I always enjoy getting mail from the CWPT. They do a great job of keeping us members well informed of preservation opportunities all across the nation. Not only do they provide wonderful explanations of what happened on the historic grounds they trying to save, they also include a detailed map that shows troop movements over that ground as well as areas of that battlefield they have already helped preserve. Their latest effort is to save 327 acres at Perryville, Kentucky. Perryville is significant to me because as an 11 year-old, it was the first battlefield I ever visited. I can remember taking dozens of pictures on that visit and spending most of my time looking at everything twice. At that time I didn't know when I would get the opportunity to come back so I wanted to make the most of it. Fortunately, since then, I have been back to Perryville a number of times. I am always amazed by how natural it feels there. There aren't the huge number of stone monuments like at a Gettysburg or Antietam and I have heard it said many times that if it was possible to bring back the soldiers that fought there, they would not have a difficult time recognizing where they were. In my humble opinion, that is probably the best compliment that a battlefield can be given.
The Battle of Perryville was fought on October 8, 1862 as the Union troops under Don Carlos Buell clashed with Confederates of Braxton Bragg's army along the banks of Doctor's Fork, a tributary of the Chaplin River. While the Confederates maintained determined attacks against the Federal left flank, the Union troops defensively held on until nightfall, when Bragg determined to withdraw.
That day's worth of fighting would prove to be the most significant battle in Kentucky during the Civil War and would produce nearly 7,500 casualties. The cost in life and suffering was high, not only for the soldiers, but also for the Perryville community, which turned into a vast hospital immediately after the battle.
The CWPT is making this preservation effort easy for us. With a match in funds being offered that provides each acre for only $517, this deal is a steal.
To learn more about the Battle of Perryville and contribute to this worthy cause please check out the CWPT's Perryville page at:
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/perryville.html
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