Perryville Understanding Perryville.

[gunny]

At the Civil War Show in Franklin, back in December, I met a gentleman from Perryville. He seemed interested in what I had written about the battle there. He asked what my intentions were, and I very passionately explained that I wanted to see the battle interpreted differently than current interpretations - giving a multitude of evidence that the current interpretations were wrong. When he even verified the foundation of existing structures at the site of the Hafley cabins, he still didn't understand why it was so important that the story of the battle be told differently.

It's almost as if people are satisfied to go along with the norm. Some had rather just accept what is written because any alteration of interpretations won't change the outcome.

I understand this thought, but remain convinced that without proper interpretation, one can never truly comprehend how the Rebel's battlefield achievements at Perryville led to the success they achieved. I'm certain there are many instances in Civil War history in which certain parts of a battle are misinterpreted that are of insignificance. Maybe this could be determining that a specific company of a specific regiment actually had company A on "this" portion of the line rather than "this" portion of the line. That would seem insignificant - but the direction and manner in which a division attacks a line (and where - if interpreted incorrectly) can lead to a complete misunderstanding as to how and why the enemy force was defeated.

This has been the case at Perryville.

 

[gunny]

Bryanville, KY.,
October 12, 1862.}
MY DEAR PAUL: You will hear from many sources of our fight at Perryville, of the gallant conduct of our troops, and of our victory. We drove the enemy from the field, and occupied his position all night. As he "changed his base" very early in the morning, we withdrew—but we had a victory. Many's [sic] brigade had glorious work, troops never fought more desperately, with greater coolness, or more complete success. Every man in the brigade proved himself a hero. I cannot at present give and accurate list of our killed and wounded. Of the 1st Tennessee regiment, Lt. Col. Patterson was killed. Early in the action, he received a wound in the arm, which he bound up with his pocket handkerchief and continued on his horse, cheering his men, and urging them forward, until struck by a grape shot in the mouth, which killed him instantly. John Carter, son of Daniel Carter Esq., of Nashville, was wounded in the thigh, the bone was broken high up. As far as I have a list I give it:
Co. A—Killed: Lieut. Thos. Lanier; Privates Wm Bryant; John Clark; Jos Spence; Edw Wiggins; Chas Hardee; 12 wounded.
Co. B—Killed: Lieut Davis; Lieut Blakeley; Sergt Fraser; Privates Eugene Wharton; Morgan Smith; Joe McNish; John Goodber; Robt Hamilton; John Wheney; 15 wounded.
Co. C—Capt Whiless reported wounded badly; Killed: Lieut Hawlton; Private Robt Henrey. Wounded—number not ascertained.
Co. D—Killed: Sergt W R Hughes; Private Thos Anthony.
In this company Capt. Atkins and all his officers were wounded, 21 wounded in all.
Co. K—Killed: Lieut Pitts; Sergt J Haney; Privates Richard Brown; Aug Madrey; Jas Tapley; Wounded, number not ascertained.
Co. G—Killed: Vesteli; Jones; Fitzgerald; Reed; Wounded 17.
Co. I—Killed: Sergts J T Jarrat; M C Jamison; Privates Sam Ransom; Geo Clark; W Searcy; L Seward; L H Smith; T Bering; Joe Keats, Wounded 8.
Some of the wounded have died since the battle, but I have not ascertained the names. I am endeavoring to get back to them. Dr. J. R. Buist, Surgeon of the regt. is with them, as also Dr. Rice, Gen'l Cheatham's Medical Director. I shall return with clothing, &c.
In haste, yours truly.
C. T. QUINTARD.

 

[gunny]

"A MORAL HERO.
The Boy Soldier Who Was Not Afraid to Say His Prayers.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

An instance of moral courage that will appeal to many a mother's heart was related to me a few days since by a former staff officer in the Army of the Cumberland. He said: :I was sitting in my tent one evening, when the chief of the headquarters guard came along and remarked: 'If you want to see the bravest boy in the army, come to my tent about 9 o'clock tonight, and I will go with you to see him.' I called at the appointed hour and the captain went with me at once to the quarters of the provost guard, in rear of the line of officers' tents.

He led the way at once to a large hospital tent that was occupied by a portion of the guard and drawing aside the flap of the tent, motioned me to look inside. This is the tablean [sic] that met my eyes: Three or four groups of soldiers seated on the ground; several candles burning in the sockets of bayonets, lighted the bowed heads of the soldiers. All had cards in their hands, but not a hand moved; not a word was spoken; in reverent silence they sat waiting for something. I could not see what caused the novel sight.

