of the State. Supposing the cutting of the road to have been the work of some small marauding band of horse-thieves, who would immediately endeavor to escape, I ordered a detachment of the First Kentucky Scouts to take the road as soon as possible, and march by the way of Mount Eden to Taylorsville, on which route it was thought the depredators could either be intercepted, or their whereabouts ascertained. Before the scouts could march, however, we learned that Morgan in force had succeeded in getting in between us and the U. S. forces, under command of Brigadier General S. G. Burbridge; had captured Mount Sterling and Paris, and had burned the bridges on the Kentucky Central Railroad. These events, occurring on the same day the road was cut between here and Louisville, presented the view of concerted action, and led to the belief that the enemy had an objective point somewhere between the break in the Central railroad at Paris and that upon the road from here to Louisville. This place, it seemed to me, held out greater inducements to him than any other, inasmuch as here he could strike the greatest blow to the State by the destruction of the public records, &c., and could arm his new recruits, whom he was rapidly mounting as he passed along, upon the finest stock ever produced in the blue grass region. In addition to this, General Burbridge having come upon his rear, as we were informed by special courier, was pressing him with the utmost vigor. Here he could procure artillery and cross his command in a few hours, and, destroying the bridges, avoid, or so delay, pursuit as to be able to strike the Louisville and Nashville Railroad with impunity. In view of these conclusions, which subsequent events proved to be correct, it was determined not to send any part of the cavalry away, and by direction of His Excellency the Governor the militia of the country, the Thirty-sixth Regiment, under Colonel Keenon, was ordered out and the various roads pocketed. The railroad being again open to Louisville, exertions were made to ship the public papers and stores of eery kind to that place. All night long the work of loading the train was kept up, until every car was filled to its utmost capacity. It is useless to say that, the officers of the various departments, and their clerks discharged their laborious duties with diligence.

On the morning of the 9th the train containing the public property, with a guard composed of the clerks of the various offices and volunteers from the militia and strangers in the city, all under the command of Mr. J. B. Tilford, of the adjutant-general's office, started for Louisville. When nearing Pleasureville the road was discovered to be on fire. The engine was immediately reversed and the train attacked by guerrillas. The guard succeeded in defending the train, on which a running fire was kept up for several miles, and notwithstanding the road was obstructed with rails, &c., every 200 or 300 yards, the train and guards uninjured reached the depot at 7. 15 p. m. The enrolled militia of this city, Peak's Mill Precinct, and other parts of the county had been collecting during the day. A squad under Captain Sanford Goin was sent to man the guns in the fort, a small guard being at the arsenal; the remainder were placed in barracks near the city. Finding it impossible for me to attend to all the details, and at the same time exercise general command, I availed myself of the services of Colonel George W. Monroe, Twenty-second Kentucky Infantry, who at all times has been found willing to respond to the call of his country and State, and placed him in command of forces for the purpose of organizing and distributing them, with orders to report from time to time to these headquarters.

4 R R-VOL XXXIX, PT I