Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site |
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View from Parsons battery position on the Open Knob
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| Location | Boyle, Kentucky, United States |
| Area | 745 acres (301 ha) |
| Elevation | 860 ft (260 m) |
| Established | 1936 |
| Governing body | Kentucky Department of Parks |
| Website | Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site |
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Perryville Battlefield
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The Battle of Perryville
as depicted in Harper's Weekly |
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| Location | Boyle County, Kentucky |
| Nearest city | Perryville, Kentucky |
| Area | 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) |
| Built | 1862 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000356 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
The Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site is a large park in Boyle County, Kentucky. It covers about 745 acres, which is like 565 football fields! This park keeps growing as more land is bought to protect it.
There's a museum where you can learn about the Battle of Perryville. Many soldiers who died in the battle were buried nearby. You'll also see monuments, signs, and old cannons that show where important things happened. This special place became a Kentucky State Park in 1936.
Contents
The Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville happened on October 8, 1862. It was fought during the American Civil War. The battle was between the Union Army of the Ohio and the Confederate Army of Mississippi.
Who Fought in the Battle?
The Union army was led by Don Carlos Buell. The Confederate army was led by Braxton Bragg.
What Was the Outcome?
The Confederates won the battle itself. This is called a tactical victory. However, the Union won the overall campaign. This is known as a strategic victory. Bragg's army left Kentucky after the battle. Kentucky stayed under Union control for the rest of the war.
How the Battle Affected Local Life
The battle left homes and farms in Perryville in ruins. One farmer, Henry P. Bottom, lost a lot of his crops and wood. His large barn, full of hay, burned down from artillery fire. Many local families had their homes used as hospitals for wounded soldiers. They also lost supplies.
Burying the Soldiers
After the battle, Union soldiers buried most of their dead in long trenches. But many Confederate soldiers were still unburied a week later. Union soldiers made local people help them bury the dead in shallow graves.
Later, 347 Confederate soldiers were reburied in a mass grave on Henry Bottom's land. By 1886, 435 Confederates were buried there. Only one headstone remains, for Samuel H. Ransom.
Union soldiers also reburied 969 of their own dead in a national cemetery in Perryville in 1865. But this cemetery was closed in 1867. The Union soldiers' remains were moved to Camp Nelson National Cemetery. This means no identified Union soldiers are buried at Perryville today.
Remembering the Battle
People have worked hard to remember and protect the Perryville Battlefield.
Monuments and Museums
- In 1902, a Confederate monument was placed in the Confederate cemetery.
- A smaller Union memorial was built nearby in 1931.
- The Perryville State Battlefield site was officially created in 1954.
- A museum and visitor's center opened in 1962, on the battle's 100th anniversary.
Learning About the Western Theater
For a long time, battles fought in the Western Theater (like Perryville) were not as well-known. People focused more on battles in the Eastern Theater, especially in Virginia. But in recent years, historians have shown how important the Western campaigns were. Now, more people appreciate what happened at Perryville and other battlefields in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
Protecting the Battlefield Today
About 2,500 acres at Perryville were named a National Historic Landmark in 1960. Around 100,000 people visit the site each year. Every October, there is a re-enactment of the battle.
The Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association was started in 1991. Their goal is to protect and expand the park. They helped buy 149 acres of farmland from a descendant of Henry Bottom. This more than doubled the park's size! Now, visitors can tour the entire battlefield. Many acres of saved land have been added to the state park.
