top of page
Battle of Perryville
New York Times Articles

The following is transcribed from the New York Times, dated October 22, 1862:

REBEL REPORTS OF THE BATTLE AT PERRYVILLE, KY.;

GEN. STUART'S DASH. THE FIGHT AT FRANKLIN.

A REVIEW OF THE SITUATION.

Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch. KNOXVILLE, Oct. 17, 1862.

 

The Register publishes the following in an extra today:

 

          The fight in Kentucky has been confirmed by the arrival of two couriers, who state that the fight commenced at Perryville on Monday, the 6th inst., Gen. HARDEE commanding the left, Gen. BUCKNER the centre, and Gens. MARSHALL and MORGAN the right. The result of the first day's fight was that HARDEE captured 1,500 prisoners, with heavy slaughter of the enemy. On Tuesday the fight was renewed, with still greater slaughter to the enemy, Gen. HARDEE capturing 4,000 prisoners. MARSHALL and MORGAN captured 3,200. The enemy was driven back twelve miles, with tremendous slaughter. Our loss in the whole engagement was very small. We are not posted as to who were in command of the Yankee forces, except Gen. THOMAS, who encountered Gen. HARDEE. We also captured forty pieces of cannon. The following is an extract from a letter from Col. PALMER, received last night from the Gap: Wounded soldiers are here from the battle of Perryville. Also a Captain of a Tennessee regiment. They report that on Tuesday and Wednesday. BRAGG and HARDEE fought the enemy at Perryville, and drove him back ten miles, taking about 2,000 prisoners, and killing and wounding about 1,500; that on the next day [???] Division engaged the enemy and captured 1,000 prisoners, and that on Friday KIRBY SMITH engaged them on the right and beat them back, capturing 500 prisoners, killing Gen. JACKSON and capturing Gen. TOM CRITTENDEN, I give these statements for what they are worth. He says the enemy had 75,000 men opposed to Gen. BRAGG. A dispatch from Gen. FORREST, dated Murfreesboro', 13th, says that he was a participant in the battle of the 9th, and that he estimates the enemy's loss at from 20,000 to 25,000 killed, wounded and prisoners. Our loss is about 5,000. A complete victory. The Louisville Journal, of the 11th, says Gens. JACKSON,TERRY, and WEBSTER were killed on the Federal side. Gen. P. TONNETT, of Lexington, and Major W.H. CAMPBELL, of Louisville, were also killed. Gens. ROSSEAU and CURRAN POPE, of Louisville,were wounded. The Journal claims a victory over BRAGG. HOLLY SPRINGS, Oct. 16. The Cincinnati Commercial of the 11th says that BRAGG has whipped BUELL and driven him across Kentucky River, and is in hot pursuit. The above dispatches were received at 11 o'clock last night. Correspondence of the Richmond Whig. CHATTANOOGA, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 1862. A gentleman through from Franklin, Ky., states that he read the Louisville Journal, of the 10th inst., in which was the following: A battle occurred at Perryville yesterday, over which Kentucky will mourn for many years. The Federal loss is 25,000 in killed, wounded and missing. PRENTICE says it was a drawn battle. Another man, a paroled soldier, just arrived at Murfreesboro, from Kentucky, says that the battle commenced on Wednesday, the 8th, on which day he was taken prisoner. On that day our forces fell back six miles through the valley, planting artillery on either side. When the light was resumed on Thursday morning, our army mowed the enemy down, and the slaughter is represented as awful. The Whig comments on the above as follows: "The telegram from Chattanooga, published in today's paper, came to hand early yesterday forenoon, and was immediately posted on the bulletin board. Bringing the first intelligence from Confederate sources of the late battle in Kentucky, it was eagerly read by passers-by, and was the chief topic of conversation during the day. A copy of the dispatch was taken to the War Department, and very soon it was reported on the streets that the Secretary of War had received a dispatch confirming the news on the bulletin boards. Later in the day, this report was amplified into the positive statement that the President had received a dispatch from Gen. BRAGG, announcing a great victory, etc. If any such dispatch was received, which we do not believe, the fact was unknown at the Adjutant-General's office last night. The Press dispatch, so far as we know, was the only one relating to the battle was received here yesterday, and we regret that it was not more satisfactory. The people have become chary of the statements of "reliable gentlemen," and hesitate to accept those of "paroled soldiers." Why did not the "gentleman from Franklin" bring the Louisville Journal with him? We do not discredit the telegram because the two statements are consistent, and not in conflict with legitimate inferences from the dispatches published in the Yankee journals. It is time that we should have something; definite from our side about the fight. Knoxville, the nearest telegraph station, is about 125 miles, in a direct line, from Perryville, and