[CHAP. XXVIII.

skirmishing was based also upon two dispatches which I received from General Gilbert during the day. I received a note from General Gilbert at 12 or 12.30 in the day, in which he apprised me that a reconnaissance of some force was about to be made which might grow into a general engagement; that General Buell had directed him to apprise me of that change. I immediately handed the note to General Thomas, but I heard nothing of any general engagements or any increased firing after that. At 4 o'clock I received another note from General Gilbert, in which he apprised me of some little change made in the disposition of his troops since my aide-de-camp had been over there in the morning, and also said, "The noise you hear on the left is from McCook," and in a vein of pleasantry he added, "My children are all quiet, and by sunset we will have them in bed and nicely tucked up, as we used to do in Corinth." I have those dispatches somewhere.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. I should like to have them, general.

The WITNESS. In consequence of this I rode over with the note to General Thomas, and my impression was, and I so stated to him in the presence of a number of officers, that at last we had the rebels, and the could not possibly get away, so little did I know what was going on during the day.

O. P. BEARD (a witness for the defendant), being duty sworn by the judge-advocate, testified as follows:

By General BUELL:

Question. State you name and residence, if you please.

O. P. Beard; Lexington, Ky.

Question. Were you in or about Lexington when the rebel force under Kirby Smith entered that place last summer?

I was, sir.

Question. State what you know in regard to the strength of that force and how you obtained your information.

I counted General Smith's force as they came into town, with several other gentlemen. He had about 15,000 men. John Morgan had about 1,250 to 1,300. Humphrey Marshall came in with 3,500 to 4,000.

Question. I understand you to mean that these several numbers have to be added together to make up the whole force that came in?

Yes, sir; but not including General Stevenson's, that went through Danville?

Question. Did Stevenson's force go into Lexington?

No, sir; they did not.

Question. About how long did the rebel troops remain in Lexington?

I could not tell to a day. They commenced retreating from Lexington on the Thursday previous to the inauguration of Governor Hawes; that was in October, I think. They remained in Lexington until General Sill advanced upon Frankfort.

Question. Do you mean the Thursday previous to the inauguration or subsequent?

A good many of them left before and all of them a day or two afterward. A good many of the troops went toward Versailles as soon as they returned from Frankfort. They got back on Sunday to Lexington after the inauguration at Frankfort, and on Monday or Tuesday the whole force left, with the exception of a few mounted men that were on duty there.

Question. Which was did they go and where did they cross the Kentucky River?

They went both roads; they went both on the Harrodsburg and Versailles roads; and all the information of their crossing was from an aide of General Smith, Captain Allen, who told me that a good many of them crossed below Versailles. Humphrey Marshall went down the Harrodsburg road.