Overview

On October 8, 1862, Union and Confederate forces clashed near Perryville, Kentucky, in what would be the largest battle ever fought on Kentucky soil. The climax of a campaign that began two months before in northern Mississippi, Perryville came to be recognized as the high water mark of the western Confederacy. Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle is the definitive account of this important conflict. While providing all the parry and thrust one might expect from an excellent battle narrative, the book also reflects the new trends in Civil War history in its concern for ordinary soldiers and civilians caught in the slaughterhouse. The last chapter, unique among Civil War battle narratives, even discusses the battle's veterans, their families, efforts to preserve the battlefield, and the many ways Americans have remembered and commemorated Perryville.

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9780813122090

Table of Contents

Reviews

While providing all the parry and thrust one might expect from an excellent battle narrative, the book also reflects the new trends in Civil War history in its concern for ordinary soldiers and civilians caught in the slaughterhouse. -- cmapaigns-books.blogspot.com Untangles the complicated events leading up to and during the crucial battle between the forces of Union General Don Carlos Buell and Confederate General Braxton Bragg. -- Kirkus Reviews This superb book unravels the complexities of Perryville, but discloses these military details within their social and political contexts. These considerations greatly enrich our understanding of war, history, and human endeavor. -- Virginia Quarterly Review The first true history of the battle, its aftermath, and the wide-spread repercussions of the South's loss. -- McCormick Messenger The best among a good group of modern studies on the Kentucky campaign and by far the most detailed on the battle of Perryville itself. It brings a better recognition of this neglected battle's significance to the war's outcome. -- Journal of Southern History Perryville was, in the words of one participant 'a square, stand-up, hand-to-hand fight.' In that spirit, Noe has written a model study of just such a Civil War battle. -- Journal of American History Noteworthy.... Provides a detailed history of this 1862 battle. -- Kentucky Monthly None of the professional works that touch on Perryville... can offer the breadth of perspective and the innovative investigation that inform Noe's Perryville. -- Civil War History Noe's well researched, well written Perryville is the best volume on arguably the least understood important battle during the Civil War. No Civil War buff will want to miss it. -- William W. Freehling Noe's study of this pivotal campaign will be the standard work on the subject for some years to come. Essential reading on the military events in the west, and a model for future studies. -- Florida Historical Quarterly Noe's scholarship is very good, his research exhaustive, and his ability to explain the course of events enhances the narrative. -- Georgia Historical Quarterly Noe's outstanding book, which relates the battle to the campaign and to overall Confederate strategy, fills an important need and will doubtless serve as the definitive account of the battle. -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society Noe writes with a fine eye for detail and a moving prose: his work is a first-rate historical narrative. -- Wargamer Noe has rescued this key engagement from obscurity with this masterful study. -- Ohio History Noe has produced a model study that has comprehensively included a broad picture of military strategy and action as well as larger political issues.... This comprehensive effort constitutes what battle history ought to be. -- H-Net Reviews Noe has produced a model study that expands our understanding of a long neglected battle and raises our expectations for future campaign histories. -- North Carolina Historical Review Noe has authored the essential book on this battle. -- Civil War Book Review Noe gives a clear sense of the 'grand havoc' referred to in the book's title. -- Lexington Herald-Leader Noe details in stirring prose backed by impressive research, the full dimension of the campaign and the battle that ended in a tactical victory yet could not win Kentucky for the South. In surely the most detailed and exhaustive study to date, Noe has produced in Perryville a work that will stand as the definitive word on a lost opportunity, and a lost dream. -- William C. Davis Noe clearly has established himself as a significant player among national Civil War historians of the western theater. -- Indiana Magazine of History Noe captures the intensity and the frustrations well by delving into personal memoires for much of the battle narrative. Very well written and well worth getting. -- Paper Wars Noe artfully steers the combatants toward Perryville, provides a coherent account of that confused clash, and tells what it meant to soldiers and civilians caught in the maelstrom. -- Society of Civil War Historians Full of facts, details, and descriptions of the battle, but it also contains vivid descriptions of the soldiers and civilians caught in the wake of the battle making it interesting reading for not only the avid Civil War buff, but the casual reader. -- Back Home in Kentucky For anyone seriously interested in the Civil War in Kentucky, Noe's books is a must buy. It should remain the definitive work of the Perryville campaign for many years. -- Bowling Green Daily News Does a masterful job of placing the Battle of Perryville, and Kentucky more generally, in the context of the Civil War and southern history. -- Filson History Quarterly Casts new light on this epic struggle for Kentucky and restores it to a deserved place in the Civil War's pantheon of great campaigns. -- Southern Historian Awarded the 2002 Seaborg Civil War Prize. -- An indispensable source for an understanding of the events in Kentucky in the fall of 1862, when Braxton Bragg's Southern soldiers fought courageously to achieve what turned out to be the 'high water mark' of the western Confederacy. -- America's Civil War An impressively researched, balanced, and detailed book that will please many readers, especially those who enjoy exciting battle histories. -- Journal of Military History An exceptional book. Buffs and serious scholars alike will enjoy what should be the definitive work on this battle for some time to come. -- Civil War News An excellent book that will be hard to surpass in covering this battle. -- Journal of America's Military Past About as detailed as it can get regarding this long-overlooked and recently discovered Civil War battle for Kentucky. -- Civil War Courier A model study that helps expand the definition of campaign histories. -- Gary Gallagher, Washington Post A conversational, easy-to-follow style with vivid imagery, Perryville clearly sets out the battle lines and savagery that took place there. -- Danville Advocate-Messenger A blow by blow account of not only the battle itself, but also its prelude and, most importantly, its aftermath. -- New 4U

