Department of Parks
Annual Perryville Reenactment Oct. 2-3 To Emphasize Role of Horse

PERRYVILLE, Ky. – Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site will hold its annual Civil War battle re-enactment Oct. 2-3, 2010 with a special emphasis on horses.

The re-enactment weekend occurs while the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington is hosting the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The Games are the world’s most prestigious equestrian event and will attract guests from around the world Sept. 25-Oct. 10, 2010.

The theme for the Perryville re-enactment will be “Horse Soldiers – Cavalry in the American Civil War.” There will be expert speakers on cavalry, cavalry demonstrations and museum exhibits focusing on horses.

The weekend will feature two battles at the park, which preserves the location of the largest Civil War battle in Kentucky that took place in 1862. The battles are at 2 p.m. each day. Military camps, battlefield tours and other living history displays will also be a part of the weekend. (Some tours and the park museum have an additional charge.)

The keynote speaker is Ken Knopp, an authority on Civil War cavalry and author of “Saddle Makers of the Confederacy” and “Confederate Cavalry and Horse Equipment.” He will speak at noon on Saturday.

The re-enactment commemorates the most destructive Civil War battle in the state, which left more than 7,600 killed, wounded or missing. The newly renovated park museum tells of the battle that was the South’s last serious attempt to gain possession of Kentucky. The battlefield is one of the most unaltered Civil War sites in the nation; vistas visible today are virtually those soldiers saw on that fateful day in 1862.

Guests should be prepared to walk and bring comfortable shoes and a chair. Allow for plenty of time to arrive due to crowds and traffic.

Admission is $10 per carload, $15 for passenger vans and $25 for buses. Admission includes an antique show with vendors.

For more information, including a schedule for the weekend, visit www.perryvillebattlefield.org.

Perryville Battlefield is 45 miles southwest of Lexington. Take US 68 west to US 150 west. For more information about Perryville and other Kentucky State Parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov.

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