Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-29
Affairs i'm Eastern Kentucky.
Operations OF GEN. zoIlteoaer


From the Richmond Examiner Of The os,h ,
The condition of affairs in Kentucky Is fn,l
OF Importance and interest. Our telegrapbic
dispatches this morning betoken an early en-.
gagement between General ZoiIicoffer and a
large force of Federal troops. There is No
doubt that the odds are against our General
III the numbers of the two forces. Cansidera-
lle apprehension has for some time been feIt
Tor him by his friends in Tennessee. Heisin
country, the majority of whose population
Is as yet hostile to the South. Their minds
have been filled with all sorts of f.lsehood
against the South by their demagogue leaders
who are In the pay of the Washington Gov
ernment. They think the Union cause il the
cause of patriotism; aud they are ready to
hight the Southern forces, marching in actuaI
~ for their protection from the calamity of
falling into the power OF the North. Not only
have these refractory spirits to be managed
AMI overawed by General Zollicoffer, but a
superior military force to his own of the enc
my is to be met and resisted. The number
ut troops at the command of General Zolli-
Golfer is comparatively small; and he should
at once be reinforced by fifteen or twenty
additional regiments. The Keniuckisn seces-
slonists who would rally under his banner
have no arms to fight with; and a large sup
ply OF th N. together with plenty of ammu-
milton, should be dispatched at once to that
r'gion.
Whether with the view to a conquest of
Kentucky or 10 the defence of Tenu-ssee and
Western FTginia, no lime n uid be lost in
massing troops in large numbers go the line
o. the railroad rum ing Ihr"ugh tat cnu ntry
Knoxville and RogrrSyille Ia Time see. or
Abingdon, in Virginia, furnish 'ligib,e points
OF rendezvous for troops, from which they
Gould be readily forw rd-d. Large plumbers
of refugees from the Uni count of Ken
lucky are coming Constantly in Abingdon
and WythrVllie, y It'll view to organizing
arning thrmselV.s and g"iug lack la force
IT, fight the emmy in their state l. is of the
highest Importance thai they should & ID arms
and ammunition ready TO Their hands at
those points. and troops besid 3, pr pared to
return with them intO Krntucky in imposing
force.
1t is of the hightst Importance that q
strong column shal.ld be sent To the aid of
G mel al Zpllicnfr b { r. he can bs compel
led to fall back by superior numbers. The
prestige of holding our groun IS Invaluable
am ing waveIing population To fall back
is to l"se the popular supp ri Of o. country
which would, under an advanc NOV ment,
rally in overwhelming power around our
Banners. For once. We ought to be in the
field 10 time. General Scott boosted that be
bad got thirty days the start of us at tn be-
ginning OF he war, and intended to keep
aheau of US throughout The war. He has
veiii' bis void hy keeping Us on the de-
frnsive all the time aud at very point.
This demonstration of the enemy upon the
Cumberland Gap is the only instance ia which
he has been behind Us in point of Time. Gen
eral 2 jllcoffrr was there before him, but
that energetic General may yet be driven
back for want of tim y support from the
authorities at Richmond. The enemy are
pushing forward large forces in his direct
Ion, end may yet get ahead of US in time, by
concentrating large army where we have
only small one.
The Importance of anticipating him in
throwing strong column into that region Ia
too Obvious to require calculation. The
breaking up of that line of railroad comma
nication to the West and South Is not to be
permitted or hazarded for an instant. East
Tennessee, though fast coming around to her
true Southern moorings, is still too full of
Unionists for the near approach of the enemy
to be allowed. Southwestern Virginia is
country too full of the true Southern grit, of
army supplies, and of brave soldiers, to be
occupied by the enemy.