Interesting View of Civil War-Era Kentucky

The following is an excerpt from the official report of the activities of the 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry between October 1862 and July 1865. This excerpt is very early in their travels. They had been in Covington, Kentucky getting fully organized with other troops. This is during their march towards Lexington and Richmond, Kentucky. My great-great grandfather, a New York native, was in the 77th along side his brother-in-law from near Peoria, Illinois.

"On the 15th of October, the 77th, 97th, 108th and 112th regiments of Illinois Volunteers were formed. into a temporary brigade, with Colonel John Coburn, of the 33d Indiana Volunteers, acting Brigadier General, in command. Colonel Coburn received orders to be in readiness to march to the front on the 16th. Forty rounds of ammunition for each man was to be carried in the cartridge boxes, thirty more per man to be drawn by the regiments, and thirty rounds extra to be drawn and transported in the company wagons. Five days' rations were also drawn; three to be carried in the company wagons, and two in the haversacks of the men.
Our time was now fully occupied in making preparations for an advance into the interior of Kentucky. We were supplied with teams and wagons for transportation, consisting of one for each company, three for the headquarters of the regiment, and one for the hospital. We were furnished with great-coats and all the clothing necessary to make us comfortable during the cold days and nights which were then fast approaching. In short, we were now prepared to take up the line of march and enter upon the duties of active service.
At noon on the 17th we commenced the forward movement. We had to carry our blankets, clothing, etc., our haversack with two days' rations, canteen, gun and cartridge-box, the latter containing forty rounds of ammunition, and the whole weighing about sixty pounds. Thus armed and equipped we began our campaigns. Our march for a few miles was on the public highway leading to Lexington, but we soon turned to the left and marched through one of the roughest countries we had ever seen. Hills were piled upon hills, and the rocky surface of the ground indicated that all the stones in Kentucky had been gathered together and deposited along our line of march. So great were the difficulties we had to contend with that it was frequently impossible for the teams to descend the hills without assistance from the men. We contrasted the country through which we passed with the broad and fertile prairies of our own loved Illinois. And what a contrast! It seemed like an exchange of Paradise for the drear dominions of Pluto. But this was not a fair specimen of Kentucky. We found after emerging from the hills and hollows that the State was rich in all the elements of agricultural wealth, and required only the hand of industry and the spirit of enterprise to develop in her soil the most abundant resources.
As we marched along, a decided Union sentiment was manifested at several points, while at others the grim visage of the secession Moloch could be seen, showing that some of the people were not loyal to the government. Frequently, as we passed through the towns, the citizens would fling the starry banner to the breeze, as a token of their loyalty. But we were informed that most of the people had rebel flags, also, in their houses, to use as occasion required. Be this as it may, whenever the Flag of our Union made its appearance it was greeted with the most enthusiastic cheers by the men."