scarcity of the article of meat there, and the general appointed myself and two others as a committee to go around and assess the smoke-houses; the levying was to be made according to the quantity we each had in our smoke-houses; but in the mean time a wagon train arrived and the levy never was made. I had been a pork-buyer, and I think I had never given more than $5, but $3.50 was the ruling price there up to the year 1861, when, owing to the condition of the country and that we had failed to get our usual supplies from Kentucky and Tennessee, where we had been in the habit of getting our meat, it went up to $10 and $12, and consequently there was less put up than we were in the habit of doing.

The commission adjourned to meet February 23.

CINCINNATI, February 23, 1863.

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

Judge LANE'S examination continued.

By General BUELL:

Question. Can you state, if you please, judge, whether the inhabitants in and about Huntsville were very much in want of the necessaries of life-of provisions-at the time of my arrival there; that is, about the 1st of July last?

Yes, sir; never to my recollection was there so great a scarcity and never were provisions so high; they were about 200 or 300 perhaps 500, per cent. higher than usual during the last summer. I paid as high as $2,50 for coffee. the usual price of bacon in Huntsville is from 10 to 12 cents per pound. It could not be bought there at that time (if it could be had at all) under 30,40, or 50 cents per pound.

Question. How was it, sir, with reference to breadstuffs?

flour had advanced 200 or 300 per cent.; it was selling from $20 to $25 per barrel. Corn meal, which is usually bought for 37 to 50 cents per bushel, advanced to $1,50.

Question. Is the country you have described a cattle-raising region?

Nor, sir; it is a cotton-raising country there, and cotton-planters have come to the conclusion that the raising of cattle won't pay; that the injury that is done to the crop, the ground in winter, is more than the stock is worth. To understand it, I should say that for the preparation of cotton it requires that the land should be well pulverized, and if the stock is allowed to run upon the land int he winter in the spring the found breaks up in clods. They have avoided raising more stock than is sufficient for their own purpose, and have no more on their own plantations that is necessary for their own use as working oxen and milch cows.

Question. How is it with other stock that is used for provisions?

We do not pretend to raise sheep there. Some poor planters raise a few. There are some planters that raise enough for their own purpose and that have cotton occasionally, but it is not a sheep-raising country; there is no attention paid to it. The farmers diving the last ten years have got more in the habit of raising bacon than formerly. They used to raise cotton to buy bacon with, but now they raise other supplies upon their plantations.

Question. Am I to understand that as a general rule they raise no surplus of provisions?

As a general rule that part of the planting interest known as planters are always satisfied if they can raise enough to supply their own plantations. There is another class-the poorer class- some supplies; that class do not raise cotton, they raise some supplies for the home market. That part of the country lying on the north side of the river has never raised more than enough to supply the home consumption of this country. I doubt if they have ever raised enough for that.

Question. State, if you please, what you know of the products of that part of Tennessee bordering on Alabama, the agricultural products, and the quantity of provisions in proportion to what is required for the sustenance of the population.

The products there are more various than they are in Alabama. In all that tier