Civil War

Travelers have the opportunity to further enhance their knowledge of the Civil War, travel Kentucky's byways and have fun by participating in the Kentucky Civil War Sites Association Passport Program. The 16 participating sites all tell a special story of their and the communities' involvement in the Civil War. Some are battlefields; others are museums, historic homes and a supply depot/enlistment center. The sites include: Battle of Richmond, Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park, Civil War fort at Boonesboro, Leslie Morris Park at Fort Hill, Lexington Historic Homes, Mill Springs Battlefield, Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, Munfordville Battlefields, Tebbs Bend Battlefield, Battle of Lebanon, James H. Ramage Civil War Museum, Fort Duffield Park and Historic Site, Hardin County History Museum, Battle of Barbourville, Bluegrass Heritage Museum and West Point, Ky., History Museum.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, and to commemorate that pivotal event in our nation’s history, the Bluegrass Heritage Museum will be hosting a Civil War symposium April 8-9. The event will begin that Friday with registration at the historic Baptist Church at 40 E. Lexington Ave. at 5:30, followed by a keynote speech at 6:30 by Civil War historian Kent Masterson Brown, who will present a synopsis of...

The Bluegrass Heritage Museum is seeking the public's help in updating and reissuing a 50-year-old history of the Civil War. “Civil War Days in Clark County,” a compilation of old newspaper articles, private journal entries, lists of soldiers, etc., was collected and originally published by the late Kathryn Owen, a noted local historian, to commemorate the war's centennial. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the war, the museum plans to reissue Owen's work, along with additional material, including maps, photos, articles and other material that was not available for the original publication, according to museum director Sandy Stults.

Acclaimed Civil War historian Kent Masterson Brown will headline the Bluegrass Heritage Museum’s Civil War Symposium this weekend, in honor of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the conflict. “He’s really out there on the Civil War speaking circuit, and he’s really well respected,” said Sandy Stults, director of the Bluegrass Heritage Museum.   The event begins Friday evening at the historic First Baptist Church on the corner of Highland Street and Lexington Avenue at 5:30.

The Battle of Richmond Association is using the Christmas holiday as an opportunity to educate the public more about the Civil War and the Victorian era in central Kentucky. “Journey to Christmas Past” will be staged at the Irvinton Estate in Richmond for the second year in a row Dec. 15-16. The historic home will be transformed to replicate Christmas from approximately 1855-67. “We decided that doing a Victorian-style Christmas might be another way to have a little fundraiser,” Paula White, president of the Battle of Richmond Association, said.

A descendant of a woman who was killed during the Civil War is seeking information about the incident. Mildred Abbott Julian Mitchell, who lived in Danville, was killed March 24, 1863, when hit by a “stray” minie ball as she stood near a window of her house on Main Street.  The family lived on the third floor of the Daniel McLivoy Building, above the Branch Bank of Kentucky where her husband was a bank cashier. Sally Young, Mitchell's great-great-great-granddaughter, of Lexington, has found several published reports of the incident (all undocumented)

One of the many tragedies of the Civil War was the divided loyalties that led to Kentuckians fighting on opposite sides. Being a border state, Kentucky saw many instances of “brother against brother” during the war. A number of well known Clark County families - Jackson, Bush, Haggard, Quisenberry, Curry, Hanson, Combs, Rankin, Parrish, Ecton, Stevens and others - sent men to both the Union and Confederate armies. One of the Jackson clans descend from the Revolutionary War soldier and pensioner, Josiah Jackson.

PERRYVILLE - The Perryville Battlefield State Historic has the honor of leading off this year's seven-day tour of Kentucky's most significant Civil War sites when it hosts special activities Monday. "It means a lot being the first in line. The lead-off slot has bragging rights," said Kim Lindemann, who works at the park's museum. "Being in the lead-off spot, we're hoping to get a big crowd. " The event kicks off the Central Kentucky Civil War Heritage Trail, which stops at seven sites in seven days.

An officer who fought in both the Mexican War and the Civil War will be the focus of next Thursday's Second Thursday program at the Bluegrass Heritage Museum. Jim Prichard, head of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives Research Room, will discuss John Stuart "Cerro Gordo" Williams at the program, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Williams, a native of Mount Sterling and a colonel of the 4th Kentucky Volunteers in the Mexican War, led the effort to organize the 5th Kentucky Infantry in the fall of 1861.

