The Battle of Perryville Re-eanctment

150th Anniversary Photo by Ron Vanover

Kentucky Department of Parks News Release

Sept. 18, 2013 by Gil Lawson, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kurt Holman or Joni House, 859-332-8631

Battle of Perryville State Historic Site Commemorates 1862 Battle

PERRYVILLE, Ky. – Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site will commemorate the anniversary of the largest Civil War battle in Kentucky during the weekend of Oct. 5-6.

The weekend will include military demonstrations at 2 p.m. both days. The weekend also includes numerous speakers, living history interpreters, interaction with the soldiers in camp life demonstrations, antique and period vendors, and food vendors. There will be a special program on the “Life of the Soldier,” focusing on camp life.

The park’s museum will also have artifacts on display, as well as an exhibit called the “Hard Hand of War,” which will feature the artifacts of Dr. Robert McMeens, the regimental surgeon of the 3^rd Ohio Infantry. He literally worked himself to death and died Oct. 28, 1862, in Perryville. The museum will display his personal effects, including his surgical instruments, which have not been in Perryville since 1862.

Admission for this event is $5 per person; children 10 and under are free.

Spirit Hunters of Central Kentucky (as seen on the Travel Channel's “Ghost Adventures”) will conduct a paranormal investigation on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. Call the park at 859-332-8631 for tickets. The cost is $20 per person; not recommended for children under 12.

The Battle of Perryville on Oct., 8, 1862, was the largest and bloodiest engagement of the American Civil War fought within Kentucky’s borders. Thousands of soldiers were engaged in a desperate battle that left nearly 7,500 men killed and wounded.  The significance of the battle was considerable and not only affected the state, but also the nation.  The engagement was a Confederate victory; however, Southern forces were unable to maintain a military presence in the state and eventually withdrew into Tennessee.  The initial battlefield victory ultimately turned into a tactical loss as Union forces occupied the state thereafter.

Perryville Battlefield is 45 miles southwest of Lexington. Take U.S. 68 West to U.S. 150 West. For more information about Perryville and the events on Oct. 5-6, visit THIS LINK.. For more information about Kentucky State Parks, visit HERE.