object and they felt the fullest confidence in the success of it, and the great body of the people of the State Lad serious apprehension that it would be the result and feared it greatly. I was so strongly impressed with that opinion myself that I was urgent that steps might be taken to prevent their permanent holding of it, but I was afraid the State would go. I believe I telegraph to that effect to the, President and probably to the Secretary of War. I think, however, that I communicated the fears I had on the subject before Kirby Smith had actually entered the State from the information I derived from General Morgan at Cumberland Gap and from spies I had in the country. I believe I also communicated the same thing to General Buell. I am sure I telegraphed to General Buell (I could tell when were I at Louisville) that it would be absolutely essential for him to come back to Kentucky to save it. There are some other matters that I telegraphed to the President, but I do not feel sure enough to speak of them without examining my papers.

Question. Has your reading of history and your observation of war brought you to the conclusion that there is no success in military operations short of the extermination of your enemy or his capture bodily, supposing the armies to be nearly equal and in an open field?

Most certainly it has not; either my knowledge of history or my observation of war, which is limited. I think, so far as I know, that few contending armies ever exterminated each other, and I have never known or heard of an instance in which a retreating army of any considerable force was ever captured by the pursuing army. If there is such a case I have no recollection of it, unless it was in the history of the Jews, where God might have intervened and allowed them to take their enemy bodily. I remember no other case.

Question. Under all the circumstances, considering the strength of the rebel army which invaded Kentucky, the circumstances and object of that invasion, would you consider that the march of the Army of the Ohio through Tennessee to Kentucky, and the subsequent operating against the rebel forces in Kentucky, barren of results?

O do not, sir; I think it absolutely necessary to have brought the army there for the purpose of saving the State. That was my opinion first, before it moved, when it was moving, and after it had reached Kentucky and moved in its operations against the rebel army, and is my opinion now.

Question. What effect do you suppose its movements had upon the object for which the State was invaded by the rebel forces?

I think had the effect of defeating their object; that is, if their object was to make their invasion successful by holding the State, which I believe was their object and purpose. I believe that they would have held the larger portion of the State if the army had not been moved from Tennessee. I think that we could have held a portion of the border of Kentucky on the Ohio against, them, but that they would have held the greater portion of the State, including its capital. I believe that they would have derived great assistance from the people if they had held it sufficiently long to have inspired them with confidence that it was going to be a permanent result.

Question. About what force and what description of troops had you to oppose this invasion in the first instance, and so on up to about the time of the arrival of the Army of the Ohio?

I cannot speak with positiveness and accuracy as to the amount of force that I had in Kentucky when I first ascertained that Kirby Smith was entering the passes of the mountains. I think I had about 2,000 men. I called for more troops from everybody; and Governor Morton and the president of this court, General Wallace, hastened up movements in Indiana so as to throw over several thousand troops by the time Kirby Smith had reached London. I think I had in the State some twelve regiments, probably not that many. General Wallace came to Louisville in command of a regiment and tendered his services to me. I requested him to go to Lexington, where I had thrown the great body of the forces I had, and I think when he reached there there were seven regiments. Probably two arrived afterward, making nine, which I requested him to take command of and to reconnoiter the country in the direction of Richmond, Big Hill, and of London, and that I would send him forces as fast as I could get them. I had besides those nine regiments some three or our regiments that were stationed at Munfordville and along the road and at Louisville. But all the forces that could be spared from guarding the road were directly afterward thrown