Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Hiking Tours at Perryville

I am very pleased to announce that I will be leading two hiking/history tours at Perryville battlefield each year, one in the spring and the other in the fall.  In talking with Kurt Holman (the park manager at Perryville) he has given his stamp of approval to organize hikers and the general public together in a guided tour and hike.  These hikes will be about five to six miles in length and cover the main parts of the battle, from the Open Knob to Starkweather Hill, and from Doctor's Creek to Loomis' Heights.

The first hike will be on April 23rd, 2011.  The start time will be at 11:00 a.m., and we will meet at the front of the visitor's center by 10:45 a.m.  Those who wish to tour the museum may arrive early or plan to stay late after the hiking tour has been completed. 

Participants will need to wear sturdy shoes, a hat to block the sun, bring plenty of water to drink, and carry a snack or two for munching on along the way.  The tour should last three to four hours.

You may contact me here or at ohioatperryville@yahoo.com if you wish for more details.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Perryville Pics

As promised, but just the pics from the area where I have not hiked before (southeast of Doctor's Creek).




























Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Perryville Battlefield Hike

Well, my visit to Perryville last weekend was another great journey to my favorite Civil War battlefield.  I was able to stick with part of my plan, which was to gps the entire trail system there.  However, I did not take the time to stop and read from Noe's book along the way...it was a bright sunny day and the temps hit the mid 80s, so not ideal conditions for plopping down and reading sections of his book.  But, I did conquer the ten miles of hiking trails and took some snaps of the newly interpreted areas, which I will post over the next day or two.  Great times as always.

I am happy to announce that I will be leading a hike at Perryville on April 23rd, 2011 at 11:00 a.m., covering five to six miles of trails.  I will be inviting hikers from Lexington and Louisville to join in, and hoping to have the park announce this event on their website.  The event is open to all who like history and/or hiking.  My plan will be to cover the opening attacks, both along the Open Knob and Starkweather Hill areas, as well as Loomis's Heights.  My goal will be to lead two hikes at Perryville each year, to get more folks out hiking as well as to promote more visitors to the battlefield.  The battlefield keeps growing, now 745 acres have been saved, and considering they were at 98 acres not so many years ago, this is an amazing feat.  The battlefield looks very much like it did that October day in 1862, so it is well worth the visit.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Perryville Visit

I am planning a trip to Perryville for October 9th.  My goal will be to take pictures of some of the newer interpretive areas while also making a gps route of all the interpretive trails.  If you are interested in joining me, post a comment or email me. We can arrange to meet on the battlefield or along the way to carpool.  I plan to be on the battlefield all day, so if anyone is interested in joining me wear comfortable yet sturdy shoes, bring plenty of water, and have some snacks to munch on along the trail.

I am leaving Cincinnati at 7:00 a.m. and should be at Perryville by 9:30.  I will spend a half hour in the museum, and will be hitting the trails at 10:00 a.m.

Dinner and beer will be at the Old Owl Tavern in Harrodsburg.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Civil War Preservation Trust's Perryville "Campaign"

I feel rather silly in not posting this previously, especially since I toured Perryville with the CWPT in June and have made a donation to help save additional acreage at Perryville....

The Civil War Preservation Trust is working to save 327 acres at Perryville, mainly in the Walker's Bend area.  Adding this land would bring the total of saved land at Perryville to the one thousand acre mark, an incredible feat considering that the state park not too many years ago consisted of only ninety-eight acres. 

I encourage you to send a donation today.  It can be made online and is tax deductable.

Please support Perryville, the most pristine Civil War battlefield in the western theater!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Regimental Histories

A listing of known unit histories follows, with the most recent history being listed.  If you know of any not listed here, please email me.  Titles in bold are ones that I own, would like to find copies of the others.

The Bully Boys: In Camp and Combat with the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, 1861-1864. Compiled & Edited by Richard A. Baumgartner. 549 pgs. Hardcover with dust jacket, 6 x 9 format, illustrated, appendix, notes, bibliography & index. Blue Acorn Press. Huntington. WV. 2011

We Were The Ninth. A History of the Ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry April 17, 1861 to June 7, 1864. By Constantine Grebner translated and edited by Fredrick Trautmann. Kent State University Press. Kent. Ohio. 1987

Heroes of the Western Theater. Thirty-Third Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry. Lois J. Lambert. 559 pgs. Little Miami Publishing Co. Milford. Ohio. 2008

Fantastic Shadows Upon the Ground: The Thirty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. Greg Fugitt. Paper. 415 pgs. photos. maps. appendix. bibliography. index. Little Miami Publishing Co. Milford. Ohio. 2011
In the 50th Ohio Serving Uncle Sam: Memoirs of One Who Wore the Blue. Erastus Winters. Privately Printed. East Walnut Hills. Ohio. 1905

Dan McCook's Regiment, 52nd O.V.I.. A History of the Regiment, Its Campaigns and Battles. From 1862 to 1865. By Rev. Nixon B. Stewart. Sergt. Co. E., 52nd O.V.I. Published by the Author. 1900

Record of the Ninety-Fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion. Prepared by a Committee of the Regiment. The Ohio Valley Press. Cincinnati. Ohio. ND.

