Most Endangered Battlefields 2008
Perryville, Ky.
October 8, 1862
In the summer of 1862 Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg launched an invasion of the key border state of Kentucky, hoping to divert Union attention from the southern strongholds at Vicksburg and Chattanooga, as well as encourage Bluegrass State volunteers to join the Rebel army. Though unsuccessful in the last regard, the Kentucky Campaign did draw Union forces out of northern Alabama and middle Tennessee, ground it would take them almost a year to regain.
The largest engagement fought in Kentucky, the Battle of Perryville was a Confederate tactical victory, though the heavy fighting and bloodshed forced Bragg to retreat into Tennessee. During the battle, the Confederates held an early advantage that they were able to exploit due to lack of communication among various elements of the Union force. Eventually reinforced on the left of their line, the federal troops held their ground and pushed some of their attackers back into the town of Perryville itself. Confronted by a larger force and running low on supplies, Bragg withdrew toward the Cumberland Gap. His army would never return to Kentucky.
Threat
Perryville is one of the most pristine Civil War battlefields in the country. Although more than 650 acres of the Perryville battlefield have already been preserved (including 385 by CWPT), the site remains vulnerable to development. In the Comprehensive Plan adopted in late 2007, Boyle County stresses the importance of historic preservation at the battlefield and elsewhere, but also recognizes that agricultural land is being lost to residential development along the U.S. 150 corridor between Perryville and Danville — the area of the county containing the battlefield.
One current rezoning proposal targets the northwestern portion of the battlefield, along U.S. 150. Though willing to make some concessions for the region’s historic significance, including interpreting an antebellum road trace, the developer is asking for the last agriculturally zoned land within Perryville city limits to be rezoned for highway commercial and high-density residential uses. Persistent cell tower proposals also threaten to mar the battlefield’s viewshed.
CWSAC classified Perryville as a Priority I, Class A battlefield — its highest designation.
Resources for Perryville
- Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site
- Perryville Battlefield Presveration Association
- CWSAC Battle Summary of Perryville
- View CWPT's photos of Perryville
MOST ENDANGERED BATTLEFIELDS:
Perryville, Kentucky
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Download the CWPT Most Endangered 2008 Report
(PDF)
View Photos of Endangered Battlefields
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