The State Legislature was in session at Frankfort, and was ready to take definite action as soon as General Anderson was prepared, for the State was threatened with invasion from Tennessee, by two forces: one from the direction of Nashville, commanded by Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and Buckner; and the other from the direction of Cumberland Gap, commanded by Generals Crittenden and Zollicoffer.
General Anderson saw that he had not force enough to resist these two columns, and concluded to send me in person for help to Indianapolis and Springfield, to confer with the Governors of Indiana, and Illinois, and to General Fremont, who commanded in St.
Louis.
McClellan and Fremont were the two men toward whom the country looked as the great Union leaders, and toward them were streaming the newly-raised regiments of infantry and cavalry, and batteries of artillery; nobody seeming to think of the intervening link covered by Kentucky.

While I was to make this tour, Generals Anderson and Thomas were to go to Louisville and initiate the department.

None of us had a staff, or any of the machinery for organizing an army, and, indeed, we had no army to organize.
Anderson was empowered to raise regiments in Kentucky, and to commission a few brigadier-generals.
At Indianapolis I found Governor Morton and all the State officials busy in equipping and providing for the new regiments, and my object was to divert some of them toward Kentucky; but they were called for as fast as they were mustered in, either for the army of McClellan or Fremont.

At Springfield also I found the same general activity and zeal, Governor Yates busy in providing for his men; but these men also had been promised to Fremont.

I then went on to St.Louis, where all was seeming activity, bustle, and preparation.
Meeting R.M.Renick at the Planters' House (where I stopped), I inquired where I could find General Fremont.