General BUELL. I think I must object to the introduction of this witness. I shall be very glad to have information on that subject, but the quality of information I expect you will derive from this witness can be multiplied to any extent. I doubt very much whether it will tend to enlighten the Commission. It is a subject that the judge-advocate ought to have exhausted before, I think.

The court was cleared; when, after discussion whether the witness should or should not be introduced, it was unanimously decided in the affirmative.

Mr. JAMES B. McELWEE (a witness for the Government), being duly sworn by the judge-advocate, testified as follows:

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. State your name and place of residence.

James B. McElwee, residing in Rhea County, East Tennessee.

Question. What distance is that from Chattanooga?

I think it is about 60 miles by land.

Question. State whether you were at Chattanooga or in its neighborhood in the spring or summer of 1862, when the Government forces first threatened it.

I was at Chattanooga when the Government forces were said to be near Bridgeport and they said there was to be a fight there.

Question. State as near as you can at what time that was and what occurred and all you know about i.

I am a bad hand to recollect dates; I cannot give them. It was at the time they had a fight at Bridgeport. I left Chattanooga and went down to Dalton, and part of the rebel force came there that night. My understanding was that they were taking the sick and wounded away. They stopped all the rolling stock on the road; they brought down all the rolling stock that was at Chattanooga and stopped any from going up. My understanding from rebel soldiers and others was that they were going to surrender Chattanooga.

Question. What was the number the rebels had at Chattanooga at that time?

I cannot tell what the number was, but it was not very large.

Question. What do you mean by saying that it was not very large; where there a thousand men?

There were not more than 1,000 or 1,500 men. That is my understanding; I am not positive. The force at Bridgeport retreated back to Chattanooga. I asked some soldiers how many Yankees they saw, and they said they only saw three or four on the other side of the river when they commenced retreating, and before the rebel infantry got across the bridge they turned a car loose and knocked several off into the river.

Question. Had the victory at Bridgeport been followed up what would have been the consequence to Chattanooga?

Why Chattanooga, I think, would have surrendered.

General DANA. I take an objection to that question, that it is not rebutting evidence. If there is anything on the record to show that there has been a fight at Bridgeport I am mistaken.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. I do not recollect in what part of the testimony, though I think it can be found.

The PRESIDENT. It appears to me to be important to fix the date, so that it may be known whether the fight the witness speaks of was on the part of General Mitchel's or General Negley's forces or those of General Buell. I think it will be found by reference to General McCook's testimony