Question. You do not know what amount was brought back?

No, sir.

By General SCHOEPF:

Question. Have you any knowledge of the fact that General Gilbert had a perfect line of communication from his headquarters to the front by means of his signal corps on the day of the battle of Perryville?

I do not know. The signal corps were operating from our headquarters to some station in front, but I do not know whose station it was. I saw our own flag and that flag communicate; that is all I know of the circumstance.

The Commission adjourned to meet on December 27, 1862, at 10 o'clock a. m.

NASHVILLE, December 27, 1862.

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

Captain GEORGE S. ROPER (a witness for the Government), being duly sworn by the judge-advocate, testified as follows:

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. State your name and position in the United States service.

George S. Roper, captain, subsistence department.

Question. State, if you please, what took place in General Gilbert's command from 3 to 5 o'clock on the 8th of October, the day of the battle of Perryville.

General Gilbert's command, consisting of General Sheridan's, General Mitchell's, and General Schoepf's divisions, were in line of battle, the two first in the advance, General Schoepf in the rear, General Sheridan and General Mitchell being about 2 miles from the town of Perryville. That was the position they occupied from early in the morning of the battle. My impression was that the battle was on the 6th. It was after 4 o'clock before any of those troops were engaged. General Sheridan was attacked first, and was supported by two brigades of General Mitchell's command on his right. General Gilbert was in the rear of these two divisions in plain sight. At the time that the enemy attacked General Sheridan's command we were in plain view of the battle so far as our own troops were concerned. The enemy could not be seen from our position. After some twenty or thirty minutes of firing General Gilbert noticed through his glass a movement of the troops on the opposite hill which he did not appear to understand. Turning to me (I was the only staff officer present) he said, "What does that mean; what are they doing over three; can you see?" I answered that they appeared to be changing front. He said he did not understand the movement, and looking around him said, "Who can I send?" I volunteered to go, no orderly being at hand. He ordered me to go. I went to General Sheridan, and with the respects of General Gilbert, asked the state of the case and the meaning of the present movement. General Sheridan's answer was that he had driven the enemy from before him, and "whipped them like hell!" was added; that General Mitchell had flanked them on the left and was then pursuing them toward Perryville; and that he was changing front to assist General McCook, and was doing to open on that battery, pointing to a battery of the enemy which was firing upon General McCook's troops, and that he would silence it in five minutes. He fired the first guns at the battery while I was talking to him.

I returned immediately to General Gilbert with the report of General Sheridan, and he appeared very much gratified at the time, and used the expression, "Now we've got them; now we've got them; now is the time to push everything." Major Wright, of General Buell's staff, arrived then at the position where General Gilbert was stationed almost at the same time, and General Gilbert repeated the message that he had received from General Sheridan and directed him to report to General Buell, with the injunction to push everything. He also sent by a citizen who was employed in the commissary department of General Crittenden's command, Captain Kniffin's clerk, whose name I think is Harry Olds-he sent by him the same report to General Crittenden, with the request that he would hurry up his command.