Question. In case this detachment had been drawn in from these important points what do you think General Bragg would have done; gone and attacked the army of 50,000 men in this defensive position, or have sent cavalry and light troops to attack these depots, bridges, &c.?

I do not think General Bragg would have attacked 50,000 men. I think General Bragg might, if he had desired it, have got a fight out of 30,000 men at any time, and as he avoided that I am quite sure he would have avoided the 50,000. I think he unquestionably would have sent cavalry and light troops to break up these depots and railroads, seize these bridges, and that the effect of such a course would necessarily have been to force our army to retreat or to fight General Bragg where we could find him.

Question. Was the nature of the country such that you would probably have found him in a very strong and difficult position or not?

Certainly; he might have availed himself of strong positions almost anywhere in that country.

Question. Suppose either army to have received notice of the approach of the other, and to have occupied a defensive position, in such a country with which would the advantage be, the attacking party or the party on the defensive?

I hardly know whether I am competent to answer that question or not. There are supposed to be certain advantages always accompanying an attacking force, but I scarcely think there are many positions which would more than counterbalance any advantages growing out of the enthusiasm which an attack inspires in soldiers. It would depend upon the strength of the position and somewhat upon the strength of the two armies as to with which the advantage would be.

Question. Was there any similarity between the battle of Perryville and Murfreesborough in respect to the number and kinds of troops engaged on either side, in results, commanders of corps, manner of attack, or other important points? And, if so, please state the points of resemblance and in what the battles differed.

There were undoubtedly some points of resemblance in the two battles. Our troops in both battles approached the enemy to attack them; in both battles the enemy attacked our troops. There was also this other point of resemblance; that the enemy were successful in their attacks. At Perryville they drove back our left wing. At Stone River, or Murfreesborough (I think you call it), they drove back our right wing and our center. Very many of the same troops that composed both armies at Stone River composed the two armies that were at the battle of Perryville. As to the strength of the two armies, I cannot state the strength of the rebel army at Perryville nor the strength of either army at Stone River. At Stone River we fought with some 42,000 or 43,000 men. I believe at Perryville the troops engaged on our side were not so numerous, though we had a larger army there. We had different commanders. General Buell was in command at Perryville; General Rosecrans was in command at Stone River. I think there was another resemblance between the two battles; they were both very bloody and both very fruitless; no army was destroyed; nothing was accomplished at either place except to show the valor of our troops. There was also this similarity in the two battles; that we were suddenly and unexpectedly attacked. General McCook commanded the portions of the army which received the attack at both battles, at Perryville and at Stone River.

Question. Was the corps that received the attack in either instance routed; if so, in which?

I did not see any of the corps that received the attack at Perryville. I did not understand that they were routed. I saw a considerable portion of General McCook's corps at Stone River that received the attack. I did not consider them routed, although they were driven back with very considerable confusion and over a considerable distance. I remember that I was encouraged considerably at night on the 31st, after the battle, by the recollection which I had of the continual firing of our troops as they fell back. With some portions I suppose it might almost be called a rout, but most of them continued to fight as they retreated until the enemy were checked; at least so I inferred from the sounds of the musketry. They were covered from my view by the woods, and I had no other means of knowing in what condition they retreated except the one referred to-that they were fighting as they fell back.