Remembering the Battle of Perryville: 150 Years

image via Cincinnati Enquirer

Since April, 2011, America has been in the midst of commemorating the Sesquincentennial of the Civil War (150 Years). This Friday through Sunday, October 5-7 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky’s largest Civil War battle and one of the bloodiest in the war.

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 to encourage Bluegrass State volunteers to join the Rebel army.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. Confronted by a larger force and running low on supplies, Bragg withdrew toward the Cumberland Gap. His army would never return to Kentucky.

-via www.civilwar.org

The battlefield will be hosting lots of great events this weekend in remembrance of the battle. See the Perryville Battlefield website for a complete listing of events and information.

To read more on the Battle of Perryville and the Civil War in Kentucky, check out these great books: