Perryville in Boyle County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
The Old Mackville Road
Perryville • The Battle For Kentucky
| — | October 8, 1862 | — |
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 16, 2025
1. The Old Mackville Road Marker
Marker is unreadable. Text provided by the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site.
Late in the afternoon of October 8, 1862, Samuel Powel's Confederate Brigade moved west out of Perryville on the Springfield Road to attack Union Third Corps. Powel's men were outnumbered twenty to one. After a lively engagement, Colonel William P. Carlin's Union Brigade consisting of the 21st Illinois Infantry, the 38th Illinois Infantry, the 101st Ohio Infantry, and the 15th Wisconsin, supported by four cannons from the 2nd Minnesota Battery, counter-attacked and drove Powel's Brigade back a mile and a half into the town of Perryville. As the dust cleared and the darkness fell, Powel held the town east of the Chaplin River and Carlin's Brigade held the town west of the Chaplin River. On the left of Carlin's Brigade, the 38th Illinois was stationed near here where they cut the Perryville/Mackville road. Two Confederate brigades were in front of the Yankees and two Confederate divisions were behind them. During that night, the 38th Illinois captured an ammunition train moving west from the town of Perryville. This wagon train was under the command of Lieutenant Phillip Bayne of General Daniel Adams' Staff. This train
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"A few minutes after the shelling ceased, five rebels came down the road from the rebel brigade, going towards the town. Company K, being on the left flank and on the road, quietly made them prisoners. A few minutes later, a rebel surgeon, followed by an ambulance, came down the road brought to a sudden halt by an unlooked-for obstruction consisting of a number of Enfield rifles pointing at his breast. Company K then advanced across the road into the woods. Soon after, a rebel caisson (Washington Artillery) came down the road and was intercepted by Company G. After we had remained in the woods about half an hour, having captured several stragglers in the meantime, a rebel ammunition train approached from the town and came within 50 or 60 yards of us. We ordered them to come to us, which they did (thinking us to be rebels), and were only undeceived by finding themselves surrounded by blue uniforms. We captured a total of 13 wagons loaded with ammunition and 68 prisoners; our company numbering only 55 men! We then rejoined the regiment and fell back half a mile and lay by our arms till morning."
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Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 16, 2025
2. The Old Mackville Road Marker
Marker is located at the southernmost point of the Old Mackville Road Trail. View is looking north.
(Caption):
Colonel William Passmore Carlin
(November 23, 1829 - October 4, 1903) was the original colonel of the 38th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to command the 31st Brigade in the spring of 1862. This is the position he held at the Battle of Perryville. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General less than two months later.
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° 39.077′ N, 84° 57.388′ W. Marker has been reported unreadable. Marker is in Perryville, Kentucky, in Boyle County. It can be reached from Hays Mays Road half a mile west of Battlefield Road (Kentucky Route 1920), on the left when traveling west. Marker is located at the southernmost point of the Old Mackville Road Trail at the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. Parking for the trailhead is located at 740 Hays Mays Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 740 Hays Mays Road, Perryville KY 40468, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Bluegrass Region. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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 location: Battle of Perryville (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named The Battle of Perryville (approx. ¼ mile away); Bragg's Invasion of Kentucky (approx. ¼ mile away); Merchants' Row / Street Fighting (approx. ¼ mile away); The Hard Hand Of War (approx. ¼ mile away); Addison Parks (approx. ¼ mile away); In The Crucible Of War (approx. ¼ mile away); Perryville (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Perryville.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Battle of Perryville (was approx. ¼ mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 9, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 77 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 9, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