The Story of a Thousand. Being a History of the Service of the 105th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the War of the Union from August 21, 1862 to June 6, 1865. By Albion W. Tourgee, LL. D. S. McGerald and Son. Buffalo. N.Y. 1896

Battery D, First Ohio Veteran Volunteer Light Artillery, It's Military History, 1861-1865. by The Committee. Samuel Cordell Frey, Alfred Sperry and Perez G. Clark. The Derrick Publishing Company. Oil City. PA. 1908

That Body of Brave Men: The U.S. Regular Infantry and the Civil War in the West. by Mark W. Johnson. The Regular Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland, the 15th, 16th, 18th and 19th United States Infantry Regiments. Da Capo Press. Cambridge. MA. 2003

Monday, June 14, 2010

Ohio Organization at Perryville

I Corps - Major General Alexander M. McCook
   3rd Division - Brigadier General Lovell H. Rousseau
      9th Brigade - Colonel Leonard A. Harris
         2nd Ohio - Lieutenant Colonel John Kell
         33rd Ohio - Lieutenant Colonel Oscar F. Moore
         94th Ohio - Colonel Joseph W. Frizell
      17th Brigade - Colonel William H. Lytle
         3rd Ohio - Colonel John Beatty
         10th Ohio - Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Burke
   10th Division - James S. Jackson
      33rd Brigade - William R. Terrill
         105th Ohio - Colonel Albert S. Hall
         Battery D, 1st Ohio Light Artillery (1 section) - Second Lieutenant Nathaniel M. Newell
      34th Brigade - Colonel George P. Webster
         50th Ohio - Lieutenant Colonel Silas A. Strickland
         98th Ohio - Lieutenant Colonel Christian Poorman
         121st Ohio - Colonel William P. Reed

Other Corps Units Engaged (from III Corps)
         9th Ohio - Lieutenant Colonel Charles Joseph
         35th Ohio - Colonel Ferdinand Van Derveer
         52nd Ohio - Lieutenant Colonel D. T. Cowen
         18th United States - Major Frederick Townsend

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

CWPT Annual Conference Photos

All I can say about my first Civil War Preservation Trust conference is WOW!  I attended talks, lectures, a panel discussion with Ed Bearss, Richard McMurry, and Kent Masterson Brown, and then was able to tour both Perryville and Mill Springs with Mr. Bearss.  The staff of the CWPT was friendly and helpful, and I met some excellent people on the tours who I look forward to seeing again next year at Manassas.

It was comforting to find that Mr. Bearss, noted historian and tour host, gave nearly the exact same tour as I give when leading hiking groups to Perryville.  I guess then I must be covering the basics!  We had sunny skies, then rain, then hail, then sun, then more rain, which might sound like a horrific experience, but instead made the tour of Perryville that much more memoriable.

Here is the link for the pics I have uploaded thus far on Flickr.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

National Battlefield Group Donates 54 Acres of Perryville Battlefield to Commonwwealth of Kentucky

From the Civil War Preservation Trust:

Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow Headlines Transfer Ceremony

(Perryville, Ky.) – At a land transfer ceremony this afternoon, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), the nation’s largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization, formally donated 54 acres of hallowed ground associated with the October 1862 Battle of Perryville to the Commonwealth of Kentucky for integration into the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site.

“Today we celebrate a great step forward for one of Kentucky’s outstanding historic sites,” said Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow, who accepted the donation on behalf of the Commonwealth. “The gift of this land will provide an enriched experience for visitors for generations to come.”

James Lighthizer, president of CWPT, remarked that the transfer’s timing as the opening event of the organization’s Annual Conference held this week in nearby Lexington was especially meaningful. “As illustrated by the presence of our conference in Kentucky this week, protected battlefields draw tourists who want to explore them in great depth,” said Lighthizer. “On the eve of the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, it is particularly important that we set aside such irreplaceable sites for the curious generations of the future.”

The Battle of Perryville, fought on October 8, 1862, was the largest battle fought in Kentucky and the culmination of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s invasion of the Bluegrass State. Although a tactical Confederate victory, Bragg retreated into Tennessee shortly thereafter, leaving Kentucky in Union hands for the remainder of the war. Coinciding chronologically with the Maryland Campaign in the war’s Eastern Theater, the failure of these twin Southern offensives constituted a major turning point in the war.

“The Battle of Perryville was had strategic significance for the war west of the Appalachian Mountains far beyond the size of the two armies actually engaged there,” said historian Kent Masterson Brown in his remarks. “The bold Confederate attempt to invade Kentucky was turned back, never to be attempted again. With all of Kentucky and much of Tennessee firmly in Union hands, it was only a matter of time before the Gulf States fell to Union forces.”