<p> Awarded the 2002 Seaborg Civil War Prize. --

<p> While providing all the parry and thrust one might expect from an excellent battle narrative, the book also reflects the new trends in Civil War history in its concern for ordinary soldiers and civilians caught in the slaughterhouse. --cmapaigns-books.blogspot.com --

A blow by blow account of not only the battle itself, but also its prelude and, most importantly, its aftermath. -- New 4U A conversational, easy-to-follow style with vivid imagery, Perryville clearly sets out the battle lines and savagery that took place there. -- Danville Advocate-Messenger A model study that helps expand the definition of campaign histories. -- Gary Gallagher, Washington Post About as detailed as it can get regarding this long-overlooked and recently discovered Civil War battle for Kentucky. -- Civil War Courier An excellent book that will be hard to surpass in covering this battle. -- Journal of America's Military Past An exceptional book. Buffs and serious scholars alike will enjoy what should be the definitive work on this battle for some time to come. -- Civil War News An impressively researched, balanced, and detailed book that will please many readers, especially those who enjoy exciting battle histories. -- Journal of Military History An indispensable source for an understanding of the events in Kentucky in the fall of 1862, when Braxton Bragg's Southern soldiers fought courageously to achieve what turned out to be the 'high water mark' of the western Confederacy. -- America's Civil War Awarded the 2002 Seaborg Civil War Prize. -- Casts new light on this epic struggle for Kentucky and restores it to a deserved place in the Civil War's pantheon of great campaigns. -- Southern Historian Does a masterful job of placing the Battle of Perryville, and Kentucky more generally, in the context of the Civil War and southern history. -- Filson History Quarterly For anyone seriously interested in the Civil War in Kentucky, Noe's books is a must buy. It should remain the definitive work of the Perryville campaign for many years. -- Bowling Green Daily News Full of facts, details, and descriptions of the battle, but it also contains vivid descriptions of the soldiers and civilians caught in the wake of the battle making it interesting reading for not only the avid Civil War buff, but the casual reader. -- Back Home in Kentucky Noe artfully steers the combatants toward Perryville, provides a coherent account of that confused clash, and tells what it meant to soldiers and civilians caught in the maelstrom. -- Society of Civil War Historians Noe captures the intensity and the frustrations well by delving into personal memoires for much of the battle narrative. Very well written and well worth getting. -- Paper Wars Noe clearly has established himself as a significant player among national Civil War historians of the western theater. -- Indiana Magazine of History Noe details in stirring prose backed by impressive research, the full dimension of the campaign and the battle that ended in a tactical victory yet could not win Kentucky for the South. In surely the most detailed and exhaustive study to date, Noe has produced in Perryville a work that will stand as the definitive word on a lost opportunity, and a lost dream. -- William C. Davis Noe gives a clear sense of the 'grand havoc' referred to in the book's title. -- Lexington Herald-Leader Noe has authored the essential book on this battle. -- Civil War Book Review Noe has produced a model study that expands our understanding of a long neglected battle and raises our expectations for future campaign histories. -- North Carolina Historical Review Noe has produced a model study that has comprehensively included a broad picture of military strategy and action as well as larger political issues.... This comprehensive effort constitutes what battle history ought to be. -- H-Net Reviews Noe has rescued this key engagement from obscurity with this masterful study. -- Ohio History Noe writes with a fine eye for detail and a moving prose: his work is a first-rate historical narrative. -- Wargamer Noe's outstanding book, which relates the battle to the campaign and to overall Confederate strategy, fills an important need and will doubtless serve as the definitive account of the battle. -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society Noe's scholarship is very good, his research exhaustive, and his ability to explain the course of events enhances the narrative. -- Georgia Historical Quarterly Noe's study of this pivotal campaign will be the standard work on the subject for some years to come. Essential reading on the military events in the west, and a model for future studies. -- Florida Historical Quarterly Noe's well researched, well written Perryville is the best volume on arguably the least understood important battle during the Civil War. No Civil War buff will want to miss it. -- William W. Freehling None of the professional works that touch on Perryville... can offer the breadth of perspective and the innovative investigation that inform Noe's Perryville. -- Civil War History Noteworthy.... Provides a detailed history of this 1862 battle. -- Kentucky Monthly Perryville was, in the words of one participant 'a square, stand-up, hand-to-hand fight.' In that spirit, Noe has written a model study of just such a Civil War battle. -- Journal of American History The best among a good group of modern studies on the Kentucky campaign and by far the most detailed on the battle of Perryville itself. It brings a better recognition of this neglected battle's significance to the war's outcome. -- Journal of Southern History The first true history of the battle, its aftermath, and the wide-spread repercussions of the South's loss. -- McCormick Messenger This superb book unravels the complexities of Perryville, but discloses these military details within their social and political contexts. These considerations greatly enrich our understanding of war, history, and human endeavor. -- Virginia Quarterly Review Untangles the complicated events leading up to and during the crucial battle between the forces of Union General Don Carlos Buell and Confederate General Braxton Bragg. -- Kirkus Reviews While providing all the parry and thrust one might expect from an excellent battle narrative, the book also reflects the new trends in Civil War history in its concern for ordinary soldiers and civilians caught in the slaughterhouse. -- cmapaigns-books.blogspot.com

