Battle of Perryville

Battle of Perryville

The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862. It was the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Army of Mississippi initially won a tactical victory against primarily a single corps of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s Union Army of the Ohio. The battle is considered a strategic Union victory, sometimes called the Battle for Kentucky, since Bragg withdrew to Tennessee soon thereafter.

About Battle of Perryville in brief

Summary Battle of PerryvilleThe Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862. It was the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Army of Mississippi initially won a tactical victory against primarily a single corps of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s Union Army of the Ohio. The battle is considered a strategic Union victory, sometimes called the Battle for Kentucky, since Bragg withdrew to Tennessee soon thereafter. The Union retained control of the critical border state of Kentucky for the remainder of the war. In September 1861, Kentucky-born President Abraham Lincoln wrote in a private letter, “I think to lose Kentucky is nearly to lose the whole game.’’ The state legislature declared official neutrality to keep out both the Union and the Confederate armies. The state never seceded from the Union, but Confederate sympathizers who were members of the legislature set up a temporary Confederate capital in Bowling Green in November 1861. In July 1862 Col. John Hunt Morgan carried out a successful cavalry raid in the state, venturing deeply into the rear areas of BUEll’s department. The raid caused considerable constation in Washington, D.C., and many residents were cheered and supported by many volunteers. During the raid, Morgan added 300 Kentucky volunteers to his 900-man force. He eventually decided to relocate his forces to Tupelo, Mississippi, under the command of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. He moved 30,000 infantrymen in a tortuous railroad journey from Tupelo to Chattanooga, Tennessee, under Montgomery Montgomery.

He considered various options, including an attempt to retake Corinth, Mississippi,. or advance against Bragg’s army through Middle Middle Tennessee, but eventually heeded calls for reinforcement and moved his army through Tupelo and Montgomery to Mobile, Alabama. In the end, he decided to move his troops to Mobile and move over over to Middle MiddleTennessee, where he eventually moved over to the Middle Tennessee coast and moved over over the Tennessee River. The Battle of Tupelo was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War; it was the largest battle fought in theState of Kentucky. The Confederate States recognized Kentucky and added a star representing the state to the Confederate flag. In October 1861, Confederate Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk occupied Columbus, considered key to controlling the Lower Mississippi. Two days later Union Brig. Gen. Ulysse S.Grant seized Paducah. In December 1861, Union Brigadier General. Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Department of East Tennessee, believed the campaign would allow them to obtain supplies, enlist recruits, divert Union troops from Tennessee, and claim Kentucky for The Confederacy. In January 1862, Kirby Smith moved his forces into Kentucky to join him with his 300,000-strong force. In March 1862, he moved his force to Louisville, Kentucky. In April 1862, the Union forces moved to Louisville and joined with him with 25,000 men. In May 1862, Union troops moved to Lexington, Kentucky, and in June 1862, they joined him to join with him.