| Battle Of Perryville |
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| battles of the confederate heartland offensive of the american civil war | |
| perryville | |
| kentucky in the american civil war | |
| union victories of the american civil war | |
The Battle of Perryville, also known as '''Battle at Perryville''' and '''Battle of Chaplin Hills''', was an important but largely neglected encounter in the American Civil War . It was fought on October 8 , 1862 , in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky . The battle began with a middle-of-the-night skirmish over a source of drinking water, and ended more or less by default with the onset of darkness and the retreat of the tactical victor, the Confederates . The Confederate "victory" marked the end of their offensive campaign in the West, and their retreat left the Border State of Kentucky under the control of the Union Army for the rest of the war. KENTUCKY CAMPAIGN OF 1862 Situated between the Southern States of Tennessee and Virginia and the Northern States of Illinois , Indiana and Ohio , the border state of Kentucky was coveted by both sides of the conflict because of its central location. So much so, in fact, that in September 1861 , Kentucky-born President Abraham Lincoln wrote in a private letter, “I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game.” Opposing viewpoints within the state vied for control during the early part of the war, and while the state never Seceded from the Union, a Confederate capital was set up in Bowling Green in November 1861 . This prompted recognition of Kentucky by the Confederate States and the addition of a star representing Kentucky to the Confederate Flag . (Stuart Sanders; 1860-1861, Cultural Heritage, ''Kentucky Tourism'' {Link without Title} ) The initiative to invade Kentucky came primarily from Confederate General s and approximately 21,000 men, would march north under Smith's command into Kentucky. They would begin to oppose the Union troops there, while Bragg would travel west to oppose Major General Don Carlos Buell 's Army of the Ohio and try to recapture Nashville . Later, the two would reunite near Lexington for a final advance across the state. Bragg, however, was indecisive and continuously desired more men. After Smith left Chattanooga on August 13 , Bragg changed his mind. Instead of advancing on Nashville to retake the city from Buell as planned, he wanted to turn north into Kentucky to rejoin Smith, but only if he could avoid facing Buell, who was advancing on Chattanooga from the west. Meanwhile, Buell was having his own difficulty sticking with any particular plan for very long. Instead of continuing toward Chattanooga, he decided to fall back to defend Nashville. When Bragg realized Buell would no longer be in his way, he crossed the Cumberland River into Kentucky. The news that Smith and Bragg were both in Kentucky convinced Buell of the need to get his army between the Confederates and the Union cities of Louisville and Cincinnati . On September 7 , Buell's Army of the Ohio left Nashville and began racing Bragg to Louisville. On the way, Bragg was distracted from his objective by the capture of a Union fort at Munfordville . Now, he had to decide again whether to continue toward a fight with Buell (over Louisville) or rejoin Smith, who had gained control of the center of the state by capturing Richmond and Lexington and threatened to move on Cincinnati. He chose to rejoin Smith. This allowed Buell to reach Louisville where the Union general gathered, reorganized and reinforced his army with thousands of new recruits. Meanwhile, Bragg met Smith in Frankfort where Bragg believed the main body of the Union army was. There he was able to attend the Inauguration of Confederate Governor Richard Hawes on October 4 . (Thomas L. Breiner, Bragg's Kentucky Invasion, ''The Battle of Perryville, Kentucky'' {Link without Title} ) PRELUDE TO BATTLE On October 1 , Buell left Louisville with Major General George Henry Thomas as his second in command. While 20,000 men under Brigadier General Joshua Sill moved toward Frankfort, the Army of the Ohio, with 58,000 troops under Buell and Thomas, advanced toward Bragg's army in Bardstown on three separate roads:
When he left for Frankfort on September 28 , Bragg left his army of 30,000 soldiers in Bardstown with Major General Leonidas Polk . On October 6 , the approach of the large Union force caused the Confederates to withdraw eastward to Perryville. The area had been afflicted by a drought for months. The heat was oppressive for both men and horses, and the few useful sources of drinking water provided by the rivers and creeks west of town were desperately sought after. On the evening of October 7 , Confederate Major General William J. Hardee established a line of defense across the three roads leading into Perryville from the north and west, including Peter's Hill overlooking Doctors Creek. Hearing there was water in Doctors Creek, a group of Union soldiers from Major General Charles Gilbert 's 3rd Corps crossed the creek around 2:00 am, intending to set up a picket line on Peter's Hill. There they encountered Hardee's men, and a skirmish erupted with the Union force pushing the Confederates back. BATTLE |
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