Perryville in Boyle County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Palmer's GA Battery

Perryville • The Battle For Kentucky

— October 8, 1862 —

Palmer's GA Battery Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 17, 2025

1. Palmer's GA Battery Marker

Inscription.

Palmer's GA Battery. Perryville . The Battle For Kentucky. , The ridge in front of you was packed with 2,300 Union troops. Colonel William H. Lytle's veteran brigade was straight ahead. On the ridge to your right, Colonel Leonard Harris' veteran brigade also overlooked this position. The Confederates in this position were certainly advancing against a formidable position., To your right, Confederate infantry led by Brigadier General John Brown moved toward the Union center, attacking the hill where Simonson's guns were posted., Brown called for artillery support, and two guns from Captain Joseph E. Palmer's artillery battery were moved here to fire on the hills in front of you. Palmer commanded Battery A of the 14th Battalion, Georgia Light Artillery. Perryville was their first battle., Upon reaching this site, Palmer's artillerymen sustained heavy casualties as Union infantry fired from the ridges in front of you. Most of the artillery horses were killed, and many men fell as volleys of Union musketry rained down into this valley., Sixteen men manned the two guns that were placed here. One was killed and twelve were wounded in a matter of minutes. Of the twelve horses pulling the cannon, nine were killed or disabled., After forming [a] line of battle, we marched for three-quarters of a mile through a perfect storm of shot and shell . . . great God how the balls did whistle! I had one killed and one of my cannoneers wounded before I could unlimber, but when I got in battery I gave them h-ell with canister. Such a fight I do not believe was ever fought before. - Captain Joseph E. Palmer, The two lines were not over three hundred yards apart. In a few minutes out of twelve horses to the two guns only three were left, and out of sixteen men of the two guns only four were left unhurt - [Calvin Etheridge was the] only one...killed. Poor fellow - [Before the battle] he took some trinkets out of his pockets and gave them to a messmate and told him to send them to his wife as he would be killed in the fight. Sure enough he was shot through the head soon after his gun got into action. - Pvt. William Ralston Talley, Palmer's Georgia Battery, [One horse] was found the next day to have had a Miniè ball shot through his head - it entered where the muscle above the eye work and puffed out on the other side. I saw the ball cut out in [Tennessee] over two months after and the horse never stopped a day till he was left in Kentucky when the battery was with General John Morgan in a raid behind the Yankee lines in January, 1863. The horse was worn out and thumped. - Pvt. William Ralston Talley, Palmer's Georgia Battery

The ridge in front of you was packed with 2,300 Union troops. Colonel William H. Lytle's veteran brigade was straight ahead. On the ridge to your right, Colonel Leonard Harris' veteran brigade also overlooked this position. The Confederates in this position were certainly advancing against a formidable position.

To your right, Confederate infantry led by Brigadier General John Brown moved toward the Union center, attacking the hill where Simonson's guns were posted.

Brown called for artillery support, and two guns from Captain Joseph E. Palmer's artillery battery were moved here to fire on the hills in front of you. Palmer commanded Battery A of the 14th Battalion, Georgia Light Artillery. Perryville was their first battle.

Upon reaching this site, Palmer's artillerymen sustained heavy casualties as Union infantry fired from the ridges in front of you. Most of the artillery horses were killed, and many men fell as volleys of Union musketry rained down into this valley.

Sixteen men manned the two guns that were placed here. One was killed and twelve were wounded in a matter of minutes. Of the twelve horses pulling the cannon, nine were killed or disabled.

After forming [a] line of battle, we marched for three-quarters of a mile through a perfect storm of shot and shell . .
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. great God how the balls did whistle! I had one killed and one of my cannoneers wounded before I could unlimber, but when I got in battery I gave them h-ell with canister. Such a fight I do not believe was ever fought before. - Captain Joseph E. Palmer

The two lines were not over three hundred yards apart. In a few minutes out of twelve horses to the two guns only three were left, and out of sixteen men of the two guns only four were left unhurt - [Calvin Etheridge was the] only one...killed. Poor fellow - [Before the battle] he took some trinkets out of his pockets and gave them to a messmate and told him to send them to his wife as he would be killed in the fight. Sure enough he was shot through the head soon after his gun got into action. - Pvt. William Ralston Talley, Palmer's Georgia Battery

[One horse] was found the next day to have had a Miniè ball shot through his head - it entered where the muscle above the eye work and puffed out on the other side. I saw the ball cut out in [Tennessee] over two months after and the horse never stopped a day till he was left in Kentucky when the battery was with General John Morgan in a raid behind the Yankee lines in January, 1863. The horse was worn out and thumped. - Pvt. William Ralston Talley, Palmer's Georgia Battery

Erected by

Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 17, 2025

2. Palmer's GA Battery Marker

Mr. & Mrs. John L. Nau, III.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1863.

Location. 37° 40.055′ N, 84° 58.175′ W. Marker is in Perryville, Kentucky, in Boyle County. It can be reached from Park Road 0.3 miles west of Battlefield Road (Kentucky Route 1920). Marker is located on the Jones Trail at the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1825 Battlefield 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 nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Artillery Duel at Loomis Heights (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Jones' Ridge (about 700 feet away); Cleburne's Attack (about 700 feet away); Assault From The Bottom House (about 700 feet away); Baptism of Fire: The 42nd Indiana Story (about 700 feet away); The H.P. Bottom House (about 700 feet away); “For God’s Sake, Save That Battery” The 38th Indiana at Perryville (approx. 0.2 miles away); Simonson’s Battery (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Perryville.

Other markers no longer nearby. The 15th Kentucky Infantry (US) (was about 700 feet away but has been permanently removed); Baptism of Fire (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it);

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Assault from the Bottom House (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The H. P. Bottom House (was about 700 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Regarding Palmer's GA Battery. Marker includes a map: Battle of Perryville, October 8, 1862, 3:45 PM.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 25, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 55 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 25, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.