- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Location
- Spring Hill, Tennessee
How did historians conclude what homesites existed at the time of the Battle of Perryville?
We can only suspect that they examined maps of the battlefield that had been compiled by the War Department. This would mean that all of the historians' assumptions would be based off the only known maps that were surveyed and compiled by the War Department. The ONLY maps that were created after the battle were compiled by engineer officers in the days and weeks following the battle. Every single map of the battlefield credits these men with the survey and compilation.
Unfortunately, historians overlooked one homesite that is critical in understanding the evolution of the battle at Perryville.
Captain Edward Ruger and his assistant Lieutenant Anton Kilp were directed to draw a map from the survey taken by Ruger of the area encompassing the battlefield. The survey was compiled in 1862. Edward Ruger was a twenty-five year old surveyor living in Rock, Wisconsin in 1860. He joined the 13th Wisconsin Infantry in October 1861 and was elected Captain of Company A. He was assigned to the General's staff shortly thereafter at which time he was appointed an engineer. He was discharged from the service on November 19, 1864. Although his military records don't support it, Ruger may have stayed on government payroll as the superintendent of the topographical engineers for the Army of the Cumberland for as late as October 1867. He had returned to to Rock, Wisconsin before 1870 and went back to civilian surveying. His affiliation with the military and government were terminated at that point.
Lieut. Anthony J. Kilp was a forty-one year old farmer living in Illinois in the 1860 census. He was born in Germany, served in the Bavarian army and immigrated to the United States in 1849. He was a farmer and then an editor for a newspaper before volunteering for service in the U.S. Army in September 1861. He had extensive service as an engineer and topographer. He worked hand in hand with Ruger on many occasions during the course of the war and was not transferred out of the engineers until he was promoted to Captain in 1864. He participated in the Battle of Nashville as commander of Company A, 100th USCT. As the war wound down, he wished to remain in the service of the army. Captain Ruger requested his command to detach him so that he could help in the construction of maps in the months following the war. He drew maps of the battles of Chickamauga, Atlanta and Franklin among others. He remained working for the government into the early 1870's but died in Washington D.C. in 1874.
The following map is the most widely known map of the battlefield. It was published in 1877 by the War Department with a large number of other battlefield maps. This is probably the most well-known map of the Perryville battlefield. This map was created from the same Ruger survey taken in 1862. This map was not included in The Official Atlas of the Civil War. Credit: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
A glance at the maps of Perryville reveal that every know map published by the War Department was compiled and or surveyed by Ruger and Kilp. A large lot of maps that visually descriptive of many battles were released by the War Department in 1877 as a sort of souvenir to be sold for profit. It appears that Ruger actually did the surveys and in the months following the war, Kilp was responsible for adding troop dispositions for a better understanding of the battles. Historians over-looked one important homesite that has helped change recent written history on this battle.
Note the name "Hayflay" above the word Jackson in the above enlargement of the 1877 map. Every name on this map is represented in recent histories except the Hafley family. This is not the only map that shows the Hafley family name however. The following map is from Histoire de la Guerre Civile en Amerique. It was published in the mid 1870's from the original Ruger survey. It does not have troops dispositions on it, but it does have the names of the families that lived on the battlefield at the time.
This close up of a portion of the map also reveals the Hafley cabins location.
The following map is from The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War. It was sold as a supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. It is plate 24, map number 2. This is one of the most well-known maps of the battlefield simply because it is included in the Atlas. The information used in this map regarding terrain and families was compiled by Ruger and Kilp in 1862. This map has many of the names from the original survey, but it does not include Hafley.
The map below is also compiled from the Ruger and Kilp 1862 survey. It was included in the History of the Army of the Cumberland and was published in 1875. This map does not include the Hafley name; but, neither does it include the Russell, Widow Gibson nor H.P. Bottom's names.
This final map was created and published in 1900. It does not include the Hafley site nor the Widow Gibson, Chatham or Widow Bottom sites. Its accuracy is very poor and was created for sales purposes. This map was compiled by J. B. Work of the 52nd Ohio.
It is probably safe to say that the Hafley name was not listed on all maps - just as others weren't - due to the fact that troop dispositions overcrowded the maps. But one thing is certain. All the names on these maps can be traced to the 1860 Boyle County census.
