The Valley of Death

The Valley of Death. Perryville . The Battle For Kentucky. When Donelson’s brigade moved into this valley, they were met with a deadly surprise. The rolling terrain had prevented the Confederates from seeing all of the Union troop positions. When the Confederates reached this valley, they became trapped in a deadly crossfire as Union artillery fired at them from both the west and the north., Shells exploded overhead and cannonballs crashed into the Southern lines, but the brigade surged forward. Casualties were horrible from the crossfire, and the accurate fire from the two Union batteries spun the Southern troops into confusion. Donelson’s lines wavered and changed direction twice. The unexpected artillery barrage nearly ended Donelson’s advance., Although the fire from two Union artillery batteries had killed and wounded dozens of soldiers and had caused chaos in the Southern lines, the Confederates reformed and continued their attack. Pressing the Union soldiers, Donelson’s brigade drove a Union infantry regiment out from behind a fence and continued westward up the valley., I was riding in front expecting a surprise, the left oft regiment was at the edge of the forest and the field, when the battery, about one hundred and fifty yards from the regiment, fired, enfilading it, sweeping the whole length of the line, killing a captain, a lieutenant and many privates. I was riding in front of the regiment; a grape shot passed through the head of my horse below the eyes.
(caption) Confederate Colonel John Huston Savage (shown in his Mexican War Uniform) commanded the 16th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry under General Daniel Donelson.