Overview
The Battle of Perryville was fought in Boyle County, Kentucky, on October 8, 1862, during the Confederate Heartland Campaign. General Braxton Bragg had invaded Kentucky because he believed many residents supported the Confederacy. He planned to combine his army with General Edmund Kirby Smith’s forces and defeat the Union Army of the Ohio, which was led by General Don Carlos Buell.
After early Confederate victories at Richmond and Munfordville, Buell gathered reinforcements at Louisville and marched southeast with as many as 60,000 men. Severe drought and high temperatures left his soldiers searching for water as they approached Perryville. On October 7, Union troops fought Confederate cavalry near pools in Doctor’s Creek.
Early on October 8, General Philip Sheridan’s soldiers captured Peters Hill and secured nearby water. Bragg arrived later that morning and ordered an attack after incorrectly believing that the Confederates outnumbered the Union force. Confederate troops pushed back parts of General Alexander McCook’s line, but Union reinforcements stopped the final assault.
By nightfall, most of Buell’s army had reached Perryville and threatened the Confederate left flank. Bragg realized that Union forces outnumbered his army by nearly three-to-one. With ammunition and supplies running low, he withdrew. The Union victory forced Confederate troops from Kentucky.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Battle of Chaplin Hills.
- Date: October 8, 1862.
- Location: Boyle County, Kentucky, west of Perryville.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: Don Carlos Buell.
- CSA Commanders: Braxton Bragg.
- Who Won: The United States won the Battle of Perryville.
- Campaign: Confederate Heartland Campaign (Bragg’s Invasion of Kentucky).
- Era: Civil War, July–December, 1862.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 4,211 killed, wounded, missing, or captured.
- Forces Engaged: Army of the Ohio.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 55,000 soldiers.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 3,196 killed, wounded, missing, or captured.
- Forces Engaged: Army of Mississippi.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 22,000 soldiers.
Significance
The Battle of Perryville is important to American History because it ended the Confederate invasion of Kentucky. Confederate forces gained ground and caused more than 4,000 Union casualties, but they could not defeat General Don Carlos Buell’s larger army. Union reinforcements stopped the final Confederate assault and threatened the Confederate left flank by nightfall. General Braxton Bragg withdrew after realizing that Union forces outnumbered his army and that his troops were running low on ammunition and supplies. The strategic Union victory forced Confederate forces out of Kentucky and ended Bragg’s attempt to shift the war’s momentum in the Western Theater.
History
By the middle of 1862, Confederate fortunes were declining in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Union forces controlled western Tennessee, the upper reaches of the Mississippi River, and the southern port city of New Orleans. Federal forces had driven the Confederate Army of the Mississippi from the important railroad hub at Corinth, Mississippi to Tupelo, and Union General Ulysses S. Grant was making plans to capture the fortress city of Vicksburg on the Mississippi River.
Bragg Replaces Beauregard
On June 27, 1862, Confederate President Jefferson Davis relieved General P. G. T. Beauregard of command of the Army of the Mississippi and replaced him with General Braxton Bragg. Hoping to end the string of Federal successes in the West, Bragg devised a plan to shift the focus of the war in the Western Theater by invading Kentucky. Bragg believed that most residents in that border state supported the Confederacy and that many of them would join the Southern Army if given the opportunity.
Bragg Invades Kentucky
Leaving 32,000 soldiers in Mississippi to deal with Grant, Bragg moved his remaining 34,000 men to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to launch his invasion of Kentucky. Once in Kentucky, Bragg planned to combine forces with Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby Smith’s 18,000 soldiers, stationed near Knoxville, Tennessee, and move against the Union Army of the Ohio, commanded by Major General Don Carlos Buell.
Confederate Successes
Initially, events went well for the Confederates. Smith left Knoxville on August 14, 1862, and defeated a Union garrison at Richmond, Kentucky, on August 30. Bragg’s army left Chattanooga in late August, and on September 17, they captured an important rail station at Munfordville, Kentucky, along with 4,000 Union soldiers, at the Battle of Munfordville (September 14-17, 1862). On October 4, events were so promising that Bragg took part in the inauguration of Richard Hawes as the provisional Confederate governor of Kentucky.
Buell Becomes the Pursuer
Throughout September, the two-headed Confederate onslaught forced Buell back toward Louisville, Kentucky. There, soldiers from across the Ohio River, in Indiana, reinforced the Army of the Ohio. In early October, with up to 60,000 men under his command, Buell left Louisville and became the pursuer. Buell’s advance surprised the unprepared Confederates. Smith and Bragg had yet to combine their forces, and Bragg’s army was spread between Bardstown and Frankfort. Buell sent a small force toward Frankfort to convince Bragg that the focus of his counterattack was the Kentucky capital. Meanwhile, the bulk of Buell’s army departed southeast from Louisville in three columns in search of Bragg’s army.