Civil War historian Don Rightmyer will lecture 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Boyle County Public Library, Broadway, as part of the Gen. Lovell H. Rousseau Civil War Lecture Series. Rightmyer's talk is titled "Kentucky's Fighting Men in the Civil War. " He will look specifically at the men of Kentucky who fought in the war, how they came to join the armies of the North or the South, and how their wartime experiences touched their lives. The lecture is free and open to the public. "As a border state, Kentucky was torn in half during the Civil War," said Chris Kolakowski, executive director of the Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association.

Several years ago, Irvine Fox gave me an envelope containing photographs of covered bridges and Chimney Rock, but no information on them. I had no idea where the bridges were located. Two photographs showed repairs being made to the foundation of the bridge. It was not until a couple of weeks ago that I learned where the bridge stood. Walter Laughlin, co-author of “Kentucky's Covered Bridges,” contacted me about photographs of the bridges that belong to Harold Edwards of Perryville.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and director of the National Park Service Jonathan B. Jarvis announced Monday the designation of 13 new national historic landmarks, including the Camp Nelson Historic and Archeological District. “These national historic landmark designations span more than two centuries of our country's history, from 17th century architecture to a Civil War battlefield to a 19th century-Kentucky whiskey distillery that continued to operate through the Prohibition era,” Salazar said.

One of the many tragedies of the Civil War was the divided loyalties that led to Kentuckians fighting on opposite sides. Being a border state, Kentucky saw many instances of “brother against brother” during the war. A number of well known Clark County families - Jackson, Bush, Haggard, Quisenberry, Curry, Hanson, Combs, Rankin, Parrish, Ecton, Stevens and others - sent men to both the Union and Confederate armies. One of the Jackson clans descend from the Revolutionary War soldier and pensioner, Josiah Jackson.

Editor's note: “The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come,” 1903, by John Fox Jr., is the fourth in a series of book reviews about works of Kentucky fiction. An unexpected number of the best Kentucky novels have come from the hills of the eastern part of the state. Some of these were written by natives, others by outlanders who, having migrated in, became fascinated with the people and their folky ways. A prime example of the latter is John Fox Jr. He was born during the Civil War at Stony Point in rural Bourbon County, which is south of Paris.

The Battle of Richmond Association is using the Christmas holiday as an opportunity to educate the public more about the Civil War and the Victorian era in central Kentucky. “Journey to Christmas Past” will be staged at the Irvinton Estate in Richmond for the second year in a row Dec. 15-16. The historic home will be transformed to replicate Christmas from approximately 1855-67. “We decided that doing a Victorian-style Christmas might be another way to have a little fundraiser,” Paula White, president of the Battle of Richmond Association, said.

100 years ago - 1912   The marriage of Ruby Lee Wilkerson and William E. Hobbs, which recently was solemnized, marked the closing chapter in a romantic meeting and courtship. Mr. Hobbs was a United States soldier en route to the Phillippine Islands during the Spanish American War when he struck up a chance acquaintance with Miss Wilkerson, a handsome young lady of Lincoln County. Since the meeting, the young people have corresponded continually up to the time of their wedding.

PERRYVILLE - The grass is green, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, a scene very unlike 150 years ago, when the temperatures were unusually hot and the ground was extremely dry.  Monday marked the exact date of the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Perryville. To remember the day, a rededication of monuments was held at Perryville Battlefield State Historic site.  Special guests included those with direct ancestors who served at the battle, specifically former CIA and FBI Director William Webster, great-grandson of George P. Webster, a Union officer who was mortally wounded at Perryville.  Another special guest speaker was Simon B. Buckner IV, great-grandson of Simon B. Buckner, a Confederate officer who returned home.

PERRYVILLE - By mid-morning Saturday, thousands of people from near and far packed the streets of downtown Perryville as well as the lush hills of the historic Perryville Battlefield. It's too early to tell just how many people visited the small city this weekend for the 150th anniversary of the famed Civil War Battle of Perryville, but just a few hours after the gates opened Saturday, spectators were already using overflow parking and making a rather lengthy trek to the admissions gate.

PERRYVILLE - Back in Daniel Boone's day, and on other occasions since, Kentucky has been famously referred to as “the dark and bloody ground.”  But never in the state's history was that phrase more apt than on Oct. 8, 1862, when Perryville was littered with thousands of dead and dying soldiers. Visitors to the museum at the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site this weekend will get a visceral reminder of that gory chapter when they take in a new exhibit dedicated to battlefield surgeon Dr. Robert McMeens, who worked tirelessly to save what he could of his Union comrades but could not save himself.