Kentucky.gov

Department of Parks
Perryville Will Feature Merchants’ Row, Other Historic Programs During Battle Of Perryville Reenactment

PERRYVILLE, Ky. – Perryville in 1862 was like many other communities in Kentucky. It had a general store, post office, drug store and people busy loading and unloading wagons in the street.

Some scenes from that era will be recreated in October when Perryville hosts thousands of guests attending the national Civil War battle reenactment at the nearby Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site.

Parts of the main business section of Perryville – called Merchants’ Row – have been preserved and will allow guests to see what the town looked like in 1862. During the reenactment on Oct. 7-8, there will be living history presentations, craft shows, fireworks, music and parades – all to commemorate Perryville’s role in the largest Civil War battle fought in Kentucky.

“I think it pays great honor to those who have fallen,” said John Gentry, a city council member and chairman of the commemoration committee.

Some of the buildings in Perryville played a role in the battle. Some were damaged by cannonballs while others served as hospitals for the wounded. Many of the buildings help tell the story about the battle and its aftermath.

The Karrick-Parks House will be open to the public. This building at the corner of Buell and Fourth Streets housed a prominent family – James Vance Karrick, his wife Harriet and eight children. James Karrick died in 1860, but his wife and children were living in the house at the time of the battle in 1862.

The evening before the battle, Confederate troops arrived at the house. Officers slept inside the home while other soldiers slept on the walks outside. The next morning, the troops advised the Karrick family to leave for their own safety.

Another building on Buell Street that will be open is the office of Dr. Jefferson J. Polk, who served as Perryville’s physician from 1837-1866. Besides seeing patients and delivering babies, Dr. Polk served as the local minister. According to Polk’s accounts, he treated hundreds of wounded soldiers from both sides the day of the battle.

There will also be guides at these buildings and a self-guided walking tour of the town will be offered during the weekend.

More than 5,000 participants are expected for the Oct. 7-8 reenactment, which recreates the largest Civil War battle in Kentucky.

More information, including the schedule for Oct. 7-8, is available by going to the Department of Parks web site at www.parks.ky.gov and clicking on the Battle of Perryville 2006 logo.

Advance tickets are being sold through Sept. 22 with a $3 discount available for one-day and two-day adult tickets. One-day tickets are $15 and two-day tickets are $20 for adults at the gate. Children ages 6-12 are $5 (second day free) and children 5 and under are free. Advance ticket holders can also bypass the main admission line.

Call the park at 859-332-8631 to order tickets or go to the Perryville web site. Information is also available at: http://www.perryvillereenactment.org/

Visitors are encouraged to arrive early because of the time it takes to park in Perryville and take the shuttle to the state park. The admission ticket includes a bus ride to the park. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a chair.

Here is the schedule for activities in downtown Perryville: