Battle of Perryville, 1862: Culmination of the Failed Kentucky Campaign - Hardcover

Broadwater, Robert P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 078642303X ISBN 13: 9780786423033

Publisher: McFarland Publishing, 2005

Synopsis

In 1862, the Confederacy launched a campaign to sway the indecisive border state of Kentucky. Full of blunders and missed opportunities, this operation served only to convince the Kentuckians of what they suspected all along: The Confederacy, for all its braggadocio, was incapable of holding the state against determined Union forces. Among the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, Perryville was also one of the most decisive regarding Southern hopes to take the war into Union territory. Compiled from firsthand sources such as letters, diaries and regimental histories, this book tells the story of the South’s ill-fated attempt to bring Kentucky into the Confederacy. From planning to completion, it details the military movements of both Union and Confederate forces, including the battles of Richmond and Mumfordsville. The main focus of the work, however, is the biggest battle of the campaign—Perryville. Here, inexperience on both sides and the lack of cohesive Confederate action turned what could easily have been a Southern victory into a disheartening retreat, forever relegating General Braxton Bragg, who had the makings of a Confederate hero, to the annals of military mediocrity. Appendices include detailed lists of Confederate and Union commands, strategic placement of the inexperienced regiments and Perryville casualties. Contemporary photographs and an index are also included.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

In 1862, the South launched a campaign to bring the indecisive border state of Kentucky into the Confederacy. Full of blunders and missed opportunities, the campaign convinced the Kentuckians that the Confederacy was incapable of holding the state against determined Union forces. Among the disasters was the bloody battle of Perryville. Drawing on research in letters, diaries and regimental histories, this book tells the story of the South's ill-fated effort. The main focus is Perryville, where inexperience on both sides and the lack of cohesive Confederate action turned what could easily have been a Southern victory into1a disheartening retreat, forever relegating General Braxton Bragg to the annals of military mediocrity. Appendices include lists of Confederate and Union commands, strategic placements of the inexperienced regiments, and casualties. Photographs and an index are included.

About the Author:

Robert P. Broadwater has written seventeeen books and more than 100 magazine articles dealing with the Civil War and the Revolution. He is the author of The Battle of Olustee, 1864 (2006) and Chickamauga, Andersonville, Fort Sumter and Guard Duty at Home (2006). He lives in Bellwood, Pennsylvania.

About this edition

• Publisher: McFarland Publishing
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 078642303X
• ISBN 13: 9780786423033
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 207