Question. At what place?

Answer. On the road leading from Manassas Junction to Gainesville.

Question. I mean in what place, in reference to the command?

Answer. At the head of the column.

Question. Did those two officers meet with the usual salutation between gentlemen and officers?

Answer. They did.

Question. After that salutation, did you hear any part of the conversation gentlemen and officers?

Answer. I did.

Question. Who spoke?

Answer. General McDowell.

Question. What did he say?

Answer. "Porter, this is no place to fight a battle; you are out too far."

Question. Did you at that time hear any further conversation between those two officers?

Answer. I did not.

Question. Was any one besides yourself near the two officers at that time; and, if so, who? I mean within hearing.

Answer. No one that I recollect, except Colonel Locke. There were others standing by, but whether they were near enough to hear the conversation or not, I do not know.

Question. After this remark of General McDowell, what did the two officers then do?

Answer. I moved away, as I did not consider it my place to remain there, and left them. I afterward saw them at a distance, talking together alone.

Question. Do you remember whether Colonel Locke moved away at the same time?

Answer. I did not notice.

Question. At the time these two officers thus met, about 11 o'clock in the day, or about that time, what was going on in the command of General Porter?

Answer. He had sent out skirmishers to the front, and the troops were moving, closing up apparently, en masse, as I supposed, preparing to form a line of battle, which was afterward done.

Question. After this conversation, did you continue to observe what was going on in the corps, and whether these movements for battle order were continued, or were they suspended?

Answer. They were continued. The brigade that was leading were being disposed of on the hill near where the conversation referred to had taken place. One brigade and one battery moved off to the right shortly after, evidently preparing to form on right of the brigade on the hill. I went with the battery that moved to the right, to see its position. One battery was placed in position where the conversation was held about that time.

Question. Were you present when the two generals parted?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. As to the movements on the night of the 27th and the morning of the 28th of August, what time was reveille that night or that morning?

Answer. I think we had reveille about 1 o'clock; it was shortly after midnight.