October 7, 1862 — Clash at Perryville
Buell’s soldiers suffered during the march from Louisville as Kentucky experienced a brutal drought. The unusually high autumn temperatures took a toll as drinking water became scarce. On October 7, 1862, Buell’s three columns approached the small crossroads town of Perryville, Kentucky. Advance scouts reported that some shallow pools of water remained in the bed of Doctor’s Creek near the town. As the first of Buell’s men began to arrive during the evening, they skirmished with Confederate cavalry guarding the water. Before darkness fell, fighting intensified when Confederate infantry, commanded by Major General Leonidas Polk, reinforced the cavalry.
October 8, 1862 — Reinforcements Arrive
During the night, more soldiers from each side arrived in the area, and their commanders began establishing battle lines. Buell intended to launch a major assault against the Confederates the next day, but the late arrival of his men forced him to postpone the attack until October 9. On the Confederate side, Bragg remained convinced that the bulk of Buell’s army was targeting Frankfort. Believing that Polk’s army outnumbered the Federals near Perryville, Bragg ordered Polk to attack the next day.
October 9, 1862 — Fighting for Water
The battle began around 2:00 a.m. on October 9, when Union soldiers, commanded by Brigadier General Philip Sheridan, advanced to take possession of some pools of water in Doctor’s Creek near Peters Hill. Meeting little resistance, Sheridan’s men captured Peters Hill and drove the Confederate defenders beyond the creek. Buell ordered Sheridan to hold the hill, and little else happened the rest of the morning.
Bragg Assumes Battlefield Command and Orders an Attack
Bragg arrived at Perryville about 10:00 a.m. and was angered to find that Polk had established defensive positions, rather than follow his order to attack. Polk had good reason not to comply; he was sure that he was facing more than a diversionary force. Still clinging to his belief about the size of the enemy force that Polk was facing, Bragg took control, redeployed the soldiers, and ordered an attack, which began with a bombardment at 12:30 p.m.
Federals Halt the Confederate Advance
The first infantry push came from the Confederate right. The Confederates met stiff resistance but drove the Federals back. Buell failed to send reserves to repulse the attack because he was away from the action recuperating from falling from his horse the day before. At 2:45 p.m., the Confederate center advanced but made little headway. The final Confederate assault came from two brigades against Major General Alexander McCook’s center. Buell quickly reinforced McCook’s troops, who turned back the Confederates.
Bragg Withdraws
By dark, the rest of Buell’s army arrived at Perryville and threatened the Confederate left flank. Overnight, Bragg realized that he faced nearly all of Buell’s army. Outnumbered nearly three-to-one, and running low on ammunition and supplies, Bragg retreated.
Outcome
The Battle of Perryville was the largest Civil War engagement fought in Kentucky. Although the Union suffered more casualties (4,211 – killed, wounded, and missing/captured) than the Confederacy (3,196 – killed, wounded, and missing/captured) and gave up ground, the engagement was a strategic victory for the Federals because they drove the Confederates out of Kentucky.
Timeline
- 1862, June 27 — Confederate President Jefferson Davis removed General P. G. T. Beauregard from command of the Army of the Mississippi and replaced him with General Braxton Bragg.
- 1862, July 31 — Edmund Kirby Smith traveled to Chattanooga and met with Bragg to plan a two-part invasion of Kentucky.
- 1862, August 14 — Smith marched north from Knoxville with about 15,000 soldiers.
- 1862, August 16 — Smith passed through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky.
- 1862, August 18 — Smith entered Barbourville and discovered that local residents offered little support or supplies.
- 1862, August 20 — Smith informed Bragg that he had decided to advance toward Lexington for supplies.
- 1862, August 29–30 — Smith led Confederate forces to victory in the Battle of Richmond.
- 1862, late August — Bragg’s army left Chattanooga, Tennessee, and advanced into Kentucky.
- 1862, mid-September — Bragg reached Glasgow, Kentucky, after advancing with little opposition.
- 1862, September 14-17 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Munfordville.
- 1862, October 4 — Bragg attended Richard Hawes’ inauguration as the provisional Confederate Governor of Kentucky.
- 1862, October 7 — Union troops approached Perryville and fought Confederate forces near the water in Doctor’s Creek.
- 1862, October 8
- Philip Sheridan’s Union troops captured Peters Hill and secured pools of water near Doctor’s Creek.
- Bragg reached Perryville, took direct command, and ordered a Confederate attack.
- Confederate troops pushed parts of the Union line backward, but Union reinforcements stopped the final assault.
- Most of Buell’s army reached Perryville and threatened the Confederate left flank.
- Bragg withdrew after realizing that he faced nearly all of Buell’s army.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Perryville (1862) — The Battle of Perryville was fought in Boyle County, Kentucky, on October 8, 1862, during the Confederate Heartland Campaign. General Philip Sheridan’s Union troops secured water near Doctor’s Creek before General Braxton Bragg ordered a Confederate attack. Confederate forces pushed General Alexander McCook’s troops backward, but Union reinforcements stopped the final assault. Bragg withdrew after learning that nearly all of General Don Carlos Buell’s army had reached Perryville, giving the Union a strategic victory.
Alignment
The Battle of Perryville is part of the following AP US History sections:
