On 8 October 1862 Confederate and Union armies fought the Battle of Perryville, the largest battle of the Civil War in Kentucky. It was tactically inconclusive, but it ended the Confederate invasion of the state: outnumbered, General Bragg withdrew to Tennessee, and Kentucky stayed in the Union.
An acoustic shadow
An atmospheric effect stopped the sound of the battle from carrying. The Union commander Buell, a few miles away, could not hear the fighting.1
Our article on the Battle of Perryville covers the fighting and its consequences. › Battle of Perryville, 1862
Also on this day
1879: Battle of Angamos. Off Punta Angamos, Chilean ironclads trapped and engaged the Peruvian monitor Huáscar during the War of the Pacific.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at the Battle of Perryville?
On 8 October 1862 Confederate and Union armies fought the largest Civil War battle in Kentucky. It was tactically inconclusive, but afterwards the outnumbered Confederate army withdrew.
Who won the Battle of Perryville?
Tactically it was a draw, with the Confederates even gaining ground. Strategically it was a Union victory, because Bragg abandoned his invasion and left Kentucky in the Union.
What was the acoustic shadow at Perryville?
An atmospheric effect that stopped the sound of the battle from carrying. The Union commander Buell, a few miles away, could not hear the fighting.
Notes
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