We can only suspect that they examined maps of the battlefield that had been compiled by the War Department. This would mean that all of the historians' assumptions would be based off the only known maps that were surveyed and compiled by the War Department. The ONLY maps that were created after the battle were compiled by engineer officers in the days and weeks following the battle. Every single map of the battlefield credits these men with the survey and compilation.
Unfortunately, historians overlooked one homesite that is critical in understanding the evolution of the battle at Perryville.
Captain Edward Ruger and his assistant Lieutenant Anton Kilp were directed to draw a map from the survey taken by Ruger of the area encompassing the battlefield. The survey was compiled in 1862. Edward Ruger was a twenty-five year old surveyor living in Rock, Wisconsin in 1860. He joined the 13th Wisconsin Infantry in October 1861 and was elected Captain of Company A. He was assigned to the General's staff shortly thereafter at which time he was appointed an engineer. He was discharged from the service on November 19, 1864. Although his military records don't support it, Ruger may have stayed on government payroll as the superintendent of the topographical engineers for the Army of the Cumberland for as late as October 1867. He had returned to to Rock, Wisconsin before 1870 and went back to civilian surveying. His affiliation with the military and government were terminated at that point.
Lieut. Anthony J. Kilp was a forty-one year old farmer living in Illinois in the 1860 census. He was born in Germany, served in the Bavarian army and immigrated to the United States in 1849. He was a farmer and then an editor for a newspaper before volunteering for service in the U.S. Army in September 1861. He had extensive service as an engineer and topographer. He worked hand in hand with Ruger on many occasions during the course of the war and was not transferred out of the engineers until he was promoted to Captain in 1864. He participated in the Battle of Nashville as commander of Company A, 100th USCT. As the war wound down, he wished to remain in the service of the army. Captain Ruger requested his command to detach him so that he could help in the construction of maps in the months following the war. He drew maps of the battles of Chickamauga, Atlanta and Franklin among others. He remained working for the government into the early 1870's but died in Washington D.C. in 1874.
The following map is the most widely known map of the battlefield. It was published in 1877 by the War Department with a large number of other battlefield maps. This is probably the most well-known map of the Perryville battlefield. This map was created from the same Ruger survey taken in 1862. This map was not included in The Official Atlas of the Civil War. Credit: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
A glance at the maps of Perryville reveal that every know map published by the War Department was compiled and or surveyed by Ruger and Kilp. A large lot of maps that visually descriptive of many battles were released by the War Department in 1877 as a sort of souvenir to be sold for profit. It appears that Ruger actually did the surveys and in the months following the war, Kilp was responsible for adding troop dispositions for a better understanding of the battles. Historians over-looked one important homesite that has helped change recent written history on this battle.
Note the name "Hayflay" above the word Jackson in the above enlargement of the 1877 map. Every name on this map is represented in recent histories except the Hafley family. This is not the only map that shows the Hafley family name however. The following map is from Histoire de la Guerre Civile en Amerique. It was published in the mid 1870's from the original Ruger survey. It does not have troops dispositions on it, but it does have the names of the families that lived on the battlefield at the time.
This close up of a portion of the map also reveals the Hafley cabins location.
The following map is from The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War. It was sold as a supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. It is plate 24, map number 2. This is one of the most well-known maps of the battlefield simply because it is included in the Atlas. The information used in this map regarding terrain and families was compiled by Ruger and Kilp in 1862. This map has many of the names from the original survey, but it does not include Hafley.
The map below is also compiled from the Ruger and Kilp 1862 survey. It was included in the History of the Army of the Cumberland and was published in 1875. This map does not include the Hafley name; but, neither does it include the Russell, Widow Gibson nor H.P. Bottom's names.
This final map was created and published in 1900. It does not include the Hafley site nor the Widow Gibson, Chatham or Widow Bottom sites. Its accuracy is very poor and was created for sales purposes. This map was compiled by J. B. Work of the 52nd Ohio.
It is probably safe to say that the Hafley name was not listed on all maps - just as others weren't - due to the fact that troop dispositions overcrowded the maps. But one thing is certain. All the names on these maps can be traced to the 1860 Boyle County census.
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