Question. Are not the rebel regiments as a general thing move reduced by sickness than our own?

I believe they are, sir. This is the experience of those I have seen, such as prisoners captured,&c. At Island No. 10, where took about 7,000 prisoners, which I helped to load, I remember the regiments were very small in consequence of sickness, desertion, and other causes.

Question. In the extraordinary movement made by Bragg, cutting loose from his base of supplies and not only living upon the country he invaded but marching into that country in the face of a well-organized and efficient army, do you not recognize that an army of 30,000 would be still more efficient than an army of 60,000 for such a purpose; and if with 25,000 or 30,000 he could accomplish so daring a movement, would it not be impossible with twice that force?

The supposition of this question, to my mind, is clearly erroneous. In the first place Bragg had two bases. The best information that I have is that the left Chattanooga with twenty days' rations at or near Chattanooga. After leaving that base of supplies he marches with the evident intention of reaching his new base of supplies already established in Kentucky by Kirby Smith, where he had every reason to believe abundant supplies would be found on his arrival there. The greater the number of men Bragg moved with in the face of a well-appointed army the greater his security, the more audacious his movements and the more able he would be to harass and annoy this well-appointed force; and unless the Federal force was handled with great care he could keep it in constant jeopardy, while with this smaller force of 20,000 men he could be pushed before it in all directions either by the whole force or by a fraction of it. The larger force would enable him to offer battle and with fair prospects of success, which under but few, if any, circumstances would it be wise of judicious to risk a battle with one-third of the number supposed.

Question. In what respect does my supposition differ from that of yours in answer to a question pour to you on the 17th, which reads as follows: "The movement made by Bragg is almost without a parallel. Cutting loose from his base of supplies and skedaddling all over the country is something of which history scarcely affords a parallel; and it might well puzzle a general wishing to attack him to ferret out his movements. The supposition was that when he was cut off from his base of supplies we had him, but it seems that he never lived so well as he did after his arrival in Kentucky?

The difference that I observe is this: Bragg made no effort that I ever heard of to keep open the communications with his base of Battle Creek or Chattanooga; nevertheless that was only one of his bases, but he did not choose to lose it for the reason that he had supplies in advance. On arriving again in Kentucky this again became his new base, and after a time he cut loose from that, and in neither case did he attempt to keep his communications open.

Question. Where did you learn the fact that Bragg carried twenty days' supplies from Chattanooga?

I learned it from the statements of his own men, as well as from our own officers.

Question. What number of wagons did he allow to a brigade for the purpose of carrying provisions from Chattanooga?

I do not know that I ever heard. I heard General McCook say something about the length of their train, but about what it was has escaped my memory. The impression made upon my mind was that it was a train of considerable length, but that they moved with less transportation than ourselves. General Wood or General Rousseau told me of the hard time they had in getting their trains over Barren River.

Question. Did General McCook, Thomas, Wood, or indeed any officers of the Army of the Ohio tell you that Bragg left Chattanooga with more than ten days' provisions?

I do not know that I have heard so from any one of those you have mentioned, but certainly a number of them told me so. I think in a conversation in General Buell's headquarters at Louisville, when, as near at I remember, General Thomas, General