Today in History:

305 Series I Volume XVI-I Serial 22 - Morgan's First Kentucky Raid, Perryville Campaign Part I

Page 305 Chapter XXVIII. GENERAL REPORTS.

Question. You have given here the different regiments, but have not given the separate commands under which they served. Why is that?

From the fact that the descriptive roll of prisoners, as used when I was first assigned to the duty of receiving and forwarding the military prisoners from the place, does not embrace that. That form was furnished by Colonel William Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners, as I understood. I can show that to you by exhibiting a form of descriptive roll used and sent to Vicksburg with the prisoners, to be receipted and forwarded, one copy to the Adjutant-General's Office, one copy to General Rosecrans, and one to be left with the prisoners. I have no of these rolls with me.

Question. You got the information detailed in this from the descriptive rolls, and not from direct information from the prisoners?

On the reception of the prisoners in the military prison each one is called up, and his descriptive roll, his name, and as full a description as the form allowed is taken; of that three copies are made; and it is also recorded in a book I keep for the purpose, namely, a book of record.

(The Commission directs that all the rolls from which the abstracts presented are made be brought before them.)

The WITNESS. If the call is rolls similar to this, that is impossible to get short of Washington City or General Rosecrans. Of the three rolls made out in a form like this, on is sent to Washington, one to General Rosecrans, and one to Vicksburg, and a copy I have in my book. The book I can produce. I have these rolls on hand from the fact that the prisoners there named are in the military prison; but when they go the rolls to with them. I have only the book, and from it the report is made.

By General TYLER:

Question. Can you not from your brooks and papers trace these prisoners to Kirby Smith's or Bragg's army or Breckinridge's army corps?

I could not answer that question positively without the book before me. My impression is that I only trace them to Bragg's and Kirby Smith's, and, as I stated yesterday, to the command of Morgan, which from the best information I could receive is not exactly attached to either.

By General SCHOEPF:

Question. How many of these prisoners were captured in the battle of Perryville?

This roll shows, as the court will see upon examination of it, when and where each prisoner was captured. It does not show that any prisoner was captured in any fight; it only shows the place, when, and where.

Question. It appears from your reply that all those prisoners that were captured were stragglers?

I would suppose from the form of the roll that it could not show anything in regard to that, whether they were captured in one way or another. The form furnished me was to show when and where; how captured, is not shown in any of the rolls.

By the PRESIDENT:

Question. Does it show by whom captured?

No, sir.

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. You will furnish for the benefit of the Commission a copy similar to this. I observe some things upon your report which I do not understand; probably you can explain. For example, the Tennessee regiments, as reported here, run up to One hundred and fifty-four; can you give any explanation of that fact?

I can give the explanation given by a number of prisoners to me in answer to a similar interrogatory put to them. It is this: Upon the formation of the regiments in Tennessee there arose a dispute as to which should be called First. One regiment

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Page 305 Chapter XXVIII. GENERAL REPORTS.