Download The Battle of Perryville and Stones River

Oct. 8th 1862
Kentucky
Western Theater
Dec. 31st 1862 – Jan. 2nd 1863
Tennessee
Western Theater
The Battle of Perryville
 Kentucky had proclaimed neutrality to both the Union and the Confederates, but it
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being such a central location that had control of key rivers, both sides coveted it.
President Lincoln once wrote in a private letter, “I think to lose Kentucky is nearly to
lose the whole game.”
From September of 1861 onwards, neither side respected the neutrality. A series of
events later including the creation of the Army of Kentucky and Confederate and
Union marches led to the battle. It’s purpose, to claim control of the critical border
state.
Perryville was chosen by Confederates for it’s good network of roads to other towns
for strategic flexibility and it’s potential source of water.
In the end, the result was a Union strategic victory and a Confederate tactical
victory. The Confederates had retreated by way of Cumberland Gap into East
Tennessee because of threatening Union reinforcements and the Confederate’s lack
of resources.
It is considered one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War and is the largest battle
fought in the state of Kentucky, considering the casualties related to the engaged
strengths of the armies.
The Battle of Stones River
 Fought in Middle Tennessee as the culmination of the Stones River
Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.
 Although the battle itself was inconclusive, the Union Army's repulse
of two Confederate attacks and the subsequent Confederate
withdrawal were a much-needed boost to Union morale after the defeat
at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and it dashed Confederate aspirations
for control of Middle Tennessee.
 Of the major battles of the Civil War, Stones River had the highest
percentage of casualties on both sides.
Perryville Statistics
Union
532 killed
2,641 wounded
228 captured/missing
Confederate
894 killed
2,911 wounded
471 captured/missing
Army of 22,000
Army of 16,000
Stones River Statistics
Union
Confederate
677 killed
7,543 wounded
3,686 captured/missing
1,294 killed
7,945 wounded
2,500 captured/missing
Army of 41,400
Army of 35,000
Battle Commanders
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Don Carlos Buell (March 23, 1818 – November 19, 1898) was a career United States Army officer who
fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led
Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville—but was relieved of field
command in late 1862 and made no more significant military contributions.
George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816 – March 28, 1870) was a career United States Army officer who
fought in the Mexican-American War and was a Union General during the American Civil War, one of
the principal commanders in the Western Theater. He had a place in the Battle of Perryville and
Stones River. He had a successful record, but didn’t reach the acclaim of Ulysses S. Grant or William T.
Sherman.
Alexander McDowell McCook (April 22, 1831 – June 12, 1903) was a career United States Army officer
and a Union general in the American Civil War. He first had action at the First Battle of Bull Run and
commanded the 2nd division of the Army of Ohio in the Battle of Shiloh. In both the Battle of
Perryville and Stones River, his corps suffered heavy casualties.
Don Carlos Buell
George Henry Thomas
Alexander McDowell McCook
Battle Commanders (Cont. 1)
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Charles Champion Gilbert (March 1, 1822 – January 17, 1903) was a United States Army officer
during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. He mainly participated in the Battles
of Wilson Creek, Perryville, and the First Battle of Franklin.
Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was a career United States Army officer, and
then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the
American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He
established a reputation as a strict disciplinarian, but also as a junior officer willing to publicly argue
with and criticize his superior officers, including those at the highest levels of the Army. Major battles
of his were of Shiloh, Perryville, and Stones River.
Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War
and a second cousin of President James K. Polk. He also served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of
Louisiana and was for that reason known as “The Fighting Bishop”. Polk was one of the more
controversial political generals of the war, elevated to a high military position with no prior combat
experience because of his friendship with Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He fought as a corps
commander in many of the major battles of the Western Theater, but is remembered more for his
bitter disagreements with his immediate superior, Gen. Braxton Bragg of the Army of Tennessee, than
for his successes in combat. He fought in battles such as Shiloh, Perryville, Stones River and
Chickamauga.
Charles Champion Gilbert
Braxton Bragg
Leonidas Polk
Battle Commanders (Cont. 2)
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William Joseph Hardee (October 12, 1815 – November 6, 1873) was a career U.S. Army officer, serving
during the Second Seminole War and fighting in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a
Confederate general during the American Civil War, and his pre-Civil War writings about military
tactics were well known and widely used on both sides of the conflict. Some battles he served were
Shiloh, Perryville, and Stones River.
William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819 – March 11, 1898) was an inventor, coal-oil company
executive, diplomat, politician, and United States Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union
general during the American Civil War. He was the victor at prominent Western Theater battles
including the battle of Stones River, but his military career was effectively ended following his
disastrous defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.
Thomas Leonidas Crittenden (May 15, 1819 – October 23, 1893) was a lawyer, politician, and Union
general during the American Civil War. He was heavily involved in the Battle of Stones River, heading
the Army of Cumberland.
William Joseph Hardee
William Starke Rosecrans Thomas Leonidas Crittenden
Perryville Pics
Stones River Pics
Conclusions
Perryville was a major leap forward for the Union, as
control of Kentucky meant control over rivers that
helped transport soldiers, goods, etc. Plus, they had
one more state over the Confederacy. Stones River was
also very important, as it meant if the Confederacy had
won, with several other key pieces in play, they could
have won their independence from the North and
become a separate nation.