Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument
|
|
Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument
|
|
 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Old Crab Orchard Rd. 1 mi. N of Jct. of KY 39 and KY 80, Somerset, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Built | 1875 |
| MPS | Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000670 |
| Added to NRHP | July 17, 1997 |
The Battle of Dutton's Hill Monument is a special memorial in Pulaski County, Kentucky, near Somerset, Kentucky. It honors the Confederate soldiers who died during the Battle of Dutton's Hill in 1863.
Today, the battlefield is on private land. You can find a historical marker near the entrance to some homes. It is about a mile from the intersection of highways 39 and 80.
On July 17, 1997, this monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was one of many Civil War monuments in Kentucky recognized for their historical importance. The monument is a 6-foot, 2-inch tall marble pillar, called an obelisk. It marks a large grave where many Confederate soldiers were buried. Their names were not known for a very long time.
The words carved on the monument are hard to read now because they have been damaged. The inscription says:
"Here off duty until the last reveille, lie the southern soldiers, in numbers who were slain in this country during the war of the succession. They fell among strangers, unknown and unfriended. Yet not unhonored; for strangers hands have gathered their ashes here, and placed the shaft above them, that constancy and valor, though displayed in a fruitless enterprise, may not be unremembered."
This message means that the soldiers are resting there. Even though they died far from home and were not known, people still honored them. The monument was placed so their bravery would not be forgotten.
The Battle of Dutton's Hill
The Battle of Dutton's Hill happened on March 30, 1863. It was the final part of a trip into Kentucky led by Confederate General John Pegram. This trip lasted nine days. Its main goal was to gather cattle to feed the Army of Tennessee.
Pegram's Expedition
General Pegram led about 1,550 cavalry soldiers. They also had three artillery cannons. On March 22, they crossed the Cumberland River at Stigall's Ferry. Pegram's group included soldiers from Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. They also had cannons pulled by mules.
As they marched through Somerset, people thought Pegram was leading a big Confederate invasion. Rumors spread about how many soldiers he had. Pegram's cavalry met Union soldiers on March 28 at Hickman's Bridge. They managed to avoid the Union's 44th and 45th Ohio Infantry regiments. They kept gathering cattle and rounded up about 750. General Braxton Bragg needed this beef to feed his Army of Tennessee. Pegram's soldiers had moved 537 cattle across the Cumberland River when their luck ran out.
The Battle
On March 30, 1863, Pegram's cavalry was caught by a Union force. This happened about 1.5 miles from Somerset in Pulaski County, Kentucky. The Union force had 1,250 men. They were led by Brigadier General Quincy A. Gillmore.
General Pegram's forces were defeated in the battle. Reports about how many Confederate soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing are different. General Pegram heard a rumor that 80 soldiers died. One Union group said 57 Confederates were killed. Another Union group reported only 10 deaths.