Presently, from near the center of the tent, a boy arose from his knees, and with a quiet 'Good-night, boys!' rolled himself in his blanket and went to bed. They play was at once resumed, and the captain led the way back to his tent. After we had lighted our pipes, he told me the following story of the little hero who had conquered a position among the men of his regiment:

"When our regiment was first organized, Charley came to our camp and insisted upon being mustered in, notwithstanding his short stature and rather delicate physique. The men made a good deal of fun of him and his friends tried to dissuade him, but he was evidently so determined that the mustering officer, after thoroughly examining him, decided to accept him, and he was accordingly enrolled into company K—my company.

I had a fair opportunity to watch the little fellow during our brief stay in camp, and found him trying his best to master the manual of arms and the mysteries of the drill, in which his companions were considerably in advance of him.

Suddenly and order came for our regiment to move, and a few days afterwards we were on the march in Buell's army after Bragg, whom we came up with at Perryville.

I have seen a good many hard fights since that day, but never one that seemed to me so terrible as the attack by Cheatham on Jackson's division. Our men had never heard the crack of a hostile gun before, and stood the fire well for a time. Soon, however, the color-bearer was shot down, and another grasping the staff shared his fate. Just then came an order to form on the edge of a field, across which the rebels were advancing in a rapid charge. Charley grasped the staff, and, finding it too heavy for his strength, mounted the fence and held the staff against it. Bullets whistled about his head, shivering splinters from the rails, but he was perfectly unmoved. We held our position as long as we could; then fell back, Charley carrying the flag. All through the day he bore it as proudly as if it had been a new uniform.

The men conceived an admiration for the little fellow and ceased calling him Betsy, treating him with more consideration on account of his known courage.

Then came Stone River. Our regiment was in the thick of the fight in the cedars, when Charley was struck by a piece of shell, that cut away his coat and carved a piece of skin from his right side. He coolly tore his coat in strips, wrapped it tightly about his body, picked up his gun, and kept on firing way as if nothing had happened. I went to him and ordered him tot the rear. "Will I die if I don't go?" said he. "No, I think not form that wound," said I; "but you are pretty badly hurt." "Then I would rather stay with the men." Said the brave boy; and I gave my consent for him to remain.

During all the time he had been with us he had been the butt of ridicule on account of his persistence in saying his prayers before retiring for the night. The men would play all sorts of pranks upon him. His diminutive stature aided them in this. They would catch him by his heels when he kneeled and hold him up head downward, carry him about the tent, and pitch him up in a blanket. As long as they did not hurt him he took it all good naturedly, not even reproaching them for their rudeness. The night after this battle, however, there was a marked change in the conduct of the men. Charley went to the surgeon of our regiment and had his wound sewed up and obtained a coat—of which there were plenty about the hospital whose owners would never need them more—and came back to the regiment, saying he would take his chances with his comrades. He got through the battles of the succeeding days safely, although our company lost one-third of its number in killed and wounded. When we went into camp at Murfreesboro it was agreed in Charley's company that he should be permitted to have his way about his prayers. After Chickamauga our regiment was so reduced in numbers that we were about strong enough for a provost guard, and here we are. You see how Charley has conquered. Not a man in that tent will utter a word when he is at prayers, and a man coming in from another tent knows better than to break the rules. He has only to kneel, which he does promptly at 9 o'clock, and all noise is hushed, as you saw tonight.'

"I came away," said my informant, "with the idea that I was a miserable, cowardly sinner, and in the quality of real courage was not worthy to tie that soldier's shoes."

WASHINGTON, D. C. G. C. K.

 

[rickvox79]

Hoping to pick up a book or two on Perryville in the next few weeks when I get done reading David Powell's Chickamauga Campaign again. I have recently found some relatives, including Colonel James Brown Forman (picture in my avatar), that fought there so I definitely want to learn more about it. This thread has been very helpful. Thanks Gunny.

 

[gunny]

Hoping to pick up a book or two on Perryville in the next few weeks when I get done reading David Powell's Chickamauga Campaign again. I have recently found some relatives, including Colonel James Brown Forman (picture in my avatar), that fought there so I definitely want to learn more about it. This thread has been very helpful. Thanks Gunny.

What unit did he serve in?

 

[rickvox79]

What unit did he serve in?

By Stone's River he was Colonel of the 15th Kentucky (Union) but during Perryville he was Captain of Company C in the 15th. He was promoted to Colonel not long after Perryville. I found the following online from another Forman family member that seems to have done quite a bit of research on James Forman. It was found online so of course you have to question it, but he seems to have sourced a lot of Kentucky Newspapers like the Louisville Democrat and Louisville Journal. Sadly James Forman was killed at Stone's River during the first wave of Confederate attacks.

When Kentucky entered the war on the side of the Union, James B. Forman immediately enlisted in the regiment being formed by Col. Curan Pope. James set out with his friend William McDowell to recruit the company. William McDowell was elected Captain and James B. Forman Second Lieutenant. He was quickly promoted to First Lieutenant.


