Answer. For the entire season, besides giving the enemy means to act more on the offensive—means enough to last them for a campaign.
Question. Is it also true that all the army supplies for the western department pass through here?
Answer. To the best of my knowledge it is.
Question. What force have you here at Mound City now?
Answer. I have two gunboats, 85 marines, 100 mechanics, who have been armed and drilled, one company of the invalid corps, and a detachment of convalescents from the hospital. Any other forces that may be here are merely temporary.
Question. What force have you at Cairo?
Answer. Seventy-odd marines. But those we have only to protect the wharf boat and the inspection boat, which have on board provisions, ship chandlery, &c. Admiral Porter has ordered me to move them up to this point whenever I can do so without detriment to the public service. I understand that there is a permanent garrison at Cairo of between 300 and 400 men. When General Brayman was compelled to re-enforce Columbus, he was compelled to take away from there all except about 150 men.
Captain James W. Shirk, United States navy, sworn and examined.
By the chairman: