We accordingly all took hacks, crossed the river by the ferry, and drove to the Galt House, where I was then staying.  Brigadier-General T. J. Wood had come down from Indianapolis by the same train, and was one of the party.  We all proceeded to my room on the first floor of the Galt House, where our excellent landlord, Silas Miller, Esq., sent us a good lunch and something to drink.  Mr. Cameron was not well, and lay on my bed, but joined in the general conversation.  He and his party seemed to be full of the particulars of the developments in St. Louis of some of Fremont’s extravagant contracts and expenses, which were the occasion of Cameron’s trip to St. Louis, and which finally resulted in Fremont’s being relieved, first by General Hunter, and after by General H. W. Halleck.

After some general conversation, Mr. Cameron called to me, “Now, General Sherman, tell us of your troubles.”  I said I preferred not to discuss business with so many strangers present.  He said, “They are all friends, all members of my family, and you may speak your mind freely and without restraint.”  I am sure I stepped to the door, locked it to prevent intrusion, and then fully and fairly represented the state of affairs in Kentucky, especially the situation and numbers of my troops.  I complained that the new levies of Ohio and Indiana were diverted East and West, and we got scarcely any thing; that our forces at Nolin and Dick Robinson were powerless for invasion, and only tempting to a general such as we believed Sidney Johnston to be; that, if Johnston chose, he could march to Louisville any day.  Cameron exclaimed:  “You astonish me!  Our informants, the Kentucky Senators and members of Congress, claim that they have in Kentucky plenty of men, and all they want are arms and money.”  I then said it was not true; for the young men were arming and going out openly in broad daylight to the rebel camps, provided with good horses and guns by their fathers, who were at best “neutral;” and as to arms, he had, in Washington, promised General Anderson forty thousand of the best Springfield muskets, instead of which we had received only about twelve thousand Belgian muskets, which the Governor of Pennsylvania had refused, as had also the Governor of Ohio, but which had been adjudged good enough for Kentucky.  I asserted that volunteer colonels raising regiments in various parts of the State had come to Louisville for arms, and when they saw what I had to offer had scorned to receive them—­to confirm the truth of which I appealed to Mr. Guthrie, who said that every word I had spoken was true, and he repeated what I had often heard him say, that no man who owned a slave or a mule in Kentucky could be trusted.

Mr. Cameron appeared alarmed at what was said, and turned to Adjutant-General L. Thomas, to inquire if he knew of any troops available, that had not been already assigned.  He mentioned Negley’s Pennsylvania Brigade, at Pittsburg, and a couple of other regiments that were then en route for St. Louis.  Mr. Cameron ordered him to divert these to Louisville, and Thomas made the telegraphic orders on the spot.  He further promised, on reaching Washington, to give us more of his time and assistance.