Murfreesboro, on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, about 150 miles." WINCHESTER, Va., Oct. 14. Hon. G.W. Randolph. The cavalry expedition to Pennsylvania has returned safe. They passed through Mercersburgh, Chambersburgh. Emmitsburgh, Liberty, New-Market, Hyattstown and Burnesville. The expedition crossed the Potomac above Williamsport, and recrossed at White's Ford, making the entire circuit, cutting the enemy's communication, destroying arms, & c, and obtaining many recruits. R.E. LEE, General. We find the following in the Raleigh Standard: HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA PETERSBURGH, Va., Oct. 8, 1862., GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 49. -- The General commanding begs to express his high sense of gratification at the gallant bearing of the forces under the command of Col. J.K. MARSHALL -- Fifty-second Regiment, North Carolina troops, consisting of his own regiment, Col. D.D. FERREBEL's Regiment of North Carolina Partisan Rangers, Capt. EDWARD GRAHAM's Battery of Light Artillery, and a section of Capt. T.S. WRIGHT's Rocket Battery -- in the engagement with the enemy at Franklin, Va., on Friday, the 3d inst., where, without loss to themselves, they repulsed, with much damage, an attack from the enemy's gunboats and from land forces, greatly superior in numbers to their own. In particular is the General desirous to compliment and congratulate the troops who, without artillery, inflicted such loss and discomfiture upon the gunboats, thus proving conclusively that, in a country whose river-banks have no other batteries than the stout hearts and unerring rifles of its own free people, the vaunted gunboat is powerless. By order of Brig.-Gen. S.G. FRENCH. GRAHAM DAVES, Assist. Adjt.-General. From the Richmond Dispatch. We endeavored yesterday to show that the Confederate States have nothing to hope for in this war but what they could obtain by their own valor and their own perseverance. This fact has been demostrated so clearly since the commencement of the war that we had, until very lately, thought it was admitted by everybody. Within the last few weeks, however, we perceive a growing disposition to rely upon other sources of relief, such us the disordered state of the Yankee finances, the menacing attitude of the Democratic Party, and the violent discontent of a large portion of northern society with the Emancipation of Proclamation of LINCOLN. We very well remember how nearly fatal to our cause had been the illusions of the last year, and how sternly we had been reminded by events that the only just dependence of the Confederate States was in the arm and hearts of her sons. We would repeat the lesson we then endeavored to teach every day in the year, if we could thereby the more deeply impress it upon the minds of our countrymen. We have nothing to depend on but our own prowess and our own firmness yet are not these enough? See what the have already done for us. As long as we depended upon foreign intervention, we lay supine, and did nothing for ourselves. The enemy employed the interval, which we were wasting in idle dreams of peace, in making the most gigantic preparations for subduing us and reducing us to a state of absolute vassalage, if not downright slavery. We awoke from our dream to find ourselves already half undone; but we woke as a giant wakes from a short slumber, and we snapped the bonds which the foe had attempted to rivet upon us while we slept. It is because we fear the same lethargy may again creep over our senses, that we lift a voice of warning to our countrymen. Affairs are not so gloomy now as they were last Spring. We have abundantly shown our ability to beat the enemy in the field, and have demonstrated to the world that we cannot be subdued as long as we arc true to ourselves. What is there in our situation which ought to discourage men engaged in a struggle for their liberties? After a series of victories unequalled in this country, not surpassed in any other, we have met with two reverses. They appear to be by no means decisive. Our armies ere not destroyed; our Generals are not captured; our material is but little impaired. The spirit of our troops is not broken. What else can we expect than to meet with occasional bad fortune in a war waged with such determination? It is not in the nature of things that it should be otherwise. The victories of one part of the country must be sometimes counterbalanced by the reverses in another. It is only upon casting up accounts and striking a balance that we can fairly estimate the importance of our losses and our gains. We have met two reverses, by no means decisive, in Kentucky and Mississippi. As a set-off, we have gained eighteen or twenty victories, captured a whole army of nearly 12,000 men, and established a reputation for valor not surpassed by that of the oldest nation in the world. The balance is enormously on our side. Instead, therefore, of desponding, we see cause to entertain the highest hopes, if only the people will cease to indulge in the dream that they can be saved in any other way than by their own valor.

bottom of page