""A blow by blow account of not only the battle itself, but also its prelude and, most importantly, its aftermath."" -- New 4U ""A conversational, easy-to-follow style with vivid imagery, Perryville clearly sets out the battle lines and savagery that took place there."" -- Danville Advocate-Messenger ""A model study that helps expand the definition of campaign histories."" -- Gary Gallagher, Washington Post ""About as detailed as it can get regarding this long-overlooked and recently discovered Civil War battle for Kentucky."" -- Civil War Courier ""An excellent book that will be hard to surpass in covering this battle."" -- Journal of America's Military Past ""An exceptional book. Buffs and serious scholars alike will enjoy what should be the definitive work on this battle for some time to come."" -- Civil War News ""An impressively researched, balanced, and detailed book that will please many readers, especially those who enjoy exciting battle histories."" -- Journal of Military History ""An indispensable source for an understanding of the events in Kentucky in the fall of 1862, when Braxton Bragg's Southern soldiers fought courageously to achieve what turned out to be the 'high water mark' of the western Confederacy."" -- America's Civil War ""Awarded the 2002 Seaborg Civil War Prize."" -- ""Casts new light on this epic struggle for Kentucky and restores it to a deserved place in the Civil War's pantheon of great campaigns."" -- Southern Historian ""Does a masterful job of placing the Battle of Perryville, and Kentucky more generally, in the context of the Civil War and southern history."" -- Filson History Quarterly ""For anyone seriously interested in the Civil War in Kentucky, Noe's books is a must buy. It should remain the definitive work of the Perryville campaign for many years."" -- Bowling Green Daily News ""Full of facts, details, and descriptions of the battle, but it also contains vivid descriptions of the soldiers and civilians caught in the wake of the battle making it interesting reading for not only the avid Civil War buff, but the casual reader."" -- Back Home in Kentucky ""Noe artfully steers the combatants toward Perryville, provides a coherent account of that confused clash, and tells what it meant to soldiers and civilians caught in the maelstrom."" -- Society of Civil War Historians ""Noe captures the intensity and the frustrations well by delving into personal memoires for much of the battle narrative. Very well written and well worth getting."" -- Paper Wars ""Noe clearly has established himself as a significant player among national Civil War historians of the western theater."" -- Indiana Magazine of History ""Noe details in stirring prose backed by impressive research, the full dimension of the campaign and the battle that ended in a tactical victory yet could not win Kentucky for the South. In surely the most detailed and exhaustive study to date, Noe has produced in Perryville a work that will stand as the definitive word on a lost opportunity, and a lost dream."" -- William C. Davis ""Noe gives a clear sense of the 'grand havoc' referred to in the book's title."" -- Lexington Herald-Leader ""Noe has authored the essential book on this battle."" -- Civil War Book Review ""Noe has produced a model study that expands our understanding of a long neglected battle and raises our expectations for future campaign histories."" -- North Carolina Historical Review ""Noe has produced a model study that has comprehensively included a broad picture of military strategy and action as well as larger political issues.... This comprehensive effort constitutes what battle history ought to be."" -- H-Net Reviews ""Noe has rescued this key engagement from obscurity with this masterful study."" -- Ohio History ""Noe writes with a fine eye for detail and a moving prose: his work is a first-rate historical narrative."" -- Wargamer ""Noe's outstanding book, which relates the battle to the campaign and to overall Confederate strategy, fills an important need and will doubtless serve as the definitive account of the battle."" -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society ""Noe's scholarship is very good, his research exhaustive, and his ability to explain the course of events enhances the narrative."" -- Georgia Historical Quarterly ""Noe's study of this pivotal campaign will be the standard work on the subject for some years to come. Essential reading on the military events in the west, and a model for future studies."" -- Florida Historical Quarterly ""Noe's well researched, well written Perryville is the best volume on arguably the least understood important battle during the Civil War. No Civil War buff will want to miss it."" -- William W. Freehling ""None of the professional works that touch on Perryville... can offer the breadth of perspective and the innovative investigation that inform Noe's Perryville."" -- Civil War History ""Noteworthy.... Provides a detailed history of this 1862 battle."" -- Kentucky Monthly ""Perryville was, in the words of one participant 'a square, stand-up, hand-to-hand fight.' In that spirit, Noe has written a model study of just such a Civil War battle."" -- Journal of American History ""The best among a good group of modern studies on the Kentucky campaign and by far the most detailed on the battle of Perryville itself. It brings a better recognition of this neglected battle's significance to the war's outcome."" -- Journal of Southern History ""The first true history of the battle, its aftermath, and the wide-spread repercussions of the South's loss."" -- McCormick Messenger ""This superb book unravels the complexities of Perryville, but discloses these military details within their social and political contexts. These considerations greatly enrich our understanding of war, history, and human endeavor."" -- Virginia Quarterly Review ""Untangles the complicated events leading up to and during the crucial battle between the forces of Union General Don Carlos Buell and Confederate General Braxton Bragg."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""While providing all the parry and thrust one might expect from an excellent battle narrative, the book also reflects the new trends in Civil War history in its concern for ordinary soldiers and civilians caught in the slaughterhouse."" -- cmapaigns-books.blogspot.com

