Louisville, November 3, 10 p.m.

To General McLELLAN, Washington, D. C.: 

Dispatch just received.  We are forced to operate on three lines, all dependent on railroads of doubtful safety, requiring strong guards.  From Paris to Prestonbnrg, three Ohio regiments and some militia—­enemy variously reported from thirty-five hundred to seven thousand.  From Lexington toward Cumberland Gap, Brigadier-General Thomas, one Indiana and five Ohio regiments, two Kentucky and two Tennessee; hired wagons and badly clad.  Zollicoffer, at Cumberland Ford, about seven thousand.  Lee reported on the way with Virginia reenforcements.  In front of Louisville, fifty-two miles, McCook, with four brigades of about thirteen thousand, with four regiments to guard the railroad, at all times in danger.  Enemy along the railroad from Green River to Bowling Green, Nashville, and Clarksville.  Buckner, Hardee, Sidney Johnston, Folk, and Pillow, the two former in immediate command, the force as large as they want or can subsist, from twenty-five to thirty thousand.  Bowling Green strongly fortified.  Our forces too small to do good, and too large to sacrifice.

W. T. SHERMAN, Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS THE DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Louisville, Kentucky, November 6, 1861

General L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General.

Sir:  General McClellan telegraphs me to report to him daily the situation of affairs here.  The country is so large that it is impossible to give clear and definite views.  Our enemies have a terrible advantage in the fact that in our midst, in our camps, and along our avenues of travel, they have active partisans, farmers and business-men, who seemingly pursue their usual calling, but are in fact spies.  They report all our movements and strength, while we can procure information only by circuitous and unreliable means.  I inclose you the copy of an intercepted letter, which is but the type of others.  Many men from every part of the State are now enrolled under Buckner—­have gone to him—­while ours have to be raised in neighborhoods, and cannot be called together except at long notice.  These volunteers are being organized under the laws of the State, and the 10th of November is fixed for the time of consolidating them into companies and regiments.  Many of them are armed by the United States as home guards, and many by General Anderson and myself, because of the necessity of being armed to guard their camps against internal enemies.  Should we be overwhelmed, they would scatter, and their arms and clothing will go to the enemy, furnishing the very material they so much need.  We should have here a very large force, sufficient to give confidence to the Union men of the ability to do what should be done—­possess ourselves of all the State.  But all see and feel we are brought to a stand-still, and this produces doubt and alarm.  With our present force it would