The young Lt. was admired, and loved by his men, and respected by his superiors. His military knowledge and keen leadership abilities made him seem older than his 19 years. He was promoted to Captain when Captain McClure was killed, and took command of Company C and the Regimental Color Guard.


The 15th Kentucky Regiment went into battle at Perryville with 500 men and were up against two and a half regiments of Braxton Bragg's Rebels. The 15th suffered extremely high casualties, with 63 men killed, 11 of them, officers, and 136 wounded, which is a 40% casualty rate.


The 15th was being routed when the ninth color bearer was killed. The staff of the colors had been shot in two and the flag riddled with bullet holes. Captain Forman picked up the tattered colors. With the staff shot in two he had to climb the rail fence so he could hold the colors up for the men to see. He then began to shout for the men to rally and stop their retreat. He hollered encouragement for them to continue the fight. The youthful Captain totally disregarded his own safety and maintained his confidence and espoused of courage urging the men to hold their ground.

According to eyewitness accounts, approximately 15 rebs came out of the woods to capture the flag. They were out of ammunition as was Captain Forman. Hand to hand fighting began to commence as the youthful Captain was losing his grip to overwhelming numbers, the men of the 15th rallied to their Captain and to their flag. The day was saved, the retreat was halted and the 15th held their ground. Company C had suffered the heaviest casualties of the battle, having 12 killed and 11 wounded.

I know you have done a ton of research on the battle so let me know if any of that sounds incorrect. I'd be curious to know if you know more about the 15th Kentucky during the battle. Also this comes from the Louisville Journal:

Louisville Journal 11/26/1862:


THE FLAG PRESENTATION TO THE FIFTEENTH KENTUCKY INFANTRY


The elegant flag prepared by the loyal ladies of the city for the Fifteenth Kentucky infantry was presented to the regiment last evening through Colonel Forman. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, the attractions elsewhere, and the short notice given, a large and very respectable party of loyal ladies and gentlemen assembled in the Circuit Court room at the Court House at eight o'clock to witness the interesting exercises. The flag, which was of the finest silken fabric, embroidered with gold and appropriately inscribed, was presented by Edwin S. Craig, Esq., who alluded in eloquent terms to the eminent services that had been rendered by the regiment to the cause of the Union. The beautiful emblem was received by Col. Forman, the youthful guardian of the 'orphan regiment,' who replied in modest terms to the flattering eulogy passed upon the corps which he represented. Col. Forman will leave the city this morning to rejoin his regiment, and will bear with him to his gallant comrades this beautiful offering of the loyal ladies of Louisville.

 

[gunny]

By Stone's River he was Colonel of the 15th Kentucky (Union) but during Perryville he was Captain of Company C in the 15th. He was promoted to Colonel not long after Perryville. I found the following online from another Forman family member that seems to have done quite a bit of research on James Forman. It was found online so of course you have to question it, but he seems to have sourced a lot of Kentucky Newspapers like the Louisville Democrat and Louisville Journal. Sadly James Forman was killed at Stone's River during the first wave of Confederate attacks.

When Kentucky entered the war on the side of the Union, James B. Forman immediately enlisted in the regiment being formed by Col. Curan Pope. James set out with his friend William McDowell to recruit the company. William McDowell was elected Captain and James B. Forman Second Lieutenant. He was quickly promoted to First Lieutenant.


The young Lt. was admired, and loved by his men, and respected by his superiors. His military knowledge and keen leadership abilities made him seem older than his 19 years. He was promoted to Captain when Captain McClure was killed, and took command of Company C and the Regimental Color Guard.


The 15th Kentucky Regiment went into battle at Perryville with 500 men and were up against two and a half regiments of Braxton Bragg's Rebels. The 15th suffered extremely high casualties, with 63 men killed, 11 of them, officers, and 136 wounded, which is a 40% casualty rate.


The 15th was being routed when the ninth color bearer was killed. The staff of the colors had been shot in two and the flag riddled with bullet holes. Captain Forman picked up the tattered colors. With the staff shot in two he had to climb the rail fence so he could hold the colors up for the men to see. He then began to shout for the men to rally and stop their retreat. He hollered encouragement for them to continue the fight. The youthful Captain totally disregarded his own safety and maintained his confidence and espoused of courage urging the men to hold their ground.

According to eyewitness accounts, approximately 15 rebs came out of the woods to capture the flag. They were out of ammunition as was Captain Forman. Hand to hand fighting began to commence as the youthful Captain was losing his grip to overwhelming numbers, the men of the 15th rallied to their Captain and to their flag. The day was saved, the retreat was halted and the 15th held their ground. Company C had suffered the heaviest casualties of the battle, having 12 killed and 11 wounded.

I know you have done a ton of research on the battle so let me know if any of that sounds incorrect. I'd be curious to know if you know more about the 15th Kentucky during the battle. Also this comes from the Louisville Journal:

Louisville Journal 11/26/1862:


THE FLAG PRESENTATION TO THE FIFTEENTH KENTUCKY INFANTRY


The elegant flag prepared by the loyal ladies of the city for the Fifteenth Kentucky infantry was presented to the regiment last evening through Colonel Forman. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, the attractions elsewhere, and the short notice given, a large and very respectable party of loyal ladies and gentlemen assembled in the Circuit Court room at the Court House at eight o'clock to witness the interesting exercises. The flag, which was of the finest silken fabric, embroidered with gold and appropriately inscribed, was presented by Edwin S. Craig, Esq., who alluded in eloquent terms to the eminent services that had been rendered by the regiment to the cause of the Union. The beautiful emblem was received by Col. Forman, the youthful guardian of the 'orphan regiment,' who replied in modest terms to the flattering eulogy passed upon the corps which he represented. Col. Forman will leave the city this morning to rejoin his regiment, and will bear with him to his gallant comrades this beautiful offering of the loyal ladies of Louisville.

Here are a few goodies from my "Correspondence from Perryville" book.

"During this time the Fifteenth Kentucky, (Colonel Curran Pope,) which was in the rear of the Third Ohio, and under shelter of the hill, became intensely anxious to advance, and more than once sent up to ask the Third Ohio to retire, and allow them for a time to face the foe. As soon as the disaster of the burning barn threw the Third into disorder, Col. Pope shouted "forward" to his regiment, and with the utmost alacrity it rushed by the eminence. No matter that muskets, rifles, cannons hurled immediately against it every deadly missile of war; no matter that the roar of musketry and artillery which greeted its appearance sounded not like successive volleys, but like the continued rattle of ten thousand drums. No matter that its ranks were decimated ere it had been there a single minute; it stood like a wall until Lieutenant-Col. Jouett and Major Campbell were both killed, and Col. Pope was wounded and his horse shot from under him. Then it retired, and rallied at the foot of the hill."

Then...

"We kept up a steady fire, until our ammunition running short, we were obliged to fall back. At the same time the 15th Kentucky took our position, holding the enemy in check for some length of time.—It was now about half past four o'clock, and as we had lost over two hundred men, killed and wounded, and the 15th Kentucky the same or more, and the over-whelming numbers of the enemy were flanking us, we fell back slowly and in good order, firing as we went, until we came to a strip of woods, when night shaded us with her dark mantle, which close the bloody strife in the centre, although firing was kept up a short time on the left."

And another really nice one...

"A barn took fire upon the flank of the Third Ohio, Colonel Beatty, Colonel Harris' brigade, and the men, with scorched clothing and blistered faces, were compelled to retire, leaving upon the ground one-third of their number and five color-bearers. D. C. Walker, of company C, a youth of seventeen, bore the colors back. The Fifteenth Kentucky, Colonel Curan Pope, sprang to the vacated place, but quickly retired, leaving all of its field and staff and one-half of its number upon the field. As they did so, Captain James Brown Forman, of company C, only nineteen years of age, ran forward, wrenched the colors of his regiment from the hands of the enemy, and bore them safely back. Three color-bearers had been killed. Captain Forman, with his brother, Lieutenant Ezekiel S. Forman, who had received three balls, the last one in his knee, making his right leg useless, assisting their living, yet disemboweled, cousin, Corporal Ludwill D. Luckett, who had six brothers in General Bragg's army, brought but ten of his company out of that position."

Hope you like!

 

[rickvox79]

Here are a few goodies from my "Correspondence from Perryville" book.

"During this time the Fifteenth Kentucky, (Colonel Curran Pope,) which was in the rear of the Third Ohio, and under shelter of the hill, became intensely anxious to advance, and more than once sent up to ask the Third Ohio to retire, and allow them for a time to face the foe. As soon as the disaster of the burning barn threw the Third into disorder, Col. Pope shouted "forward" to his regiment, and with the utmost alacrity it rushed by the eminence. No matter that muskets, rifles, cannons hurled immediately against it every deadly missile of war; no matter that the roar of musketry and artillery which greeted its appearance sounded not like successive volleys, but like the continued rattle of ten thousand drums. No matter that its ranks were decimated ere it had been there a single minute; it stood like a wall until Lieutenant-Col. Jouett and Major Campbell were both killed, and Col. Pope was wounded and his horse shot from under him. Then it retired, and rallied at the foot of the hill."

Then...

