The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-05-02
PERRYVILLE.
Battlefield OF Peryville Where Thousands
He'll.
DanriiIe (ky.) Adrocatc.

The movement to establish ma.
tional military park on the Perryvi,le
battlefield has aroused renewed in
terest in that famous conhict-onc of
the most notable engagements of the
Civil War and the bloodcst battle
ever fought on Kentucky soil.
The many unusual features Of this
battle. the sad memories which
linger in the minds Of thousands Of
those whose loved ones fell there, and
the deeds of valor which there first
found places in history, have kept
alive the interest in the associations
around the old battlefield, and many
persons, old soldiers and their chill
drcn, visit it every year.
Gen. Bragg, with the memories Of
Shiloh fresh in his mind, wrote: "For
the time engaged, it was the severest
and most desperately contested en-
gagement within my knowledge" Gen.
McCook declared it to be "the blood
lest battle Of modern times for the
numbers engaged on our side" For
instance, of less than 13, 900 troops of
the First Corps engaged, 3,299-more
than one-fourth we're killed, wounded
and missing.
The battle, as is generally known,
was between the armies of Buell. and
Bragg, Buell. attempting 70 drive the
Confederates from Kentucky, and
Bragg attempted to dislodge the
enemy from the line OF Tennessee.
The Federal forces were composed
Of the flower Of the volunteer soldiery
Of Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Ken
tucky, with a large body Of regu-
lars, in all between forty-seven
and fifty thousand, although less
than one-half Of the army was en-
gagged.
The Confederates with about thir-
teen thousand men were composed of
the most daring troops in the South
ern service. On or near this field that
day were Buell., Sheridan, McCook,
Rousseau, Wolford, Buckner Tcrrill,
Jackson, Cheatham, Webster, Thom-
as, Leonidas Polk, Crittenden, Fry,
Pope, Hardee, Gilbert and others al
ready or afterward famous.
The battlefield is abont mile and
half west Of the town of Perryville,
and about twelve miles from Danville.
After the battle failed to come off at
Bradstown, Buell., it is said, expected
to encounter the enemy at Danville,
but the two armies were 80 close 20
gether at Perrryville on the evening
Of the 7th that Gen. McCook. at 2
o'clock the following morning, was
ordered to attack as soon as possible.
The movement Of the troops began at
daylight, but the battle did not open
in earnest till the afternoon, and then
until dark the fighting was terrific, with
the fortunes of war swinging like o
pendulum.
But Of the battlefield as it is &c
day.
The field proper has not changed
much, except where here and there a
new line of fence has been run. There
to-day, as in '62, are woods and or
chards and cornfields. The two most
striking relics Of the battle are "old''
Squire Bottom and his house. Squire
Bottoms house was right in the CEN
ter Of the scene Of the heaviest fight
ing. 1t is still standing, and shows
the marks Of shot and she'll in a thous-
and places. Cannon balls perforated
it's roof and the musketry tore great
holes in the building. Squire Bottom
witnessed the heaviest fighting, and
on the morning after the battle helped
togather up and bury the dead. He
says that the estimate of four thous-
and killed on the Federal side is
wrong-the number far too small.
Standing on the front porch Of the
Bottom House, one can take in at a
glance that portion Of the field which
saw some Of the bloodiest work ever
seen on battle field. Looking to-
ward the northeast, there is the top
of the hill from which Confederate
artillery and musketry pouring death
and destruction into the Fifteenth
Kentucky in the valley below, killing
every line officer in the regiment.
Along the fence here at the bottom of
the hill the Federal dead lay five deep.
In the valley to the left Kentuckians
from the Confederate side and Ken
tuckians from the Federal side met in
deadly conflict, hand to hand, families
against families, brothers against
brothers.