Pulaski had been much outraged by the depredations of these teamsters, and they seemed much gratified at the policy I pursued in relieving them from those wrongs. I think that of itself had great influence on the minds of the messes. I found the masses of the people of Tennessee were exceedingly ignorant, and depended entirely for their information upon their public speakers, the stump speakers, as they are called, which accounts for their gullibility by their leaders. Quite a large proportion of them I found could not read or write, and they necessarily relied upon their public speakers for all their information.

Question. Do you know any marked case of a departure from this policy by portions of our troops in the country they were occupying? If so, please mention the case and the effect.

Yes, sir; I know of one very aggravated case at Athens, Ala., in which a portion of troops under General Mitchel's command, the Third Division, plundered the people at Athens, robbed their store-houses and residences, making no distinction between those who were loyal and those who were disloyal, which exasperated the people of Athens very much. The people in North Alabama, particularly at Athens, had been considered a loyal people, insomuch that they kept the American flag flying at Athens until about the time General Mitchel's command went through to Huntsville.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. Colonel, you will confine yourself to the question.

The WITNESS. I am stating that they were loyal to show the effect upon them of such depredations.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. If it was the mere plunder of soldier and not done by the authority of the officers it is not answering the question General Buell asked you.

The PRESIDENT. The rule is there should be no interference with the examination.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. The question is correct enough, but the witness is not answering the question.

The WITNESS. This plundering was done in the immediate presence of the officers who were commanding those troops, some commissioned officers taking part in it.

General TYLER. Did you see it, colonel?

No sir; but it is testimony given me in court-martial under oath and from almost all the citizens of Athens who were present. I have it also from some of the officers who were themselves present and censured the commanding officer very much because he did not check them. The result of this was to estrange most of the citizens from our cause. They said to me themselves that they had lost confidence in our Government when they found they were subject to be plundered by our army. They complained bitterly that they had withstood the threats and supplications of the Southern rebels to join them and had been loyal to the Government, and yet their town was to be sacked and they were to be plundered because some rebels happened to make a raid into their town and drive out some Union soldiers. The people there also complained that these officers had taken away their horses without compensation or giving them any vouchers by which they might afterward obtain compensation. Other cases of departure from the rule I do not know of except those teamsters I spoke of, who plundered every man who lived on the road from Columbia, Tenn., to Athens, Ala. I know of one case which was reported to me which cause me to arrest the parties and send them to General Mitchel, in which they took all the bacon out of a man's smoke-house - some 6,000 pounds - drove his negroes off his place, and broke up all the furniture in his house. That was at the Elk River Crossing. When the men along the road who had been plundered found they would be protected by me they were pretty generally reconciled, expressed themselves in favor of the Union, and privately gave to advice of rebel bushwhackers and guerrillas who were prowling in the neighborhood. This Third Division had plundered the people.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. Mr. President, I object to this mode of examination, and I ask that this witness may be confined in his answer to the question that is asked him. The witness is asked what was the effect of certain departures from what is known as a conciliatory policy - a policy which recognizes the civil rights of the people who may openly sympathize with the rebellion and give aid and comfort to the enemy,