CWPT purchased the 54 acre property in 2006 at a total cost of $156,679, which was partially offset by a federal matching grant for historic landscape protection. Located on the southeastern side of the battlefield, the site marks where Confederate Gen. William J. Hardee launched assault against the Union center. From the high ground at the eastern end of the property, Captain T. J. Stanford’s Mississippi’s battery engaged in a lengthy artillery barrage with Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s Federal army.

According to CWPT Chairman John L. Nau, III, who also spoke at the event, it has always been the organization’s desire to see the land become Commonwealth property and part of Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. The park already has plans to add walking trails and other educational and commemorative markers.

“At a battlefield where there is an existing park entity — especially one with such an outstanding reputation for excellence in stewardship and interpretation — we endeavor to preserve land that will augment and improve those ongoing efforts,” said Nau. “We are honored to be a long-term partner for the park, helping ensure it continues to grow and thrive.”

In total, CWPT has participated in the preservation of 385 acres at Perryville, and recently announced a new fundraising effort to place a permanent conservation easement on an additional 327 acres on the northern part of the battlefield. The Perryville Battlefield is widely renowned for retaining much of its 19th-century appearance, a quality particularly prized by heritage tourists and other visitors.

“This ground has remained largely unchanged for nearly 150 years and, in many cases, the descendents of those who tended the land in 1862 still work their family farms today,” said park manager Kurt Holman. “We are always very proud to say that if a Civil War soldier who fought here were to walk the battlefield today, he would say: ‘I know this place — this is Perryville.’”

Following the conclusion of remarks, Lighthizer and Nau signed a deed transferring control of the land to the Commonwealth, represented by Sparrow and Holman.

“On behalf of Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and the entire Commonwealth government, I am honored to accept this generous donation from the trustees, members and staff of the Civil War Preservation Trust,” said Secretary Sparrow. “I pledge that we will be responsible stewards of this irreplaceable piece of our shared American heritage.”

The afternoon also included a first-ever public tour of the property led by Holman and Brown and a reception featuring light refreshments hosted by Friends of Perryville Battlefield.

The transfer ceremony was the first event in CWPT’s six day sojourn in the Bluegrass State. The organization’s trustees will meet in Lexington tomorrow, with the Trust’s Annual Conference kicking into high gear on Thursday. Hundreds of Civil War enthusiasts will participate in lectures, receptions discussion groups and in depth battlefield tours exploring numerous aspects of the war in Kentucky. Topics will include the Battle of Perryville, as well as the battles of Mill Springs, Munfordville and Richmond, as well as the raids of John Hunt Morgan.

To find out more about Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site and other Kentucky State Parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov.

With 55,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds. CWPT has preserved more than 29,000 acres of battlefield land across the nation, including more than 1,500 in Kentucky. CWPT’s website is http://www.civilwar.org/.

Friday, March 5, 2010

CWPT Conference Tours

I selected my choices for the tours for the upcoming Civil War Preservation Trust's annual conference. There were some tough decisions to make as the offerings include a bus tour of Perryville, a hiking tour of Perryville, a tour of Mill Springs, a tour of Richmond, a two day Morgan's Raid tour, and various others. I selected the Mill Springs and Perryville hiking tours. While I have hiked Perryville several times already, hiking it with a group of historians and history buffs should be an excellent time. The second choice was more difficult. The Battle of Richmond is part of the Perryville Campaign, and therefore an important part of understanding the latter battle, but Mill Springs now has a visitors center and is a battle that has always interested me. Morgan's Raid could have been interesting as well, but it would have prevented me from attending any of the other tours, even if they are dining at the Beehive Tavern Restaurant in Augusta.

I am getting very excited about this trip, but who wouldn't with four days of battlefield tours, lectures, and dinners with like-minded people?

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Friends of Perryville information

After a bit of a delay, I was finally able to obtain membership information for the Friends of Perryville Battlefield. I hope everyone who stops by this blog will join and support the fine work being done at Perryville. Here are the details:

Membership (contribution) levels:
$20.00 - Soldier
$100.00 - Company
$250.00 - Battalion
$500.00 - Division

Send your contribution to Friends of Perryville Battlefield c/o Perryville Battlefield, P.O. Box 296, Perryville, KY 40468. For more information call 859.332.8631 or email chadgreene104@hotmail.com. Website http://www.perryvillebattlefield.org/

Monday, January 4, 2010

Civil War Preservation Trust Annual Conference

Well, I pulled the trigger and have officially registered for this event that takes place in Kentucky this June. Should be an excellent time as the invited speakers list includes Kent Masterson Brown, Christopher Kolakowski, Richard McMurry and Richard Sommers. I was very fortunate that I received a Christmas bonus that covered the expences for this trip (nice to have a company that did well in 2009 as the financial pundits were all doom and gloom). I am hoping that one of my hiking friends who also has an interest in the Civil War can attend as that will cut the hotel costs in half, but I am prepared to enjoy this trip regardless.

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