The Government Camps in Kentucky

From the Covington Journal of August 24, 1861, here is more discussion of Federal troops in still-hoping-to-remain-neutral Kentucky.

THE GOVERNMENT CAMPS IN KENTUCKY
Destination of the Troops - Objects to be Accomplished
A Louisville correspondent of the New York Herald, who is manifestly in possession of the secrets of the leaders, gives us some information in regard to the destination of the Federal troops now being concentrated in camps, in Kentucky. A part of the programme is to destroy the East Tennessesee and Virginia and East Tennessee and Georgia railroads:
  
The encampment of the friends of the Tennessee Unionists is at Bryantsville, Garrard county, Ky., a village forty-eight miles south of Frankfort and ninety miles northwest from Cumberland Gap, to which a turnpike road is the nearest route. At this point the Kentuckians, who have privately enlisted, are concentrating. Judge Bramlett, of this State, declined to hold the court in Boyle county this week, as he has charge of a regiment of Government troops (as he calls them) and had important military business at Bryantsville. For days past troops, consisting mainly of cavalry, have been pouring into this camp. On the 6th inst. 480 cavalry went into camp at that point. I am not enabled to state the total number now at Bryantsville but it is not less than 4,000 men, all splendidly armed and equipped for the campaign.


The time for the advance has almost arrived. Yesterday the arms stored in this city at the Custom House, and intended for East Tennesseans, were removed and sent forward. At the same time, 6,000 stand passed over the Covington and Lexington Railroad for the same point. 


The entrance into East Tennessee will be a matter easy of accomplishment. The Union men there will do their duty, and their rifles will serve in the rear to dislodge the intrenched foe. With the Kentuckians advancing, and the Union men in the rear, the rebels will more than have their hands full.

With East Tennesseans aroused, the destruction of the East Tennessee and Virginia and East Tennessee and Georgia railroads completed, and Western Virginia occupied, the situation will be extremely precarious to the Virginia hosts who triumphed at Manassas. 


The possession of the railroads I have names is one of vast importance to the Government. It is the only direct route either North and South or East and West that the South has.

Lincoln Troops in Kentucky

Here are three more Covington Journal stories (reprinted from other newspapers) about Union troops in Kentucky and Kentucky's attempt to remain neutral in the early stages of the Civil War. Comparing these brief stories with others printed in the Journal on the same day is one way to see the conflicting viewpoints of Kentuckians in this time of confusion and uncertainty.

Here is wikipedia's description of Camp Dick Robinson  and some information on William "Bull" Nelson the general in charge of troops at that camp.

Camp Dick Robinson, courtesy of www.sonofthesouth.net

Lincoln Troops in Kentucky
Camp Dick Robinson presents now an animated scene. Some fourteen or fifteen hundred gallant men are now assembled at that point belonging to the regiments of Cols. Fry, Bramlette and Wolford, and under command of General Nelson. The camp is supplied with new tents, well provisioned, and the men armed with the most approved arms of modern warfare.  [Danville Tribune]
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Two companies of volunteers, Capt. Sam McKee's and Capt. Hewitt's of Adair, passed through here Saturday en route for Camp Dick Robinson. They were received by Capt. Barbee's Independent Rifles, and hospitably entertained with a sumptuous basket dinner, provided in the usual liberal style of the ladies of Danville and vicinity.

Another company of seventy-five fine looking men, from Russell, commanded by Capt. Boling, passed through yesterday and were entertained with a beautiful dinner. These are in addition to three cavalry companies of Col. Wolford's regiment which passed on early last week. They are all now in Camp Dick Robinson  [Danville Tribune]
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The Lincoln Army, organized and quartered in Garrard county, Ky., is gradually swelling in numbers and maturing in efficiency. The force now collected is said to number 2,500 men. [Lex. Statesman, 20th]


(The "Adair" and "Russell" mentioned above refer to counties in Kentucky.)

Federal supplies in Kentucky

This is an untitled article in the August 24, 1861 Covington Journal, continuing its reporting on Kentucky's attempt to remain neutral and events that may have conflicted with that goal.

The Federal guns and ammunition which left this city Saturday morning last in the cars of the Kentucky Central R.R., were turned back at Falmouth, arriving here Saturday night. Monday morning they were transferred to the mail boat for Louisville, and reached that city Monday night. They were immediately sent off by a special train for Lexington.

The shipment consisted of about 3,000 muskets, 110,000 ball cartridges, 13 boxes of canister shot for twelve pounders, besides clothes, candles and provisions.

The Courier says: 

"The receipt of these Lincoln guns in Louisville created much excitement among our citizens, which, happily, led to no outbreak."

The Courier learns that the "citizens of Eminence, on the line of the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad, were highly exasperated and much excited  on ascertaining that the Lincoln guns had passed over the road for Lexington. They declared freely that if any more guns, or munitions of war, are sent over the road, they will capture them or die in the attempt." 

The guns reached Lexington Wednesday afternoon, causing great excitement. A company of cavalry from Camp Dick Robinson was in waiting, and the State Guard and Home Guard of Lexington turned out. A collision was imminent but through the exertions of John C. Breckenridge, who addressed the crowd, urging no violence, and permission to the Federal troops to convey the guns to their destination, it was averted.