Spring Walking Tour - Huge Success!

Normally I have several of my hiking friends on these tours at Perryville, which helps keep the numbers decent.  For the spring walking tour, although it was expanded by both time on the field and amount of miles to be walked, there was only one of the hiking group who was able to make it, and to be honest, because of the lack of hikers I thought we would see a low turnout of participants.  Thank goodness I was wrong.  We had about forty folks show up, thirty-five for the morning tour, and about five replacements for the afternoon tour, keeping both tours at about thirty-five walkers.  This made the spring walking tour one of the most successful yet in terms of participants.

The weather was quite grand, going from overcast skies in the early morning to sun by the time the morning tour set off, and the sun stayed with us all day!  Having such great weather seemed to keep the group invigorated, even when dealing with a few ticks and some higher than normal grass (the park is suffering from having only one working mower, and miles of trails to be cut).  And we had some enjoyable banter post event at the new Bluegrass Pizza location, and even more banter at Beer Engine later that night! (V-The Market was undergoing some sort of remodel so we moved the post event location)

The park was kind enough to provide us some 10% discount coupons to be used in the museum, and I do believe several folks took advantage of a restocked book selection (probably the best I have seen in the last few years at Perryville).  Thank you, Joni House, for being so generous!  I hope the museum saw some increased sales!

I cannot thank both the participants who come out year after year, ask great questions and provide some great insight along the way, and I also really cannot thank Chuck Lott enough for his support, his knowledge, and his willingness to support the Perryville "mission".  I plan on having a talk with Chuck about the direction we go in the future.  We both liked the expanded tour, having a break for lunch, and covering more ground, but we also find that there are so many details it may call for even more specialization, or perhaps two tours each year, each one focusing on specific parts of the battle.  Stay tuned for details!

More tour pictures can be found on the Facebook page HERE.

Spring Walking Tour Date Set!

After some discussion after the fall walking tour this past October, Chuck Lott and I have decided to move the tour to May while at the same time adding more time to walking the battlefield by dividing the tour into two sessions on the battlefield.

Perryville Spring Walking Tour

May 17^th, 2014

Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site

1825 Battlefield Road, Perryville, KY 40468

Sponsored by the Friends of Perryville Battlefield and the Cincinnati Civil War Roundtable

Guides – Chuck Lott and Darryl Smith

Join Chuck Lott and Darryl Smith for an extended walking tour of the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site.  There will be a morning session from 9:00 a.m. until noon, a break for lunch, and then an afternoon session from 1:00-4:00 p.m. (covering a different part of the battle than the morning session).  Evening roundtable talk to be held over drinks in Danville, most likely at V the Market or other suitable location.  Attendees should wear comfortable clothing, sturdy walking shoes, bring water and snacks, and pack a lunch.  History buffs and the general public are all welcome!  Each session will involve three miles of walking, with some elevation changes (none greater than 100 feet) along the way. Meet for the morning session at the picnic shelter in the park.  When entering the park, take the first right and look for the shelter.

Morning Session – Cheatham Strikes the Federal Left

9:00-12:00 – Meet at the Picnic Shelter

We will follow Cheatham’s Division as it strikes the Federal forces under Jackson and Rousseau.  Brigades covered: Donelson, Maney, Stewart, Terrill, Starkweather, Webster.  Distance – 3.0 Miles.

Lunch

12:00-1:00 - Be sure to pack a lunch!

Afternoon Session – Men of Iron

1:00-4:00 – Meet at the Confederate Cemetery

We will focus on Rousseau’s stand against Buckner’s and Johnson’s Divisions.  Brigades covered: Lytle, Harris, Jones, Brown, Adams, Cleburne, St. John, Wood.  Distance – 3.0 Miles.

Evening Session – Post Tour Gathering

5:00 – V-the Market, 130 South Market, Danville

Open question and answer session over wine and beer.

Fall Hike - A Rainy Fun Affair!

Cold temps and pouring rain were our companions on the fall hike this year.  I would say those weather conditions were 180 degrees from what the soldiers suffered with in 1862, but twenty-four attendees suffered through the rain and cold for three hours as we tramped in a hurried and abbreviated fashion across the battlefield.  I was really impressed by the dedication the attendees exuded, but finally, after seeing more and more of them shiver, we decided to cut the event a bit short.  Thanks to those who made it out and tramped the fields in the rain!

The post hike event was held at a variety of locations.  First fourteen of us stopped at V-The Market for some warming spirits.  After imbibing a few pints, we moved on to Bluegrass Pizza and Pub, which never fails to deliver a great pie!  A few of us moved on to the Beer Engine for another quick pint.  It was good to be able to support local businesses while sharing some great times.

The plans are already starting for an extended event in the spring.  Both Chuck Lott and I are feeling that three or four hours are just not enough to cover Perryville they way we want to.  Not only do we have a lot of material to go over, but there is also a lot of ground to cover.  Look for details soon!

Rainy Day at Perryville - Photo by Tim Jeffries