"We kept up a steady fire, until our ammunition running short, we were obliged to fall back. At the same time the 15th Kentucky took our position, holding the enemy in check for some length of time.—It was now about half past four o'clock, and as we had lost over two hundred men, killed and wounded, and the 15th Kentucky the same or more, and the over-whelming numbers of the enemy were flanking us, we fell back slowly and in good order, firing as we went, until we came to a strip of woods, when night shaded us with her dark mantle, which close the bloody strife in the centre, although firing was kept up a short time on the left."

And another really nice one...

"A barn took fire upon the flank of the Third Ohio, Colonel Beatty, Colonel Harris' brigade, and the men, with scorched clothing and blistered faces, were compelled to retire, leaving upon the ground one-third of their number and five color-bearers. D. C. Walker, of company C, a youth of seventeen, bore the colors back. The Fifteenth Kentucky, Colonel Curan Pope, sprang to the vacated place, but quickly retired, leaving all of its field and staff and one-half of its number upon the field. As they did so, Captain James Brown Forman, of company C, only nineteen years of age, ran forward, wrenched the colors of his regiment from the hands of the enemy, and bore them safely back. Three color-bearers had been killed. Captain Forman, with his brother, Lieutenant Ezekiel S. Forman, who had received three balls, the last one in his knee, making his right leg useless, assisting their living, yet disemboweled, cousin, Corporal Ludwill D. Luckett, who had six brothers in General Bragg's army, brought but ten of his company out of that position."

Hope you like!

Wow thanks. I knew about him serving with his brother Ezekiel Forman but didn't know the extend of his wounds. I didn't know about Ludwill Luckett. If he is cousins to him then that means I am probably related to him as well. I'll have to look into that. So Luckett had six brothers in the Army of Tennessee? Also very interesting. I appreciate the info! Here is what Larry Daniel wrote in his book about Stone's River regarding the death of Col. Forman:


The action now turned to Beatty's far right, held by the 15th Kentucky, commanded by the "boy colonel," twenty-one-year-old Colonel James Forman. Just before going into the Slaughter Pen, Forman had been joined by several of Rousseau aides, Lieutenant Will McDowell among them. "Will, you have always wanted this horse; now it is my desire that after this battle you should have him. I will be killed in the fight, and I can call on you gentlemen to see that he gets it," Forman said. Attempting to joke off the gesture, McDowell quipped: "Jimmy, if you are going to be killed let me have him right now and [you] take my horse." Forman answered solemnly: "I am in earnest. I know what I am talking about and I want you to remember I will be killed, you will be wounded, and the horse will also be wounded, and I want Major Allen to see that the horse is cared for and given to you." Beatty's men, still not realizing their isolated position, braced for a second assault.18

Daniel, Larry J. (2012-11-05). Battle of Stones River: The Forgotten Conflict between the Confederate Army of Tennessee and the Union Army of the Cumberland (pp. 137-138). Louisiana State University Press. Kindle Edition.

and then lastly:

This put the Georgians on a direct collision course with Jimmy Forman's 15th Kentucky. "Orderly," the soldier/correspondent of the 3rd Georgia Battalion, reported to his readers: "Concealed by a slight valley and timber from view we moved ten steps further and drew their fire. We gave them one volley and then 'charged.' They could not stand, but like the Ohio troops, broke and fled before us like frightened antelopes." The Kentuckians left eighty dead and wounded behind, the slain colonel Forman among them.20

Daniel, Larry J. (2012-11-05). Battle of Stones River: The Forgotten Conflict between the Confederate Army of Tennessee and the Union Army of the Cumberland (p. 138). Louisiana State University Press. Kindle Edition.

 

[gunny]

@rickvox79

GALLANTRY OF CAPTAIN FOREMAN.
Captain J. P. Foreman, of the Fifteenth Kentucky, reports that he has seven men left in his company. Captain Foreman is reported by all his companions in arms to have behaved most gallantly, and it was by his hand that Colonel Lewis, of the rebel army, was killed, and, when his color sergeant was killed, seized the colors and bore them off the field. The shells of the enemy falling in front of the Fifteenth Kentucky, set fire to a barn, and the heat of the fire compelled the regiment to fall back.

 

[gunny]

"Paid in Her Own Coin.
Serg't John W. Stevens, Co. B, 87th Ind., Oak Park, Ill., says that soon after the battle of Perryville, Ky., water fit to drink was awfully hard to get, and as he was going to camp one evening he spied a house about half a mile away. He gave his gun to a bunkmate, took three canteens and hiked out for the house. When he got there he found a well, with rope and buckets intact, on the old windlass. Just as he commenced lowering it a comrade came up with canteens. Just then the lady of the house came out and stood close to the well. She kept one hand hid under her apron, and when the bucket reached the top of the curb she reached over and cut the rope and down to the bottom went the bucket. When she got back in the house she laughed and said: "Now, get water, you _____ Yank." Comrade Stevens took his hatchet and chopped the rope on the windlass all in bits, and just then there came around the house a yellow hound with a strap around his neck. He grabbed him by the strap and sent him down to the bottom of the well. If the other comrade sees this, please write to Comrade Stevens."

