The city was full of all sorts of rumors.  The Legislature, moved by considerations purely of a political nature, had taken the step, whatever it was, that amounted to an adherence to the Union, instead of joining the already-seceded States.  This was universally known to be the signal for action.  For it we were utterly unprepared, whereas the rebels were fully prepared.  General Sidney Johnston immediately crossed into Kentucky, and advanced as far as Bowling Green, which he began to fortify, and thence dispatched General Buckner with a division forward toward Louisville; General Zollicoffer, in like manner, entered the State and advanced as far as Somerset.  On the day I reached Louisville the excitement ran high.  It was known that Columbus, Kentucky, had been occupied, September 7th, by a strong rebel force, under Generals Pillow and Polk, and that General Grant had moved from Cairo and occupied Paducah in force on the 6th.  Many of the rebel families expected Buckner to reach Louisville at any moment.  That night, General Anderson sent for me, and I found with him Mr. Guthrie, president of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, who had in his hands a dispatch to the effect that the bridge across the Rolling Fork of Salt Creek, less than thirty miles out, had been burned, and that Buckner’s force, en route for Louisville, had been detained beyond Green River by a train thrown from the track.  We learned afterward that a man named Bird had displaced a rail on purpose to throw the train off the track, and thereby give us time.

Mr. Guthrie explained that in the ravine just beyond Salt Creek were several high and important trestles which, if destroyed, would take months to replace, and General Anderson thought it well. worth the effort to save them.  Also, on Muldraugh’s Hill beyond, was a strong position, which had in former years been used as the site for the State “Camp of Instruction,” and we all supposed that General Buckner, who was familiar with the ground, was aiming for a position there, from which to operate on Louisville.

All the troops we had to counteract Buckner were Rousseau’s Legion, and a few Home Guards in Louisville.  The former were still encamped across the river at Jeffersonville; so General Anderson ordered me to go over, and with them, and such Home Guards as we could collect, make the effort to secure possession of Muldraugh’s Hill before Buckner could reach it.  I took Captain Prime with me; and crossed over to Rousseau’s camp.  The long-roll was beaten, and within an hour the men, to the number of about one thousand, were marching for the ferry-boat and for the Nashville depot.  Meantime General Anderson had sent to collect some Home Guards, and Mr. Guthrie to get the trains ready.  It was after midnight before we began to move.  The trains proceeded slowly, and it was daybreak when we reached Lebanon Junction, twenty-six miles out, where we disembarked, and marched to the bridge over