Question. Just say when you saw Forrest's men; the day and the time of day, and what you did.
Answer. On Tuesday morning, the 12th of this month, I was awakened about five o'clock, or half past five, by a little darkey boy, who came up to my room and says: "Oh, Mr. Benton, all of Forrest's men have come, and they are just going into the fort. What will I do?" I got out of bed and looked out of the window towards the fort, and saw about three or four hundred of Forrest's men drawn up in line, and some one was making a speech to them, which was answered by cheering. They cheered, and then the pickets fired. I put some things in my valise and started for the fort in a roundabout way, and got in, by running the pickets, about six o'clock, and went immediately to Major Booth and asked for a gun, and took my stand with the soldiers inside the breastworks, where I remained and shot at every person of Forrest's men that I could get a chance at, firing forty-eight shots in all, until the flag of truce was sent in.
Question. About what was the time of day it came in?
Answer. It came in about two o'clock, I should think—half past one or two o'clock in the afternoon.
Question. Had they made any attack then?
Answer. Oh, yes, sir.
Question. Had they tried to carry the fort by storm and been repulsed?
Answer. At one time the confederate troops had all disappeared.
Question. Were four hundred all there were there?
Answer. Those were all I saw there. This was when they first made their appearance when I first saw these four hundred. After getting into the fort we saw more than a thousand coming in at the different passes, and the sharpshooters were stationed on every hill on every side of us except the river side.