 

[gunny]

Yes, The Kolakowski book is general enough to not have major problems with, but Noe's book falls into the modern scholarship category that I adamantly believe has misinterpreted the battle. That doesn't make his book bad - just makes it inaccurate.

Correction on my comment here. I had only glanced at the Kolakowski book before. It does - like most of the books on Perryville - have a great introduction to the campaign and events leading up to the fight, but the description of the fight follows the same formula as all the other books. It too incorrectly relates the fight on the Union left against Cheatham's division.

 

[gunny]

The 10th Ohio was primarily Irish.

"After the battle of Perryville, when a squad of soldiers were caring for the dead and wounded, they came upon the body of a man, apparently a rebel, about which there was not the least sign of recognition. "So you know him?" asked half a dozen voices, as a member of the Ohio Tenth arose from searching the body. "Know him?" replied the Emeralder, "I tell yes, boys, he's a gintleman [sic] at all events, fur [sic] there's a bottle in his pocket."

 

[gunny]

"From the 50th Ohio Reg't—Battle of Chaplin Hill.

PERRYVILLE, KY., Oct. 21, 1862.

…

"Among those engaged in the left wing of McCook's army corps, was the company commanded by Capt. Guthrie of Leesburg, and composed of men from Highland and Brown counties; and surely their friends at home may be proud of their representatives on that bloody field.

No point was more exposed than the one they occupied, and from none was the enemy more decidedly repulsed, with such slaughter that they abandoned all hopes of breaking the invulnerable left, and made an attack on the right and center. Capt. Guthrie and Lieut's. Brown and Manker were at the head of their command during the entire conflict, and distinguished themselves, as did nearly all their men, in the most gallant manner. Orderly Johnson was remarkably cool, and it was upon him the whole company formed. Sergeant S. C. Masters seemed bullet proof—had two to pass through his hat and one to lodge in it. He gave the rebels twenty for the one he caught. Clay Pettijohn , Dr. J. G. Case, and Nathan Dunn were as deliberate in taking aim at the Butternuts as if they had been shooting squirrels. The latter, as Lieut. Manker would urge his men on, would say, "that is right, brother Manker," and when the order was to "charge bayonets" and Lieut. Manker sprang in advance of his men, saying, "Boys, who will follow me?" he exclaimed, "that's right, brother Manker, we will follow you to death."

The wounded of this company were Cyrus Pettijohn and Jacob Surber, both slight.

The killed were James Colter, of Highland, and Eli Haines, of Brown co., both excellent young men, who fought bravely and fell "with their face to the foe." They were decently buried by the hands of their beloved comrades in arms, who could but shed tears over their graves. God soothe the hearts of the bereaved ones!

G. P. RILEY.

Chaplain 50th Reg't. O. V. I."

 

[gunny]

"From the Perryville Hospitals.

Perryville, Boyle Co., Ky., Oct. 30, 1862.

To see the wounded—to visit their bedsides in the hospital—to see them suffering with amputated limbs and disfiguring wounds, to smell, as I do, with every breath of air from the field of carnage, the smell of decaying human bodies and of horses beat to death in the fierce encounter of men of the same land—to see the long line of graves where the dead are buried, and to meet at every step some broken-hearted parent, brother or friend, seeking the remains of one dear to them in life, is a sad commentary upon glorious war. …

Among the wounded here, no one article is now more needed than pantaloons. Generally those worn on the day of battle are cut to pieces, either by shot or by the surgeons in getting at the wounds, or else are so clotted with blood as to be stiff, with an odor of blood highly offensive. …

The discipline of Bragg, Lee, Jackson and others, is prompt and stern—punishment following a breach of discipline with a certainty. This gives them an advantage in the fight. Another and great advantage is their uniform, a kind of dark color, which can scarce be distinguished from the earth or the leaves of Autumn, and thus on they creep upon our troops without discovery, and when discovered present no particular mark for the rifle. Still another advantage they possess, and it is one that I have never yet seen in print. They use, whenever they can get it, the old musket, loaded with one rifle ball and three or five buck-shot. That is why they generally seek close quarters, and then not unfrequently one shot wounds two or three men. They do not seek, as do our troops, to kill in action, because they know than one wounded man is worth two or three dead, for it requires two or three men to carry one wounded off the field of battle. Thus you see the rebel leaders coolly calculate all the chances and act accordingly."

 

[gunny]

This is a newspaper account of the close call of General Polk at Perryville. The regiment that was obliterated was the 22nd Indiana. Not very christian like, eh? But war is hell.