A detailed account of how the Civil War engagement at Perryville, Kentucky, changed the lives of the soldiers, officers, and civilians who endured its brutality. Noe (History/Auburn Univ.) untangles the complicated events leading up to and during the crucial battle between the forces of Union General Don Carlos Buell and Confederate General Braxton Bragg. His analysis emphasizes the effects of the opposing commanders' personalities on their armies. Noe argues that Buell's sympathies for the Confederate cause combined with his meticulous planning to produce an operational timidity that mystified and infuriated his Union subordinates. Likewise, he asserts that Bragg experienced monumental mood swings, which undermined his self-confidence and allowed subordinate generals to pursue their own uncoordinated plans. Under the guidance of these weak commanders, the two armies blundered into each other on October 8, 1862. Since neither Buell nor Bragg understood that they faced the bulk of the other's armies, both generals made significant tactical errors: Bragg fed his regiments piecemeal into an inferno of Union artillery and small arms crossfire; Buell stubbornly refused to adequately reinforce his defensive lines or even believe that a major battle was unfolding until the combat was almost over. Making extensive use of personal letters and later interviews with the combatants, Noe vividly creates a horrific picture of the carnage that resulted from this incompetence, with many regiments suffering 50 percent casualties. He concludes that the heavy losses inflicted on Confederate forces constrained Bragg to abandon his attempt to capture Kentucky for the South, making Perryville a significant turning point in Civil War's Western campaign. The definitive history of a key battle that demands thoughtful consideration by anyone interested in the Civil War. (maps, illustrations, b&w photos) (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

Kenneth W. Noe holds the Draughon Chair in Southern History at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.

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