army, and there I saw William Hearst and several others whom I knew, and Hearst told me that he was going to enlist and asked me to go up with him. We went up together to the headquarters of Colonel Lowe, and there Colonel Lowe swore him in as a private soldier in my presence. I saw him after that several times in the company to which he belonged.

Questio. State the reputation as a citizen I have hitherto enjoyed, and also any knowledge you may have of the influences brought to bear upon me to induce meto go into the rebellion.

Answer. He was a citizen of Jefferson County, a farmer, peaceable as any man you could pick out down there; reputation as good and honest as any man in the country. I have seen William Hearst there frequently in county; and there were some men in the home guards at De Soto who did not like Hearst, and would report that he (Hearst) had been drilling there for the purpose of whipping the home guard, and through their influence and action he became satified that his life was in danger if he stayed there. he thought so and so expressed himself to me. He told me that was the canse of his going down to the army, and he said after he got down there that if he thought the men of the home guard would not pester or molest him he would go back home and stay there, and would have nothing to do with Jeff. Thompson's army. We had frequent conversations on the subject before he left and he always expressed these sentiments. He was a man that would rather do anything else than leave home; always talked in that way-that is, that he would not leave home unless afeared of persecution by some men of the home guard. One of these men was a cousin of Hearst's, and had been hired by him as a farm hand, and he would not work unless William Hearst was with him, and William discharged him, and he consequently became an enemy.

Question. Were you in Jefferson County at the time the bridge over Big River was burned?

Answer. No, sir; I was not.

Question. Have you any knowledge of the fight at Big River bridge or at Blackwell Station on or about October 16, 1861, and whether the burning of said bridge by Jeff. Thompson and his men was necessary to effect their escape or not?

Answer. I have no knowledge of the fight or of burning of the bridge except from hearsay.

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. Do you know the names of the officers in command or the name of the regiment in which the accused enlisted at Bloomfield?

Answer. I know some of them. The captain' name was White, and the first lieutenant's name was Whittaker Martin. It was a cavalry company attached to Colonel Lowe's regiment, under Jeff. Thompson.

Question. What was the date of the enlistment of the accused?

Answer. I think it was between the middle and the last of September, 1861.

Question. You say that the accused, William Hearst, had been reported by some men of the home guard at De Soto as drilling men to whip the home guad; do you know whether this accusation was true or false?

Answer. It was false to my personal knowledge. I know he never did; he could not do it.

There being no further questions to propose to the witness the evidence he had given was read to him by the judge-advocate and the witness dismissed.

The examination by the defense was here closed. The accused then presented his written defense, appended to these proceedings and marked A, which was read to the commission by the judge-advocate