Perryville in Boyle County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

General Polk Behind Enemy Lines

Perryville • The Battle For Kentucky

— October 8, 1862 —

General Polk Behind Enemy Lines Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, March 31, 2012

1. General Polk Behind Enemy Lines Marker

Inscription.

General Polk Behind Enemy Lines. Perryville . The Battle For Kentucky. , After capturing Union Captain Samuel Harris' artillery battery, located behind you, Confederate troops led by Brigadier General St. John R. Liddell moved to this area to support other advancing Southern units., Night was falling, and, as Liddell's men deployed, they fired upon a "dark line" of soldiers located in the fields in front of you. Cries of "You are firing upon friends; for God's sake stop!" echoed across the field. Liddell's men ceased fire, and Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk, second-in-command at Perryville, rode forward to investigate this possible instance of friendly fire., Polk immediately encountered the colonel of the mysterious regiment and asked the officer why he was firing upon "his friends." The Colonel replied, "I don't think there can be any mistake about it. I am sure they are the enemy." "Enemy?" Polk huffed. "Why I have only just left them myself - cease firing, sir, what is your name sir?" "My name is Colonel (Squire Keith), of the (22nd Indiana), and pray sir, who are you?" Polk now realized the startling fact that he was behind enemy lines., Determined to "brazen it out," Polk pretended to be a Union officer and rode down the enemy line, shouting for the Federal troops to cease fire. He then spurred his horse back to the Confederate position and ordered his men to attack. Polk said that the hundreds of muskets "blazed as one gun," and that "the slaughter of that Indiana regiment was the greatest I had ever seen in the war.", The casualties were horrific. Colonel Keith was killed, and the 22nd Indiana lost nearly seventy percent casualties (59 killed, 119 wounded, and 17 missing out of 300 soldiers). Polk's foray behind enemy lines and the volley that decimated the 22nd Indiana also ended the Battle of Perryville, for Polk refused to continue the attack., "The Federal force had disappeared everywhere. The ground before my line was literally covered with the dead and dying." , Confederate Brigadier General St. John R. Liddell, (captions) , (lower left) Private William J. Cole, Company F, 22nd Indiana. Cole was wounded in the left side, but survived the volley from Liddell's Brigade. , (center) Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell , (upper right) Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk

After capturing Union Captain Samuel Harris' artillery battery, located behind you, Confederate troops led by Brigadier General St. John R. Liddell moved to this area to support other advancing Southern units.

Night was falling, and, as Liddell's men deployed, they fired upon a "dark line" of soldiers located in the fields in front of you. Cries of "You are firing upon friends; for God's sake stop!" echoed across the field. Liddell's men ceased fire, and Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk, second-in-command at Perryville, rode forward to investigate this possible instance of friendly fire.

Polk immediately encountered the colonel of the mysterious regiment and asked the officer why he was firing upon "his friends." The Colonel replied, "I don't think there can be any mistake about it. I am sure they are the enemy." "Enemy?" Polk huffed. "Why I have only just left them myself - cease firing, sir, what is your name sir?" "My name is Colonel (Squire Keith), of the (22nd Indiana), and pray sir, who are you?" Polk now realized the startling fact that he was behind enemy lines.

Determined to "brazen it out," Polk pretended to be a Union officer and rode down the enemy line, shouting for the Federal troops to cease fire. He then spurred his horse back to the Confederate position and ordered his men

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to attack. Polk said that the hundreds of muskets "blazed as one gun," and that "the slaughter of that Indiana regiment was the greatest I had ever seen in the war."

The casualties were horrific. Colonel Keith was killed, and the 22nd Indiana lost nearly seventy percent casualties (59 killed, 119 wounded, and 17 missing out of 300 soldiers). Polk's foray behind enemy lines and the volley that decimated the 22nd Indiana also ended the Battle of Perryville, for Polk refused to continue the attack.

"The Federal force had disappeared everywhere. The ground before my line was literally covered with the dead and dying."
Confederate Brigadier General St. John R. Liddell

(captions)
(lower left) Private William J. Cole, Company F, 22nd Indiana. Cole was wounded in the left side, but survived the volley from Liddell's Brigade.
(center) Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell
(upper right) Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk (Marker Number 43.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is October 8, 1862.

Location. 37° 40.22′ N, 84° 58.733′ W. Marker is in Perryville, Kentucky, in Boyle County. Marker can be reached from Whites Road east of Hays Mays Road, on the right when traveling east. Marker can be reached from parking area on Whites

Major General Leonidas Polk image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, March 31, 2012

2. Major General Leonidas Polk

Road. Located at Interpretive Marker 43 on the Perryville Battlefield Trail System (Slaughter Pen Trail). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Perryville KY 40468, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Harris' Battery (a few steps from this marker); 80th Indiana (within shouting distance of this marker); George P. Webster's Brigade (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Russell House (about 700 feet away); The Slaughter Pen (about 700 feet away); The John C. Russell House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Illinois Soldiers at Perryville (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dixville Crossroads (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Perryville.

Also see . . .
1. Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. Kentucky State Parks website entry (Submitted on September 16, 2015.)

2. Perryville. Civil War Trust website entry (Submitted on September 16, 2015.)

Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, March 31, 2012

3. Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell

Private William J. Cole, Company F, 22nd Indiana image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, March 31, 2012

4. Private William J. Cole, Company F, 22nd Indiana

Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, March 31, 2012

5. General Polk Behind Enemy Lines Marker

Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, March 31, 2012

6. General Polk Behind Enemy Lines Marker

Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, March 31, 2012

7. General Polk Behind Enemy Lines Marker

Marker at right (yellow arrow) in relation to Harris' Battery Marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 535 times since then and 22 times this year. Last updated on February 28, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on September 15, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.