Starkweather’s Hill

Starkweather’s Hill. Perryville . The Battle For Kentucky. Their faces and hands begrimed from the smoke of battle, and their ears ringing with the constant ripping of musketry, Starkweather’s shattered brigade retreated to the ridge in front of you. They had saved several cannon, pushing them back to a new position. Most of the Union infantry took cover behind a stone wall that ran across part of the hill. Perryville’s rolling terrain allowed the Federals to establish another defensive position on high ground., Maney’s Confederates regrouped and rushed through the valley. They fought desperately at the stone wall, assaulting the Union troops again and again. Finally, a Union counterattack forced Maney’s exhausted brigade, now low on ammunition, to retreat back to this hill., Both sides refused to renew the struggle. Maney’s brigade fell back to Parsons’ Ridge, and Starkweather’s troops retreated to the west., While Maney’s attack helped the Confederates secure a tactical victory at Perryville, Starkweather’s stand saved the Union army. Bloodied in victory, some Confederate units lost more than half their command. The Southern army soon marched out of Kentucky. Never again was there a concerted effort to hold the Commonwealth for the Confederacy., ...the ground around was slippery with blood, many a poor dark looking powder begrimed Artillery man was laying stretched out upon the ground around us, torn and mutilated, their countenance plainly indicating the awful manner of their death. , Union Captain Robert B. Taylor, (captions) , The 4th Indiana Light Artillery under the command of Union Captain Asahel K. Bush, lost 13 mean and 35 horses while defending Starkweather’s Hill. Courtesy of Craig Dunn Enterprises, Inc.