A History Lesson

Each year, hundreds of Kentucky's best eleventh grade students spend five weeks of the summer before their senior year at Centre College. I can validate their experience, I was a Governor's Scholar in 1990. I guess that was a year or two ago.

In recent years, these students are presented with a choice of field trips. Many choose the Perryville battlefield as their day out. Saturday, we'll be there interpreting the events surrounding the October battle.

The Situation at Perryville - October 1862
Kentucky was suffering from an extended and extreme drought. The town much like many Kentucky towns sent their sons into both armies. Political tensions were strained. Throughout the summer of that year Confederate forces had been operating in the area. Several CS cavalry regiments were recruited from the surrounding communities.

The citizens were uneasy about the military situation and rumors were wide spread of an impending battle as the Union Army of the Ohio had been dispatched from Louisville to overtake Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Army of the Mississippi.

The first shots of the Battle of Perryville erupted in the early morning hours of October 8 when Federals and Confederates searching for water collided in the predawn darkness. Fighting escalated along the Springfield Pike west of Perryville until the Confederates withdrew back toward town. Buell's army arrived on the field throughout the morning, and took up positions on the heights west, northwest, and southwest of Perryville. Realizing that he was facing a significant Federal force, Confederate General Leonidas Polk (commanding in Bragg's absence) chose not to attack.

Bragg, 10 miles away in Harrodsburg, grew furious when he did not hear firing from Perryville. He rode to the battlefield and set up headquarters at the Crawford House north of town. Over Polk's objections, Bragg sent most of his army across the Chaplin River to attack Buell's left flank, composed of General Alexander McCook's I Corps. The Confederate storm broke at 2 PM, when elements of General Benjamin F. Cheatham's division attacked McCook's left.

Karrick– Park House
In early October, the town of Perryville was buzzing with rumors of an impending fight between Union and Confederate forces that were converging on the town. Harriet Karrick, lived in a large brick home in downtown Perryville and was warned by Confederate officers that she should vacate the town because of the coming fight. Ms. Karrick had several children and fifteen slaves. She vacated her residence and upon returning found her home in ruin. Her furnishings had been smashed to use as firewood, her family’s clothing had been ripped to shreds to provide bandages and her home was occupied by Federal Army surgeons who had converted it into their headquarters.

Dr. Polk’s Office
Dr. J.J. Polk was a staunch unionist. Polk was also a part of the re-patriation society that sent freed slaves back to Africa. His home and office was just down the street from the Karrick’s House. Polk was retired at the time of the battle but was forced out of retirement in order to help treat the thousands of wounded soldiers crowding every standing structure in Perryville.

The students will witness various members of each of these families attempting to deal with the situation just after the battle. Interpreters are encouraged to interact with the students in a first person manner and discuss the desperate situation of depravities that they will encounter over the coming months.