborhood of Chattanooga between the 16th and 20th of August with four divisions. The information I received about that time led me to suppose these division comprised some forty-eight or fifty regiments. But the information was varied. There was some contradiction in regard to the strength of these regiments. Some reports received said the regiments were weak; others that they had been filled up. Some of these statements put the regiments at from 300 to 400; others carried them up to 600. This information I got from own operations in that country. About the 28th or 29th of August, as well as I remember, a person who reported himself to be a spy in the empty of General Buell came to McMinnville and was put in communication with me by General Thomas. This person represented himself as having passed some time in Chattanooga and as having left there only a short time before. He stated the enemy's force generally to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 60,000 men. He said that there were four divisions at Chatta-