"GEN. POLK AT THE BATTLE OF PERRYVILLE.

The following incident in regard to Gen. Polk, we derive from a gentleman of the highest character, who was present. Gen. Polk behaved with the greatest coolness and gallantry during the whole day, and greatly endeared himself to the army.

At the battle of Perryville, Ky., 8th Oct., General Polk observed a regiment occupying a sheltered position and pouring a very destructive fire into one of his brigades. Thinking that a "rebel" regiment had by some mistake gotten astray, he looked about him for a staff officer, that he might send with the order to the Col. to cease firing. No officer being at the moment at hand, he himself rode through a terrific fire and demanded of the Col. commanding the regiment—"What in the world do you mean, sir, by firing upon your friends? Do you not see that those are our troops?" The Col. looked at the Gen'l in great astonishment and made some confused reply. The Gen'l then gave the order, "cease firing sir, instantly." When the order was promptly given. "Who are you?" next demanded Gen'l Polk. "I am Col. ___ of the ___ Indiana regiment," was the reply. The Gen'l at once saw his mistake, and that nothing but the most prompt action could secure his escape. Announcing his name, and regiment, the Colonel enquired of Gen'l Polk, his name and rank. "I'll let you know who I am sir!" was the General's answer, and putting spurs to his horse, rode on to the nearest brigade, expecting that a hundred bullets would be put through him. Arriving safely however—for he had completely non-plussed the Abolition Colonel, he directed his troops to fire upon "Colonel ____ of the ____ Indiana regiment"—and a fearful fire it was. The Colonel doubtless found out a moment too late who the gentleman was—his men were piled up on all sides, and the regiment completely routed.

Gen'l Polk, admirable in every position, is especially brilliant on the field, and no leader is more universally popular with the army."

 

[gunny]

This is a draft of the FOREWORD for an upcoming book of mine.

The tentative title is "A Perfect Hailstorm of Shot and Shell: Frank Cheatham's Division and the Battle of Perryville."

The title may very likely change, as I intend to cover all of Jackson's and Rousseau's Federal divisions experiences also. Naturally, that would include the Rebel divisions of Buckner and Anderson. I'm just not much interested in the fight along Springfield Pike. Anyway, let me know what you think.

Having studied Perryville for a quarter of a century, I was never able to come to grips with some of the current interpretations of a significant portion of this strategically significant battle. The Battle of Perryville proved to end the Confederacy's hopes to unify Kentucky with the South and supplement their army's ranks with Kentuckians rushing to their standards. The success of the Rebel army at the battle—that most deem a Confederate tactical victory—was nonetheless offset by the failure of the Confederates to consolidate and unify as one command. This failure was further complicated by the losses suffered on the bloody fields and hills north of Perryville along Chaplin Hills and Doctor's Creek on October 8, 1862. Two separate Rebel commands had marched into Kentucky. One was under the command of Kirby Smith and the other under Braxton Bragg. The story of the movement into Kentucky and subsequent movement out by the Rebel army is not arguable. Historians have well founded conclusions as to the failure and successes of each of the armies—both Federal and Confederate—that confronted each other during the nearly three week long campaign.

My research—that focused more singularly on the northern flank of the battle of Perryville itself—did not reflect interpretations that previous authors and historians had concluded. The primary source material that is picked through to condense the story of a battle is often over-whelming. The information age, with the ability to gain previously unattainable information due to time constraints, travel and expense, has enabled us to gather far more primary source material than has ever been available. This treasure trove continues to grow every day as more documents are scanned and added to massive data bases. It led me to conclude that much of what has been written in the last thirty years regarding the fight on the Confederate right has been misinterpreted through—likely by no fault of their own—historians' incomplete research.

So, you ask, what has changed? We know the end result of the battle, so what could be so significant that it needs to be revisited? Although the out-come of the battle remains the same, if we revisit Cheatham's division and the right flank of the Army of Mississippi, we can better understand how the battle unfolded and how the tactical success achieved by the Rebels came to fruition. It becomes clear how the fight evolved and how explanations of the battle to this point in time have missed the mark. Some of these interpretations have literally altered the course of history for some units and brigades. Who engaged whom—and what units were engaged where—can be more easily explained and understood. This does not alter the course of history, but rather revisits the original history that eventually became altered by more modern scholarship lacking a depth in research that simply hasn't been available until now.

This is not to say that prior research was bad or lacked depth at the time. It is merely the recognition that condensing a fight in which hundreds of regiments participated can get confusing. It can be easy to misinterpret how a battle unfolded or evolved when given the entirety of the event and the huge numbers of sources that have been—and have become—available. That number of sources continues to grow daily. On the other hand, when only a portion of a battle is the focus, the depth of research can be confined to the much smaller number of units and leaders that participated in that part of the fight. Simply put, this allows one to search much deeper within a centralized portion of a battlefield to uncover heretofore misrepresentations and identify previously unknown landmarks. This also enables the historian or author to use hundreds of accounts that focus on this small spectrum of the battlefield to get a much clearer picture of how and where specific actions took place.

