1861: May 8 - 18: Petitions pour in to the legislature, daily, from the "Mothers, Wives, Sisters, Daughters of Kentucky," praying to "guard them from the direful calamity of civil war, by allowing Kentucky to maintain inviolate her armed neutrality;" from the counties of Bracken (241), Larue (143), Clark, Pendleton, Nelson, Boyle, Woodford, Lincoln, Kenton, Anderson, Muhlenburg, Nicholas, Warren, Mercer, Rockcastle, Garrard, Whitley, Knox, Laurel, Breckinridge, Adair, Graves, Henry, Grant, Fleming, and McLean; and from the cities and towns of Louisville, Lexington, Covington, Maysville, Elizabethtown, Frankfort, Flemingsburg, Nicholasville, Hustonville, Harrodsburg, and Princeton; May 10: Gov. MAGOFFIN, in reply to a request of the legislature therefor, in a special message promptly furnishes the details of his efforts to borrow money and therewith purchase arms and military supplies for the state, the kind of arms obtained, and the contracts made; alludes to the efforts of the Louisville city council to purchase arms for defense of that city; says the Confederate States have made no requisition upon Ky. for troops, nor has he had any official correspondence with the Confederate States; president or government. May 14: House of representatives, by 47 to 43, passes a bill authorizing the Harrison county court to borrow $20,000, for the purchase of fire arms, sabres, cannon, or other implements and equipments of war for the use of the county. May 18, the senate rejected the bill, yeas 10, nays 15. May 15: A regiment of troops from Ky., under Col. Blanton DUNCAN, now at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in the Confederate army. May 16: In the house of representatives, the report of the committee on federal relations -- Geo. B. HODGE, chairman, Curtis F. BURNAM, Nat. WOLFE, John G. CARLISLE, Jas. B. LYNE, A.F. GOWDY, Richard T. JACOB, and Richard A. BUCKNER, Jr. -- was adopted as follows: "Considering the deplorable condition of the country, and for which the state of Kentucky is in no way responsible, and looking to the best means of preserving the internal peace, and securing the lives, liberty and property of the citizens of the state; therefore, "'Resolved by the House of Representatives, That this state and the citizens thereof should take no part in the civil war now being waged, except as mediators and friends to the belligerent parties; and that Kentucky should, during the contest, occupy the position of strict neutrality. "' Resolved, That the act of the Governor, in refusing to furnish troops or military force upon the call of the executive authority of the United States, under existing circumstances, is approved." May 18: Lieut. Wm. NELSON, U.S. navy, procures at Washington city 5,000 muskets, and bayonets, with a supply of cartridges and caps, to be shipped to Cincinnati, for distribution to the "home guards: and Union men of Kentucky -- "requiring that every man to whom a gun was delivered should pay $1 for it.: to reimburse "the price of transportation, and some other charges and expenses." Hon. Garret DAVIS "has ordered to be distributed to Mason and Fleming and the counties backing them, according to his recollection, about 1,500 stand; to Boyd 200, to Greenup 200, to Montgomery 100, to Fayette 200, to Scott 200, to Bourbon 300, and to the city of Covington 500;" he says" there arms are intended for true, faithful and reliable Union men." May 20: Proclamation of Gov. MAGOFFIN, in favor of armed neutrality, and "notifying and warning all other states, whether separate or united and especially the 'United States' and the 'Confederate States', that I solemnly forbid any movement upon the soil of Kentucky, or the occupation of any port, post, or place whatever within the lawful boundary and jurisdiction of this state, by any of the forces under the orders of the states aforesaid, for any purpose whatever -- until authorized by invitation or permission of the legislative and executive authorities of this state previously granted."