[CHAP. XXVIII.

ceived at the time or just before the communication was broken off with General Rousseau. I was within 200 rods of the station.

Question. Who were the officers to whom it should have been transmitted next by Lieutenant Fitch?

Lieutenants Bachtell and Hollopeter.

Question. Have you had conversation with those officers on the subject?

I have not. I never thought it of sufficient importance until I saw the assertion in what purported to be a letter written by Colonel Dan. McCook to his brother, in which he repeated this message; and since that time it has never occurred to me to inquire in reference to it when I have seen them.

Question. Had you conversation with the officers who were at the first station, the headquarters station?

I have conversed with Lieutenant Meeker, who was the principal officer at that station, and he has no recollection of any such message having come to him.

Question. Is it rule in that corps to keep a copy of messages that have been transmitted to different stations and is such a copy kept at each station?

It is a rule to keep copies of all official communications. Now we have books prepared for that special purpose; they have been introduced since the time of which we are now speaking.

Question. How far were you from this station at General Rousseau's headquarters during the time when the severe fighting was going on, as it is now understood?

I cannot speak positively as to the distance, though it was not a mile.

Question. Were you in sight of the ground upon which the battle was fought, and with what general officers were you?

I was at the third station, immediately in front of the headquarters, on the road leading to Perryville, with the troops of General Sheridan, until half past 4 or 5 o'clock when I went over to the left to make another effort to establish communication with General McCook, and was on that side of the battle ground until nearly or quite dark, when I went back to General Buell's headquarters.

Question. Designate these stations by numbers, commencing with Numbers 1, at the headquarters, and name the officers who were at them respectively.

Station. Numbers 1, at General Buell's headquarters, Lieutenants Meeker, Taylor, and Thayer; Numbers 2, in a corn field half way between Numbers 1 and Numbers 3, Lieutenants Hollopeter and Bachtell; Station Numbers 3, near the Perryville road and General Sheridan's command, Lieutenants Sheridan and Fitch; Numbers 4, the left, near General Rousseau's and General McCook's headquarters (only between 2 and 3 o'clock, when they were compelled to abandon that station), Lieutenants Landrum, Quinton, and Connelly.

Question. What impression was made upon your mind by what you saw and heard in regard to the severity of the engagement that day?

It was the first fight I had ever seen and the first fire under which I ever was, and necessarily I felt rather singular. At the time, and before I saw the battle of Stone River, I supposed it was rather a severe action; since them, comparing it with that, I have changed my mind as regards its being a very severe engagement, and do not think it was a very severe engagement from what I saw, though I was not in the same situation by any means and was not so close in the battle of Perryville as I was in the other case.

Question. Was it your exception, from what you saw and heard, that the battle would be renewed the next morning?

It was, sir. It was very general impression with all with whom I conversed.