Perryville in Boyle County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
General Polk Behind Enemy Lines
Perryville
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 17, 2025
1. General Polk Behind Enemy Lines Marker
Inscription.
General Polk Behind Enemy Lines. .
Major General Leonidas Polk (1806 - 1864). While in operational command of the Confederate Army of Mississippi, he accidentally rode behind the Union 22nd Indiana Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Squire Isham Keith., Well, Sir, it was at the battle of Perryville, late in the evening, in fact, it was almost dark when Liddell's brigade came into action. Shortly after its arrival I observed a body of men, whom I believed to be Confederates standing at an angle to this brigade and firing obliquely at the newly arrived troops. I said 'Bear me, this is very sad, and must be stopped!' So I turned around, but could find none of my [staff] who were absent on different messages; so I determined to ride myself and settle the matter. Having cantered up to the Colonel of the regiment which was firing. I asked in angry tones what he meant by shooting his own friends, and desired him to cease firing at once. He said with surprise, 'I dont think there can be any mistake about it, for I am damn certain that they are the enemy.' 'Enemy!' I said, 'Why I have just left them myself. Cease firing, Sir. What is your name, Sir?' 'My name is Colonel [Keith] of the [22nd] Indiana, and, pray Sir, who are you?' Then for the first time I saw to my astonishment that he was a Yankee, and that I was in the rear of a regiment of Yankees. Well, I saw that there was no hope but to brazen it out. My dark [uniform] and the increasing obscurity befriended me, so I approached quite close to him and shook my fist in his face, saying, 'I'll soon show you who I am Sir. Cease firing at once!' I then turned my horse and cantered slowly down the line shouting in an authoritative manner to the Yankees to 'cease firing.' At the same time I experienced a disagreeable sensation like a screwing up my back, calculating how many bullets would be between my shoulders every moment. I was afraid to increase my pace until I got to a small copse [of trees], when I put the spurs in and galloped back to my men. I immediately went to the nearest Colonel and said to him 'Colonel, I have reconnoitered those fellow pretty closely and I find there is no mistaking who they are. You may get up and to them.' So I ordered Liddell's brigade to cease firing, and to promptly load their guns, and for no man to pull a trigger or fire a gun unless he had a dead aim on a Yankee. After everyone was loaded, I ordered the firing obliquely to the left and when they did fire nearly three thousand muskets blazed as one gun. And I assure you Sir, that the slaughter of that Indiana Regiment was the greatest I had seen in the war., (Captions):,
Lieutenant Colonel Squire Isham Keith ( 1837 - 1862). While commanding the Union 22nd Indiana Infantry, he had an unlikely discussion with Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk. As a result, he was killed along with 58 of his men. The 22nd Indiana took a total of 65% casualties on this spot in just a few minutes., Colonel Michael Gooding Commander of the 30th Union Brigade at the Battle of Perryville. He was wounded and captured in this immediate area.
Major General Leonidas Polk
(1806 - 1864)
While in operational command of the Confederate Army of Mississippi, he accidentally rode behind the Union 22nd Indiana Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Squire Isham Keith.
Well, Sir, it was at the battle of Perryville, late in the evening, in fact, it was almost dark when Liddell's brigade came into action. Shortly after its arrival I observed a body of men, whom I believed to be Confederates standing at an angle to this brigade and firing obliquely at the newly arrived troops. I said 'Bear me, this is very sad, and must be stopped!' So I turned around, but could find none of my [staff] who were absent on different messages; so I determined to ride myself and settle the matter. Having cantered up to the Colonel of the regiment which was firing. I asked in angry tones what he meant by shooting his own friends, and desired him to cease firing at once. He said with surprise, 'I dont think there can be any mistake about it, for I am damn certain that they are the enemy.' 'Enemy!' I said, 'Why I have just left them myself. Cease firing, Sir. What is your name, Sir?' 'My name is Colonel [Keith] of the [22nd] Indiana, and, pray Sir, who are you?' Then for the first time I saw to my astonishment that he was a Yankee, and that I was in the
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rear of a regiment of Yankees. Well, I saw that there was no hope but to brazen it out. My dark [uniform] and the increasing obscurity befriended me, so I approached quite close to him and shook my fist in his face, saying, 'I'll soon show you who I am Sir. Cease firing at once!' I then turned my horse and cantered slowly down the line shouting in an authoritative manner to the Yankees to 'cease firing.' At the same time I experienced a disagreeable sensation like a screwing up my back, calculating how many bullets would be between my shoulders every moment. I was afraid to increase my pace until I got to a small copse [of trees], when I put the spurs in and galloped back to my men. I immediately went to the nearest Colonel and said to him 'Colonel, I have reconnoitered those fellow pretty closely and I find there is no mistaking who they are. You may get up and to them.' So I ordered Liddell's brigade to cease firing, and to promptly load their guns, and for no man to pull a trigger or fire a gun unless he had a dead aim on a Yankee. After everyone was loaded, I ordered the firing obliquely to the left and when they did fire nearly three thousand muskets blazed as one gun. And I assure you Sir, that the slaughter of that Indiana Regiment was the greatest I had seen in the war.
(Captions):
Lieutenant Colonel Squire Isham Keith
(
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 17, 2025
2. General Polk Behind Enemy Lines Marker
1837 - 1862)
While commanding the Union 22nd Indiana Infantry, he had an unlikely discussion with Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk. As a result, he was killed along with 58 of his men. The 22nd Indiana took a total of 65% casualties on this spot in just a few minutes.
Colonel Michael Gooding
Commander of the 30th Union Brigade at the Battle of Perryville. He was wounded and captured in this immediate area.
Erected by Mr. & Mrs. John L. Nau, III and Kentucky State Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1837.
Location. 37° 40.109′ N, 84° 58.755′ W. Marker is in Perryville, Kentucky, in Boyle County. It is on Hays Mays Road 0.1 miles east of Whites Road, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located on the Slaughter Pen Trail at the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2083 Hays Mays Road, Perryville KY 40468, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s 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 markers no longer nearby. Webster's Brigade (was about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named George P. Webster's Brigade (was about 600 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named General Polk Behind Enemy Lines (was about 700 feet away but has been permanently removed); Harris' Battery (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Dixville Crossroads (was about 800 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Regarding General Polk Behind Enemy Lines. Marker includes a map: Battle of Perryville, October 8, 1862, 6:45 PM.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 23, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 70 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 23, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
