es of Mill Springs, Forts Henry and Donelson
--Capture of Bowling Green and Nashville, and Other Matters

The State of Kentucky, with its disloyal Governor (Magoffin), also
other state officers, was early a source of much perplexity and
anxiety at Washington.

The State did not secede, but her authorities assumed a position
of neutrality by which they demanded that no Union troops should
occupy the State, and for a time also pretended no Confederates
should invade the State.

It was supposed that if Union forces went into Kentucky her people
would rise up in mass to expel them. This delusion was kept up
until it was found her Legislature was loyal to the Union and civil
war was imminent in the State, when, in September, 1861, both Union
and Confederate armed forces entered the State.

General Robert Anderson was (August 15, 1861) assigned to the
command of the Department of the Cumberland, consisting of the
States of Kentucky and Tennessee.

Bowling Green was occupied, September 8th, by General Simon Bolivar
Buckner, a native Kentuckian, formerly of the regular army. It
had been confidently hoped he would join the Union cause. President
Lincoln, August 17th, for reasons not given, ordered a commission
made out for him as Brigadier-General of Volunteers, and placed in
General Anderson's hands to be delivered at his discretion.( 1)

Buckner decided to espouse the Confederate cause while still acting
as Adjutant-General of the State of Kentucky. The commission,
presumably, was never tendered to him.

Changes of Union commanders were taking place in the West with such
frequency as to alarm the loyal people and shake their faith in
early success.

Brigadier-General W. S. Harney, in command of the Department of
the West, with headquarters at St. Louis when the war broke out,
was relieved, and, on May 31, 1861, Nathaniel Lyon, but recently
appointed a Brigadier-General of Volunteers, succeeded him. Lyon
lost his life, August 10th, while gallantly leading his forces at
Wilson's Creek against superior numbers under General Sterling
Price. General John C. Fremont assumed command of the Western
Department, July 25th, with headquarters at St. Louis. He was the
first to proclaim martial law. This he did for the city and county
of St. Louis, August 14, 1861.( 2)

He followed this (August 30th) with an _emancipation proclamation_,
undertaking to free the slaves of all persons in the State of
Missouri who took up a