Perryville Understanding Perryville.

I am heading out to the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site in the morning. I just purchased a new lens for my Nikon 3100. I thought this American Civil War battlefield would be a perfect venue to photograph. I shall post some photos tomorrow evening. This will be my third visit.

@gunny

I am currently studying the Civil War Trust map constructed by Steven Stanley. Steven placed the 16th Tennessee on the Confederate left flank (Donelson) and the 123rd Illinois on the Federal left flank (Jackson) Based on your research, the 16th Tennessee should be placed near the Confederate center or right flank (facing the 123rd Illinois). Is this a correct assessment on my part, Marine. I will photograph this area for you and include the photos in my new Battle of Perryville thread.

Bill
 
I just returned to Cincinnati from touring the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. I walked the entire battlefield and photographed the tour stops. This venue is mostly a walking tour with limited driving. I parked my vehicle at the visitor center (closed) and walked all 47 tour stops. I will now call this American Civil War battle, "Chaplin Hills." This terrain in brutal and not for the weak of heart.

* Tour Stop #4 : Turner's Battery

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* Tour Stop #5 : Open Knob

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* Tour Stop #36 : Federal Final Line

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* Tour Stop #44 : The Slaughter Pen

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* The Civil War Trust

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These are similar views of the same terrain at Perryville. Note the proximity of the Confederate Grave Yard, Hafley cabin and where Gen. Jackson fell.

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The map above is a portion of the original map that was published in 1877 by the authority of the Secretary of War from the office of the Chief Engineers of the U.S. Army. For orientation purposes, due north is to the left of the map. The authorities for the map, roads, home-sites and troop dispositions were compiled and located by Engineer officers Ruger and Kilp and the official reports of both armies in 1862.

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This is a copy of the USGS map for Perryville oriented in the same manner as the original Ruger/Kilp map. The left edge of the map is North. The top of the map is east, bottom - west and right edge is south.


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This is a google earth version of the same orientation of the above maps. Note that the likely vicinity of the Hafley cabins is slightly west and about 2oo+ yards north of the Confederate cemetery.
 
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THESE ARE JUST TWENTY OF THE FACTS

1. There are some very important facts that tend to be over-looked by historians of this battle. First and foremost is the fact that the first two forces to become heavily engaged in this fight—in line of battle—were the 123rd Illinois for the Federal forces and the Sixteenth Tennessee for the Rebel forces. Neither of these forces was deployed as skirmishers. Additionally, all the accounts from both of these units reinforce the fact that they were the first units to come into heavy contact with the opposing force’s main line. Thus, if they were the first opposing units to come into heavy contact, they had to have engaged one another. We also know that the Confederate attack was commenced from right to left, and that the Sixteenth was initially the furthest north or right-most Rebel unit. All Federal reports also recognize that the initial heavy action was on the Federal left, and that the 123rd Illinois was the first unit engaged in line of battle on the left.

2. From all accounts in the Sixteenth Tennessee, the regiment seized a battery in the first thirty to forty minutes of action.

3. From all Federal accounts, Parsons’ battery fell in the first thirty to forty minutes of action.

4. No other unit claims the capture of a battery so early in the action other than Maney’s brigade.

5. No Federal battery—other than Parsons’—was lost in action so early in the fight.

6. Maney admits that he came to Donelson’s assistance on his right after being ordered forward by Cheatham.

7. Maney confirmed in a letter to Savage that he did come to his assistance by attacking at his right after Savage’s regiment was engaged for no less than thirty minutes.

8. Joseph Hafley and his family were living on Squire H. P. Bottom’s property at the time of the battle.

9. H. P. Bottom owned the land encompassing the Confederate cemetery and Open Knob.

10. Federal engineer officers Ruger and Kilp surveyed the field following the battle.

11. The information from their survey was compiled and published on a map printed in 1877 by authority of the Secretary of War and the Office of the Chief of Engineers in the U.S. Army.

12. Ruger and Kilp identified a family on the south-east slope of Open Knob that they labeled as “Hayflay.”

13. The 1860 census of Boyle County, Kentucky lists only one Hafley in the county. Joseph Hafley had a Perryville P.O.

14. Joseph Hafley did not live in Perryville in either the 1870 or 1880 censuses.

15. Modern historians credit the Sixteenth Tennessee with the capture of Harris’ battery. Harris’ battery fell to the Rebels at about dusk. This time frame is completely inconsistent with all accounts of the men in the ranks of the Sixteenth Tennessee.