Perryville—like all battlefields—was chaotic. The men who wrote of their experiences referenced the scenes and sights directly under their observation. These were always very localized and—if written too long after the fact—lacked in specific detail. One Federal participant made this clear in a letter he wrote only two weeks after the battle.

No one person can describe a battle. One's own view is very limited at best, and few see more than the movements of their own company, or possibly, their regiment. The sum total of every man's experience could only give a complete record. I saw the 105th in position, and there my view was limited to two or three companies on the left. "[1]​

This led me to write, The Battle of Perryville and the Sixteenth Tennessee Infantry Regiment: A Reevaluation in 2011. Independently published, the book saw a very limited audience, but at the same time raised eyebrows regarding the unfolding of the battle on the Confederate right—particularly Cheatham's division as a whole. The strength of the argument in that book hinged on the belief that a pair of cabins had occupied a position on the eastern slope of a hill now referred to as "Open Knob." The guts of the argument were strong, but lacking conclusive evidence of a structure at that specific location, some were still unwilling to accept any interpretation other than one concluded by the current histories on the battle.

With the discovery of the this long lost home-site and the name of the family that occupied it, a new and comprehensive attempt will be made to interpret the battle as the evidence now clearly defines. This adaptation of the evidence will differ dramatically from current interpretations of the battlefield and alter the over-all understanding of the battle and its development. It will become more clear what units attacked where, and why they achieved the success or suffered the losses that the situation dictated.

Previous authors' interpretations will be challenged and their citations will be put to the test. Arguments will be made as to why their interpretations are credible or unreliable. A look at the sources themselves will be made in an attempt to give them validity or discretion when considering uses for reliability. The blind concept of historical "cherry picking" will be addressed and how it is used to support some authors or historians conclusions. Also, how an inability to "think outside of the box" can limit one's ability to comprehend and interpret a battlefield. The battlefield itself will be framed and an attempt to place units at various points of action will allow the confines of the battlefield to be more easily understood.​

[1] "The 105th Regiment." Cleveland Morning Leader (Cleveland, OH) October 27, 1862, p. 2.

 

[redbob]

In a few weeks I will take my Grandson to Perryville to show him where several of his ancestors in the 9th ,27th and 51st Tennessee fought and where one remains at Perryville today. These posts have made it easier for me to understand this battle and hopefully I can share this with him.

 

[gunny]

The - apparently - shoddy work of historians has overlooked two simple reports that support my conclusions of the battle on the Confederate right. Although Kenneth Noe's work lists this source in his bibliography, it does not indicate the exact location of the work in the Western Reserve Historical Society. I researched it myself and found the correct box and folder number. It makes me wonder if he actually ever really saw the original report. If he did, he decided that it didn't coincide with the manner in which HE interpreted the battle, thus he left out the guts of the report that actually support a completely different understanding of the battle. This does, in all respects corroborate my interpretation of the fight. The report - in its entirety - is a great read. This is a excerpt of his report regarding the opening minutes of the attack.

"In the execution of this order proceeding in the direction of the enemy battery, I soon ascertained from the fire of another Battery of the enemy's further on our right that I did not have the proper direction. I accordingly gave orders for a change of direction further to the right, in making this move I sent forward a staff officer to order Col. Savage Comdg. Regt. on the right to halt when in the proper direction, until I could bring up the other two Regt.s in line of battle. This order was not obeyed because as I have since learned one of Genl Cheatham's staff ordered said regt.s to move forward rapidly. The consequence was when this regt. came within range of the enemy's small arms, they recieved the first shock of the enemy's fire. The other two regt.s the 38th and 15th came as rapidly as possible. The enemy was near a small farm house and cornfield form which point they opened fire upon the 16th Tenn. Regt. and upon the other two regt.s as they came into line on the left. The fight here was obstinate and warmly contested, Col. Savage received a flesh wound in his leg and an injury to his back."​

The emboldened script is the Hafley Cabin which I discovered last year about this time. There were two cabins that the regiment fought at that were within forty yards of Parsons' Independent Battery. This further supports my supposition!

 

[Josey_Wales]

Most preserved battlefield I've ever been to and seen, I'm always drawn to this place. Maney's boys whooped them Yankees till they got to last stand hill, the third hill over and just ran out of gas. Definitely a tactical victory for the south in my opinion.

 

[Josey_Wales]

Gunny do you know of any sites or books that have first hand accounts of the battle?