my operations had been intrusted; and
his orders were to halt somewhere in the vicinity of Somerset. He was
aware that General Thomas had been sent down with a considerable force,
and a portion of it was in the vicinity; but it had not yet been
concentrated for the attack upon the intrenched camps of General
Crittenden and General Zollicoffer.

The Union general was waiting for the rest of the force detailed to
take part in the campaign; and had also been detained by the condition
of the roads, which rendered it almost impossible to move the
baggage-wagons and the artillery. Friday and Saturday it rained
incessantly in torrents, and raised Fishing Creek and other streams so
that it was impracticable to cross them. The general had with him the
Fourth Kentucky Infantry, and a portion of the First Kentucky Cavalry,
to which the two companies of the Riverlawn force nominally belonged,
though they had been on detached duty thus far since they were mustered
in.

Thomas had also with him, or within call, regiments from Ohio, Indiana,
and Minnesota. Major Lyon informed his audience of officers that their
regiment was somewhere in the vicinity, though he did not know where;
but his officers had never seen this force, and were not greatly
interested. The regiment had not yet been filled up, though others
enlisted later had their full complement of men and companies.

"Don't you think we had better enlist another company?" asked Captain
Gordon, who evidently had in his head a big idea.

"I don't know about that; but I am inclined to think we had better
leave that to the proper authorities, or to local leaders where men are
available, for we are away from Riverlawn and Bar Creek. I doubt if we
could find men enough in that vicinity to form another company."

"That was not my idea," interposed the captain. "How many men have you
in your company of Home Guards, Colonel Halliburn?" he asked rather
abruptly, as he proceeded to develop his purpose.

"I have sixty-two here, and there are about fifty more from various
parts of three counties, many of whom seldom meet with us," replied the
colonel, wondering what the captain was driving at.

"We have forty-two riflemen here; are there any more of them?"

"As many more, I should say."

"Don't you think it is a great pity that your company, or a portion of
it, are not in actual service in the army, where they are so much
needed?"

"Well, it is rather necessary to have some at hom