[CHAP. XXVIII.

and Colonel McCook to take a squad of men and go out in advance of their regiments and march to the Kentucky River, and stop stragglers. I started ahead of the two regiments. I found the army completely demoralized-very much frightened. I could not stop them at all; they refused to be stopped by me. I did not use any force. I met the trains; they were full of soldiers and men holding on behind on the wagon-boxes. I went out about 9 miles on the road and returned to Lexington. The Federal forces came back and intended giving fight the next day, but from some cause of which I do not know they retreated that night, and the rebels came into Lexington on Tuesday morning, I think it was. It was the 1st of September. Having a depot opposite my premises within 40 yards, and being at the head of the street, I could see all their trains as they came in. We had great curiosity, us Union men, to see what was going on. I counted one train of 40 or 50 wagons loaded with guns and marked "U. S." I saw a great many cannon, and loaded wagons of all descriptions of stores with the Government mark on them. They were unloading ammunition there the entire day, blocking up the street so much that people had to go around the entire square. I had frequent talks with the ordnance officer in command, who told me that they had more than I believe they had. He told me they had 25,000 stand of arms, but I do not believe it at all, though I would judge from what I saw they had from 10,000 to 15,000. After the rebels had been there for several days the trains continued to arrive with boxes of ammunition. They had country wagons, in which they could not haul a very heavy load.

Question. Do you know anything about the capture of arms at Frankfort by the rebel troops at the time they came into the State?

I procured a pass from General Kirby Smith to go to Louisville to get my omnibuses and wagons that I had let Colonel McCook have for hospital purposes. It was about ten or twelve days after that they got into Lexington. On my return from Louisville I came through Frankfort, and Leadbetter's division was in possession of that place. My road home was directly by the arsenal. There was a train upon the road, and a good many wagons loaded, a great many empty, and there were two or three wagons loading with arms at the time I passed at arsenal, moving in the direction of Lexington after they were loaded. That is all I know about it.

Question. How soon after their arrival at Lexington did the rebel troops begin to send out trains of supplies?

The first I saw that led me to believe they were moving supplies out of Lexington was when I went with my family out on the road to see a relative the third day after my arrival. On my return I struck the turnpike about 3 miles from Lexington, and there was one continuous train of wagons nearly the whole distance from Lexington, loaded with flour, going down the Nicholasville road, in a southwesterly direction from Lexington. The Nicholasville road leads immediately to Camp Dick Robinson.

Question. About what date was that?

That was about the 4th day of September.

Question. In your estimate of the strength of the force which entered Lexington did you include stragglers and other soldiers that accompanied the trains or were the numbers you have mentioned those which you counted in the ranks?

The numbers I have mentioned were those which came in the ranks, not including stragglers nor the recruits obtained through the country.

Question. Do you know anything about the number of recruits obtained in the State?

I know nothing except the numbers I saw pass through Lexington, of which I formerly made an estimate. I think that the different rebel regiments that were raised through the country would amount to 4,000 or 5,000. The rebel army was very much disappointed with the number of recruits they obtained there. None of General Bragg's recruits or those raised south of the Kentucky River came to Lexington, to my knowledge. At one time it looked as if every rebel in the country was going to fall into the ranks, but from some cause they became lukewarm, and a great many of them slipped out of the ranks and returned home.

Question. What was the opinion of the people of the State, as far as you know, as to the object of this invasion, as to whether it was a temporary raid or with the design of holding permanent possession of the State?

They believed, sir, from General Smith's conversation and acts, that they had come