Murfordville and the crossing of Salt River. Those were the two most important points.

Question. Had the enemy made a stand at Munfordville what would have been the effect on our army? Could we have passed that place without a battle, and if defeated what would have been the result?

If the enemy had made a stand at Munfordville it would have been necessary for us to have fought him, and if defeated it would have been disastrous, as it was a difficult position for us to get out of.

Question. You can state, general, what effort was made on the part of General Buell to possess himself of that point before the enemy came up.

So far as I know, without ever having conversed with General Buell on the subject, I think he made very strenuous efforts to get possession of Munfordville before the enemy reached there. I was not with the main army at the time and cannot speak from positive knowledge.

Question. Can you state to the Commission how General Buell regarded Munfordville; whether it was an important point or not?

In a conversation I had with him at Prewitt's Knob, when I arrived, I came to the conclusion that he regarded it as every important point, so much so that he believed the enemy would resist him, they being in Munfordville when I arrived at Prewitt's Knob, and he immediately after my arrival made all necessary preparations for a battle at Munfordville.

Question. State if you know the number of the army that marched out of Louisville under General Buell to attack Bragg at Bardstown.

I do not know how many, but I should estimate that there were about 54,000.

Question. What was the object in view when that army left Louisville?

The object was to overtake the enemy, fight, and destroy him if possible, either by a disastrous defeat or by cutting of his retreat if he succeeded in getting off in considerable force form the battle-field.

Question. How was that object affected by Kirby Smith's forces?

It became necessary for General Buell to divide his main army and leave two divisions watching Smith, marching against Bragg with his remaining divisions.

Question. Where was Kirby Smith at that time?

A portion of his force was at Frankfort, but his main force was believed to be at Lexington.

Question. Was it known what point Kirby Smith had been threatening and in what direction he was moving at that time?

It was generally believed he was threatening Louisville. I do not remember that his forces moved about that time. They had remained stationary for some days.

Question. Looking at the positions of the two armies under Bragg and Kirby Smith, what roads would they follow and at what point would they form a junction and by what roads was it reasonable to suppose they would leave Kentucky?

After the battle of Perryville, when it became necessary for them to leave Kentucky, there were but two roads that offered them any security to get to Tennessee direct; the one by Somerset and the other by Mount Vernon and London. They might have retreated through Mount Sterling and into Western Virginia.

Question. With what expectation did General Buell's army approach Perryville in reference to the enemy?

We expected to be resisted by the enemy at Perryville.

Question. What reason had you for such expectation?