I think that on about June the 10th or 11th the Michigan Mechanics and Engineers were put to work on the burnt railroad bridge Bear River, a few miles east of Iuka. The back is fresh in my mind on account of the murder of two of the Engineers by the guerrillas while at work there.

On my visit to Tuscumbia on June 11 I rode with General Hascall to examine the railroad bridge across Tuscumbia Creek a few miles west of Tuscumbia, and which was completely destroyed. Another bridge a few miles west of that was reported to me as also destroyed. With a view to putting the railway in order between Tuscumbia and Decatur, ahead of the construction of the bridges between Tuscumbia and Iuka, a locomotive and some freight cars had been ordered by way of the Tennessee River. I would state that at Tuscumbia all the rolling stock left by the rebels was useless. On the arrival of the locomotive at Pittsburg Lauding, about June 15 or 16, I had it towed up to Eastport, transferred it, and towed it over the Shoals to Florence, where it was landed on the south side of the river and taken up the bank. On placing the locomotive on the rails and attempting to use it the engine was discovered to be useless, and after repeated trials to use it by some Michigan Engineers it was given up.

Question. Do you know who provided that locomotive or who is to blame that a locomotive in that condition was furnished?

I have no other reason than a military reason to know who provided it, and it is this: Colonel Thomas Swords, assistant quartermaster-general, and in charge of furnishing quartermaster's supplies for General Buell's command, stationed then at Louisville, is, I presume, the party who procured it. I know it was a very old locomotive, having had some experience in railroad matters myself. I think the locomotive bore this mark: "W. and O. R. R." Had the locomotive been in good order and condition it would have assisted us very materially infringing supplies forward to Decatur, a distance, I think, of 43 miles form Tuscumbia.

General BUELL. I will state, in justice to Colonel Swords, that he is not responsible, as I believe, for the condition of that locomotive or that such a locomotive was forwarded.

Question. Do you know how far the work required to be done on the railroad and the preparation of the ferry was the cause of the delay of the troops along the road and in the vicinity of Tuscumbia until the 25th of June?

I think it was the only cause of the delay, because our troops repaired the railway bridges from Iuka eastward as they advanced.

Question. Can you give the date of the arrival of General Schoepf's brigade at Decatur and the date at which it had completed the passage of the river?

The head of General Schoepf's column reached Decatur on the evening of July 23. He himself with his staff arrived there about 1 or 2 p.m. He commenced crossing his wagons on the next day, and I think it took about three days to transfer his brigade from one side of the river to the other.

Question. Was the transfer of the troops across the river at Florence, with the means which we had prepared there, rapid or otherwise?

It was rather slow, because we had but one steamboat, the Lady Jackson, to carry and to tow the coal barges which were lashed alongside for the purpose of carrying the wagons. The road to the water's edge on the south side of the river came through a narrow defile. The landing on the opposite side (the north side) of the river, on account of the low and swampy nature of the ground, was very muddy. Temporary piers had to be constructed for the purpose of loading and unloading the wagons. The river at that point was very broad.

Question. What was the capacity of this ferry in comparison with the one at Decatur?

Having been only about an hour or two at Jackson's Ferry watching the ferry I could not state the exact number of wagons that could he crossed at the time, but I think it was in the neighborhood of ten, with their mules, whereas the ferry at Decatur, I think, could only take one or two wagons at the time. The Muscle Shoals, between Decatur and Florence, was an impassable barrier to navigation.