16. The 123d Illinois was engaged before Starkweather’s right was engaged, but Starkweather states that his right two regiments were struck by Donelson’s brigade. If Maney came into action after Donelson was engaged—as he states—the Sixteenth Tennessee would have to be the unit engaging the 123d Illinois and Parsons’ guns.

17. Before commencing his attack—from a personal reconnaissance, Maney observed Parsons’ battery engaged at “close range” with Donelson’s right-most unit.

18. The Sixteenth Tennessee was the right-most unit in Donelson’s brigade.

19. Marcus Toney—a member of the First Tennessee—described in detail—in two separate accounts—the Sixteenth Tennessee engaged with Parsons’ battery directly in his front.

20. At least two members of Stewart’s brigade relate either Donelson’s brigade or the Sixteenth Tennessee attacking a battery on a hill. This is before they went into action observing from their assault position.
 
ANOTHER MAP!

That's right, yet another map has been located today with information from the 1862 survey by Ruger and Kilp. This map appears in a French Atlas about the American Civil War and was first published in 1874.

Note the names on the map and the lack of "Sleet Town" residences. This is more proof that the map was compiled from 1862 data.

Note the name Hayflay or "Hafley" centered near the top of the map and two squares that represented the two cabins at their tenant farm owned by H. P. Bottom who is incorrectly labeled as C. H. Bottom near the bottom center of the map!

Since I haven't seen the text that accompanies it, I believe the star that is to the left and slightly above the name Hayflay to represent the location on Open Knob where Jackson was killed.

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A few months ago I ordered some photos from the MOLLUS collection. In this collection are a series of photos that were taken by E. H. Fox in 1885. This photo is titled, "Pine Tree 100 years old At left of Rousseau's position." This is complete supposition on my part, as I have yet to go to the ground and survey this photo with the surrounding terrain, but I think this could very possibly be a photograph of the Hafley Cabin.

I have visited the field many times, but not with this photo to try to line up terrain features. It appears that there are two structures in the photograph. The cabin itself and in the background to the left of the cabin appears to be a stable of some sort just to the left of the tree trunk. A wooden rail fence runs along the right of the photo into the distance. The ground slopes up dramatically to the left background in the photo. This could be Open Knob. There may be a road that runs along the extreme left of the photo that could be Benton Road. Of course, until I go and survey, and photograph the ground myself, this is all supposition. But, interesting that the extreme left of the line was in fact at Open Knob, and there WAS a cabin located there - as documented in the earlier posts that belonged to Joseph Hafley. There is no other cabin structure that is identified on Rousseau's left.

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This video shows the erroneous interpretation of the direction that Donelson's brigade attacked, and may likely be the axis of advance taken by Jones' brigade that tied into Cheatham's (Donelson's) left flank. @Ferris41st you may have a new part of the field to study. The more I delve into the left of Cheatham's men, the more clear it becomes that Jones, Wood and Brown attacked up this valley.

 
Just started reading Kenneth Noe's book on Perryville a week ago. Really enjoying it so far and hope to make a trip out there one of these days.

This battlefield is just over two hours away from my house in Cincinnati. Yell if you want any company to tour this ACW battlefield.

Bill
 
This was published in another paper on October 31, 1862.

“The Great Battle of Perryville.
A Correspondent of the Mobile Register and Advertiser gives the following interesting particulars of the great fight at Perryville:

The force opposed to us at Perryville consisted of the right wing of the “army of the Ohio, composed of Buell’s veteran army, with Maj. Gen. Geo. W. Thomas as Commander in Chief of the field, (Buell being in command of the Department of the Ohio at Louisville) and Gen. Alex McCook commanding the first corps. We fought three divisions of 15,000 men against nine divisions of the abolition army, composed of at least 5,000 each making 45,000 men. Gens. Rousseau, J. S. Jackson and Sill were among the division commanders. Our forces consisted of Brig. Gen Patton’s and Anderson’s divisions, composed of Col. Powell’s brigade, of the 24th Mississippi, 1st Arkansas, 45th Alabama, 29th Tennessee and Barret’s battery; Gen. Adams’ brigade, of the 13th, 16th, 20th, 25th Louisiana, and Slocumb’s battery of Washington Artillery, who took position on our left; Col. Jones’ brigade, of the 27th, 30th, 37th Mississippi, and Lumsden’s battery; and Gen. Brown’s brigade, of the 1st and 3d Florida, 41st Mississippi, and Palmer’s battery, formed our center. Gen. Buckner’s division, which was posted on our extreme right, with Anderson’s divisions, formed the “left wing of the army of the Mississippi,” under Maj. Gen. Hardee. Cheatham’s and Withers’ divisions formed the “right wing of the army of the Mississippi,” under Maj. Gen. Polk. Withers’ division was absent, being with Maj. Gen. Kirby Smith—thus we had but three divisions in the field. Before the battle commenced, Gen. Cheatham, who had been in position on our extreme left, was ordered to our rear, between Perryville and Harrodsburg, Gen. Bragg having anticipated that the greatest force of the enemy was pressing on our right to cut us off from connection with Harrodsburg. The reverse, unfortunately, proved the case, as the greatest force of the enemy was on our left. As I have stated, the lion-hearted Liddell opened the fight on our right, the supposition being that we were fighting the right wing only of Buell’s army. Gens. Jones and Brown, on the centre, acted with Gen. Liddell, and Gen. Brown being wounded early in the action, the command of his brigade, devolved on Col. W. Miller, of the 1st Florida Regiment, who fought most gallantly, being the last to leave the ground on the next morning towards 2 o’clock.

The engagement on our left did not commence until about noon, and then it was only skirmishing for a considerable time. Col. Powell’s brigade holding the extreme left of our lines, and gallantly driving the enemy back for about a mile, against superior forces. It was about this time, towards 4 P.M., when Gen. Smith’s brigade, belonging to Cheatham’s division, was ordered back to our assistance, that Gen. Adams, with his brave Louisianians, was holding the enemy in check against fearful odds, when he was forced to fall back from his position. Gen. Hardee, seeing the importance of holding the point, ordered Gen. Adams to retake it, telling him he would be supported by reinforcements. It was while advancing again, and anxiously looking for the reinforcements that General Adams, seeing that the gallant young Major Austin, (commanding a battalion of sharpshooters) was picking off, behind a stone fence, what Adams supposed to be our own men, ordered him to cease firing. “I tell you, sir, they are Yankees,” cried the excited Austin. “I think they are not, and you had better go forward first and ascertain,” replied Adams. “I go, sir, but I don’t think it necessary, for I know they are Yankees,” insisted Austin. “Well,” said Adams, “I’ll go myself,” and dashing forward on his charger, he had not proceeded one hundred yards when a furious storm of Minie balls whizzed by his ears from the enemy, who were shooting from a rest at him from behind a stone wall! The General turned immediately, and riding up, cried out, “You’re right, Major—they are Yankees, and you may give them goss.” Austin then poured in a deadly fire, the Washington artillery, Slocumb’s battery also, doing terrible execution, driving the enemy back with fearful slaughter. Towards six o’clock as I have said the firing became incessant on both sides. There stood Adams, with his little brigade, holding back a division of the enemy, as it were alone to his fate, until, seeing no chance of being reinforced, he gradually fell back, in most excellent order, but not without considerable loss.

It was at this time the cheering was head on the part of the enemy, in the centre, and which was returned by our troops, which led us to believe that the enemy was being routed, when they opened up a battery and shelled us from the Schoolhouse ridge. Soon after this, night came on and closed the scene of strife, our troops sleeping on and remaining victors of the battlefield, besides capturing over 500 prisoners.

Our loss is estimated at between two and three thousand killed and wounded. The enemy’s loss, at a low estimate, is between five and six thousand. Among the killed is Major General J. S. Jackson; Brigadier Generals Ratcliff and Terrill wounded. We took eleven pieces of the enemy’s cannon, destroyed four, and brought seven off the field. It was another battle of Shiloh, without any decisive results. Had we have had five thousand more men, or had Withers been with us, we would have completely routed and annihilated the enemy, leaving us the way clear to Louisville. No troops in the world ever fought with such desperate courage as ours. Whole regiments of our men went into that fight barefooted, fought barefooted, and had marched barefooted from Chattanooga! The First Tennessee, Col. Field, formerly Gen. Harney’s old regiment, went into the fight with 380 men, and lost all but 90! Lieut. Col. Patterson was killed, and eight captains out of ten.

… On Friday, the 10th, it commenced raining, and has continued nearly ever since, making it almost impossible for officers to write out their reports of the battle, or to get the casualties. All of Hardee’s division has come up here, and I suppose our whole army will concentrate at this point."
 
Excellent videos, Gunny. Really helps put what you were talking about into perspective. I can see how the 16th Tennessee really was in a tight spot there for a while!
 
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