In 1862, the Confederacy launched a campaign to sway the indecisive border state of Kentucky. Full of blunders and missed opportunities, this operation served only to convince the Kentuckians of what they suspected all along: The Confederacy, for all its braggadocio, was incapable of holding the state against determined Union forces. Among the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, Perryville was also one of the most decisive regarding Southern hopes to take the war into Union territory. Compiled from firsthand sources such as letters, diaries and regimental histories, this book tells the story of the South’s ill-fated attempt to bring Kentucky into the Confederacy. From planning to completion, it details the military movements of both Union and Confederate forces, including the battles of Richmond and Mumfordsville. The main focus of the work, however, is the biggest battle of the campaign–Perryville. Here, inexperience on both sides and the lack of cohesive Confederate action turned what could easily have been a Southern victory into a disheartening retreat, forever relegating General Braxton Bragg, who had the makings of a Confederate hero, to the annals of military mediocrity. Appendices include detailed lists of Confederate and Union commands, strategic placement of the inexperienced regiments and Perryville casualties. Contemporary photographs and an index are also included.