FAQ # 1: Was the battle of Perryville the bloodiest day of the Civil War?

ANSWER: No.

The battle of Perryville has been the subject of much wrong information through the years. The battle, which occurred on October 8, 1862, was the bloodiest day of the Civil War IN KENTUCKY, but not in the entire war. There were many other battles throughout the war, both before and after Perryville, which resulted in a greater number of casualties.

While the battle at Perryville on that hot, dry afternoon in October wasn't the bloodiest battle of the war, there were several senior commanders present on the battlefield that day who characterized the intensity of the fighting and battle experiences as some of the "most severe" they had ever seen. For the number of men engaged in battle and the period of time they were fighting, the conflict at Perryville was very hot and intense. The number of casualties experienced by both sides and the amount of time the battle took place in attest to that fact.