at Booneville, Blackland, Rienzi, and Baldwyn, I was the first to learn that that army was moving in the direction of Chattanooga, and so reported it through General Rosecrans to the commander-in-chief. I took great pains to ascertain the number of troops, dates of departure, composition of the army, and its destination. The movements of the rebel army and the approximate numbers I reported from day to day in the mouths of July and August last. These facts gave me more early data, and perhaps quite as reliable,as to the strength of the expeditionary force which left Tupelo for Kentucky. This furthermore led me to watch with great care this movement to Chattanooga and all its subsequent movements till it reached Kentucky.

Question. You fix the strength of Bragg's army at 52,000 to 55,000 and Kirby Smith's at 18,000 making in all about 73,000. At what do you fix the force General Buell had before its arrival at Louisville and what was its strength when it left Louisville to meet Bragg?

I think I stated yesterday that my recollection of General Buell's force when concentrated at Bowling Green, after he left Nashville, was 42,000. I asked Colonel Fry, his chief of staff, not long since about what force they left Louisville with. He replied he could only tell me in round numbers, in consequence of the hurry of organizing the new troops which were coming in,and which was proceeded with day and night. He put it in round numbers at 65,000 to 70,000 - 70,000 was my impression. He added further, as a reason why he did not know exactly, that before they got accurate returns the battle of Perryville had been fought, and that on their way a great many had straggled and broken down from hard marching and want of water, and never would be accounted for, owing perhaps to the officers being new and ignorant of the mode of making out returns. Colonel Fry's statement I judge to be most reliable, though I have heard it stated by others who were officers of the line and not of the staff, that it was 90,000, and by some 100,000.

Question. Did you understand him to say that those 70,000 included Sill's division?

Yes, sir; the entire force.

Question. Would not the returns, under the circumstances you have mentioned, be very interesting in giving the full force of the Army of the Ohio in its march from Louisville to Perryville?

I have so stated. I will qualify it by saying that about the returns of the old troops there would be no difficulty; it was with the new re-enforcements, which had but just arrived.

Question. Are not the officers more numerous in the rebel army in proportion to the number of men than on ours?

I will state that as to their organization I am not sufficiently familiar with it to given a positive answer. From their own officers, and from intercepted orders, letters,&c., I judge their regimental and company organizations to be the same as our own, but I am satisfied they have more staff officers than we have - major-generals, lieutenant-generals, and generals. I have been told that by themselves, and it has been corroborated by orders and military communications of theirs I have picked up.

Question. As a general rising of the people was anticipated in Kentucky,might not the excess of officers that accompanied Kirby Smith be accounted for by the fact that they were sent to organize the new levies?

I think it reasonable to suppose that this might account for any surplus of officers, if there were any. Having been stationed in the midst of the people where they attempted to raise troops, I had opportunities of knowing something of the organizations that were attempted there. Such troops as were organized were officered as far up as the grade of brigadier by gentlemen who were found in Kentucky on their arrival there. I heard it stated that Buckner came in expecting to raise a division or more of Kentuckians during his stay there, and that Mr. William Preston was to have a command that was to be raised. The only brigade I know of their raising, and that was a very feeble one, was officered by General Buford, who was in Kentucky on the arrival of the Confederate forces. One of the difficulties they found in Kentucky, I have ascertained, was this; that Bragg wished to fill up his decimated regiments with recruits obtained in Kentucky rather than form any new organizations until that was done. This statement was made by people there and by those