OPERATIONS IN KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE. [CHAP. XII.
soldiers, and they will fight, but they will be undiscipline men. Give us 60,000 men on General Sherman's center, and we will awake the Union men in Tennessee.
We hope you will act promptly on this subject and strengthen our hands.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAMES GUTHRIE.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Louisville, Ky., November 4, 1861.
General L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General, Washington, D. C.:
SIR: In compliance with telegraphic orders of General McClellan received late last night, I submit this report of the forces in Kentucky and of their condition.
The tabular statement shows the position of the several regiments. The camp at Nolin is at the present extremity of the Nashville Railroad. This force was thrown forward to meet the advance of Buckner's army, which then fell back of Green River, 23 miles beyond. These regiments were substantially without means of transportation other than the railroad, which is guarded at all dangerous points, yet is liable to interruption at any moment by the tearing up of a rail by the disaffected inhabitants or a hired enemy. These regiments are composed of good material, but devoid of company officers of experience, but have been put under thorough drill since being in camp. They are generally well clad and provided for.
Beyond Green River the enemy has masked his forces, and it is very difficult to ascertain even the approximate numbers. No pains have been spared to ascertain them, but without success, but it is well known that they far outnumber us. Depending, however, on the railroads to their rear for transportation, they have not thus far advanced this side of Green River, save in marauding parties. This is the proper line of advance, but will require a very large force-certainly 50,000 men-as their railroad facilities south enable them to concentrate at Munfordville the entire strength of the South. General McCook's command is divided into four brigades, under General Wood, R. W. Johnson, Rousseau, and Negley.
General Thomas' line of operations is from Lexington towards Cumberland Gap and Ford, occupied by a force of Tennesseeans under the command of Zollicoffer. He occupies the position at London in front of two roads which lead to the fertile part of Kentucky, the one by Richmond and the other by Crab Orchard, with his reserve at Camp Dick Robinson, 8 miles south of the Kentucky River. His provisions and stores go by railroad from Cincinnati to Nicholasville, and thence in wagons to his several regiments. He is forces to hire transportation.
Brigadier-General Nelson is operating on the line from Olympian Springs, east of Paris, on the Covington and Lexington Railroad, towards Prestonburg, in the valley of the Big Sandy, where is assembled a force of from 2,500 to 3,500 Kentuckians, waiting re-enforcements from Virginia. My last report from him was to October 28, at which time he had Colonel Harris' Second Ohio, 900 strong; Colonel Norton's Twenty-First Ohio, 1,000; and Colonel Sill's Thirty-third Ohio, 750 strong, with two irregular Kentucky regiments, Colonels Marshall and
