Question. Did you see General Crittenden in the latter part of the day, Sunday,20th September?

Answer. I did not.

There being no more witnesses in attendance, the Court adjourned to meet at 10 o'clock on the 9th instant.

NINTH DAY.

FEBRUARY 9, 1864.

The Court met pursuant to adjournment.

Present, Major-Generals Hunter and Cadwalader, Brigadier-General Wadsworth, and Colonel Schriver, recorder, and Major-General Crittenden.

LYNE STARLING, late assistant adjutant-general of volunteers, and chief of staff of Twenty-first Army Corps, being duly sworn, says to question

By General CRITTENDEN;

Question. Were you in the battle of Chickamauga, and in what capacity? State what you know of the conduct of General Crittenden in that battle.

Answer. I was in the battle as chief of staff of Twenty-first Army Corps. On Saturday morning, 19th, very early - before daylight

-General Crittenden's command was placed in the road from La Fayette to Rossville, from Gordon's Mills extending toward Rossville, with instructions to hold that point at all hazards, while the corps of General Thomas and McCook passed by the Dry Valley road to the rear of his command, and got into position across the Rossville road to his rear. We were in that position for some time before there was any firing, but after a time the firing became very heavy to our left and rear; so much so that General Crittenden was convinced that the battle had commenced with General Thomas, and that he was being closely pressed. General Crittenden ordered General Palmer to go with his division rapidly to the assistance of General Thomas to take the enemy in flank and attack vigorously,and immediately sent word to Generals Thomas and Rosecrans that he had given the order to General Palmer. I thought the movement an exceedingly judicious one, as it afterward proved to be. We got, a few days after, a rebel paper from Atlanta, which stated that that attack of Palmer's was so well timed and made with so much vigor as to entirely disconcert the enemy's movements and prevent their resuming the offensive on that day. But for that attack, made when it was, the enemy would have doubled up Thomas' column and defeated us at once. The paper was handed to General Rosecrans and sent to the War Department, as I understood. This was done without orders from General Rosecrans, and not in conformity to the orders General Crittenden had; but General Rosecrans approved it, and complimented General Crittenden, saying he had but

anticipated his orders. After that, the battle becoming general, General Crittenden sent Colonel Lodor, of his staff, to General Rosecrans, for permission to send General Van Cleve's division into the fight, also, which I thought a very judicious movement again. It was evident, from the firing, that the enemy were crossing the Chickamauga River higher up than the first forces had crossed, and that General Palmer was in danger of being outflanked. To support him and prevent his being flanked was the object of General Van Cleve's going in. After a time General Crittenden sent me to General Rosecrans for permission to put in General Wood's division. General Rosecrans readily consented, and told him to take them all in. Major Mendenhall was sent by General Crittenden to order General Wood to bring up his division. A few moments after he sent me also to suggest to General Wood that he might make a very advantageous attack on the enemy's flank as he came to the

battle-ground, as at that time General Van Cleve was driving the enemy rapidly in a direction parallel to the road by which General Wood was to come, but told me to make him understand distinctly it was only a suggestion, not an order, laving him to judge of the propriety of it. When I rode back again to General Crittenden I found he had gone up to General Rosecrans, and just as I got to General Crittenden's headquarters General Davis rode up and expressed great