Nothing but the fact of his having retired from Perryville; for, as far as I could learn, he had retired in good order. As I said before, I did not think that he would attempt to go to Louisville because he had retired before us from Perryville. There is no reason to suppose that he might not have attempted to hold Central Kentucky, and having selected a strong position, remain there and await a good opportunity to undertake some new enterprise or to resist us as we attacked him.

Question. Was not the attack which he made at Perryville made by a potion of his forces, and was it not calculated to inspire respect rather than contempt for him as an adversary?

As far as I could learn the attack at Perryville was made by a portion of the forces, and the character of the battle was such and the result such that it would have been imprudent to have marched against him without proper precautions.

Question. Is it to be assumed that he had no other design, and that he had no alternative except to retreat by Lancester and Crab Orchard from Camp Dick Robinson?

No; it cannot be assumed that he had no other design.

Question. Suppose my army had been put in the way of his retreat by that route, what line of conduct was he at liberty to pursue by a study of the map?

If the should choose to run the risk of battle, and, if successful, he might have retired through Danville toward the south by Hustonville and Liberty and Jamestown or by the roads south, or he might have been strong enough to have marched by way of Richmond toward the eastern part of Kentucky, but I do not think he could have retreated through Mount Vernon and the Rockcastle Hills or by Somerset if we had had a battle and had whipped him.

Question. Suppose he had crossed the Kentucky River at Camp Dick Robinson toward Lexington, what would you have done?

I would have secured all the ferries and fords on the river with a sufficient force to have held him there and then march against him by way of Frankfort, that route being the best for the security of our supplies.

Question. What force would be required, do you suppose, for these different crossings to prevent him from making use of any one of them at his option?

I believe a brigade of infantry and one battery of artillery could hold the Hickman Bridge against any force that could be brought against it. The crossing at the mouth of Dick's River, as well as I understood it, could be held by probably the same amount of troops; and I am also of opinion that a brigade could hold the crossing at Clay's Ferry.

Question. What force would have been sufficient to prevent from crossing the river at Frankfort?

We had possession of Frankfort at that time, so I was informed.

Question. Was that possession in sufficient force to withstand Bragg's army, considering the character and the number of the troops?

I do not suppose it was sufficient to withstand it entirely.

Question. Suppose he had designed to pursue this course, crossing the river on the Lexington and Richmond road, which would have been likely to procure possession of that crossing first?

The enemy would, of course.

Question. What would prevent the enemy, then, while you were marching to Frankfort, from actually marching out of Kentucky by the Cumberland Gap?

If he secured the ferry, of course he could take that road to the Cumberland Gap.