Richmond in Madison County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Encampment At Bobstown
August 29, 1862
| — | The Battle of Richmond, Kentucky | — |
Photographed by Craig Doda, November 10, 2022
1. Encampment At Bobstown Marker
Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne's division, the vanguard of Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith's infantry, left Barbourville on August 23, 1862, the same day that Confederate Col. John Scott defeated Col. Leonidas Metcalfe on Big Hill. Barbourville's strong Union sentiment and the lack of supplies in the countryside made the Confederates anxious to move on.
The division, two brigades composed of eight regiments of infantry and two four-gun artillery batteries, marched out of Barbourville. Cleburne rode in front, leading Gen. Benjamin Jefferson Hill's brigade of Tennessee and Arkansas infantry. A brigade of Tennessee infantry commanded by Col. Preston Smith followed.
Hill's brigade reached Bobtown late on August 29, 1862. Col. Scott met Cleburne and reported that he had the Confederate front "well picketed."
Cleburne, apparently not comfortable with Scott's cavalry as his first line of defense, rearranged his infantry.
"Still feeling uneasy about our situation, with an unknown force of the enemy in our front, I determined, as a matter of precaution, to form line of battle facing the supposed direction of the enemy."
General Patrick Cleburne
Cleburne pushed Hill's line north of the Bobtown intersection and placed his infantry along the high ground on either side of the Old State Road (US 421). Pickets were placed in front of the main line.
The men "slept on their arms,” in line of battle with their weapons at hand, unaware that Union Col. Leonidas Metcalfe's cavalry unit was moving toward them.
Pickets were placed in front of each Confederate "position. These advance guards were the first line of defense, ready to send word to the main line as soon as the enemy was detected. (Marker Number 1.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is August 29, 1862.
Location. 37° 41.055′ N,
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Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Engagement At Bobtown (here, next to this marker); Advance To Kingstown (here, next to this marker); Confederates In Rogersville (here, next to this marker); An Inexperienced Army (here, next to this marker); Reforming The Union Line (here, next to this marker); Battle of Richmond (a few steps from this marker); Patrick Ronayne Cleburne (within shouting distance
Photographed by Craig Doda, November 10, 2022
2. Encampment At Bobstown Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 208 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 18, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
