Perryville

President Abraham Lincoln apparently thought it was time for the Union Army to take control after watching the Confederates smash Union troops in battles and before the Southerners took over the Union-controlled border state of Kentucky in 1862. Battles in Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Va.; Maryland; and Corinth, Miss., were considered victories for the Southern Army, said Kurt Holman, superintendent of Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. Holman considers the Oct. 8, 1862, battle at Perryville as one of the turning points in the Civil War. Both sides of the Civil War wanted to control Kentucky because of its central location and its control of two rivers.

Editor's note: “The Great Meadow,” 1930, by Elizabeth Madox Roberts, is the first in a series of book reviews about works of Kentucky fiction. If you are descended from “early settlers,” your ancestors almost certainly came to Kentucky from Virginia. “The Great Meadow” is a novel unsurpassed in depicting the life these pioneers left behind, the trek they undertook, and the toils demanded of them in their new home. Its author is Boyle County native Elizabeth Madox Roberts.

PERRYVILLE - Much like winning a battle one field at a time, Perryville continues to capture more of the land that shaped the identity of a region and, ultimately, a nation. James R. Overstreet and Pat W. and Lora June Overstreet have transferred ownership of more than 140 acres on Hayes-May Road to the Civil War Preservation Trust for $725,000, according to a deed filed recently at the Boyle County Clerk's Office. Joni L. House, preservation specialist and program coordinator for Perryville Battlefield State Historical Site, said the acquisition represents an opportunity  to keep a piece of history intact that might otherwise be lost to development.

PERRYVILLE - State and local police were investigating an attempted bank robbery in Perryville Friday afternoon. Officials declined to immediately release additional details regarding the crime against Farmers National Bank at 309 E. 2nd St. for fear of jeopardizing their active investigation. Read more in Sunday's edition of The Advocate-Messenger and online.

PERRYVILLE - A man was arrested Tuesday evening after not paying for gasoline. About 6:30 p.m., Boyle County Sheriff's deputy Tyler Morris responded to Battlefield Station in Perryville for an alleged gas drive-off. According to a press release, investigation revealed Larry Garrett, 28, of Perryville, was the suspect. Morris conducted a routine traffic stop after locating Garrett's vehicle in Junction City. The release said Garrett's father paid Battlefield Station for the stolen gasoline, but Garrett was arrested on a theft by deception warrant in Garrard County.

A Perryville man was arrested Tuesday night after a verbal confrontation ensued in a Danville neighborhood. About 9:30 p.m., Danville police responded to 232 Harding Street where residents had an unknown individual in their backyard.  According to a press release, a verbal altercation was prompted when residents confronted the man identified as Travis Dowell, 23, of Perryville. Dowell would not cooperate with police, the release stated, and a search revealed he was carrying a .25 caliber handgun in his back pocket.

PERRYVILLE - The scene at Perryville American Legion Battlefield Post 301 Saturday might have resembled a family reunion with the all similar clothing, nicknaming and hobnobbing. But the fashions featured leather vests and bandanas; the nicknames were actually road names like Rawhide, Boston Bob, Mad Dog and Saphire (with one 'p' on purpose); and the jokes centered on using the pseudonyms to avoid detection. In reality, the 250 motorcyclists gathered for a poker run in support of 2 Wheels 4 Tots, a charity run by the Legion and the Raptors motorcycle club of Perryville.  For seven years now, the two groups have sponsored the ride to raise funds to provide food, gifts and money to local families in need at Christmas time, Raptors president Bob "Just Bob" Hill said.

PERRYVILLE  -  The Confederate and Union monuments at Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site will be rededicated at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at as part of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War battle. Several events will be held during the day, highlighted by the rededication ceremony for the Union and Confederate monuments at the park. This event is free and open to the public. Kurt Holman, park superintendent, is attempting to get descendants of veterans of the Confederate and Union armies who fought at the Battle of Perryville to represent their ancestors during the rededication.

Editor's note: This is the second of two stories about a Perryville resident's memories of that town after the Battle of Perryville. PERRYVILLE - William L. Linney was 9 years old when his family moved to Perryville in January 1866, not long after the famous Battle of Perryville. It did not take long for him to get acquainted with the people, and learn about the town's businessmen, churches, schools and the crime in this small town. He wrote his memories 50 years later and added a couple of poems.