Existing comment:
(Stop 21) Stalemate:
After more than four hours of intense fighting, the unrelenting Confederate attack pushed the Union troops back to the far ridge in front of you. These fields were strewn with the dead, dying, and wounded of both armies, their cries for water and helped drowned by the incessant roar of musketry.
The Union army had failed to send these troops reinforcements because Union soldiers west of Perryville never heard the sounds of battle. A strange atmospheric phenomenon, caused by the rolling terrain and wind direction, prevented the roar of cannon and rifle from reaching these troops.
Finally, as the sun began to set behind the hills, Union reinforcements arrived and blocked the Confederate advance. These reinforcements prevented the pressed Union troops from being cut off from the rest of their army. When darkness fell, both sides withdrew.
The Battle of Perryville was over. More than 7,500 soldiers on both sides had been killed and wounded. Realizing they were outnumbered, the Confederates withdrew from Perryville that night. Their failure to attain a decisive victory at Perryville ended their campaign to secure Kentucky for the Confederacy.
"The battle now raged furiously, one after one my men were cut down, but still, with unyielding hearts, they severely pressed the enemy, and in many instances forced them to give way."
-- Union Colonel Michael Gooding, 22nd Indiana Infantry |