Battle of Richmond
Richmond, Kentucky, USA
What happened
Confederates under Edmund Kirby Smith, with Patrick Cleburne and Thomas J. Churchill, fought Union troops under William 'Bull' Nelson and Mahlon D. Manson. Kirby Smith's army marched north into Kentucky. On 30 August, Churchill's troops used a hidden ravine to reach the side of the Union line, and the Union army gave way. More than 4,300 Union soldiers were captured.
Why it matters
It was one of the most complete Confederate victories of the war and the first major battle of the Kentucky Campaign. Historian Shelby Foote called it 'the nearest thing to a Cannae' scored by any general in the war.
What came next
The victory left the road north to Lexington and Frankfort open.
Did you know?
As his army gave way, Nelson tried to rally his troops at the Richmond cemetery, but they could not hold.
Timeline
- 14 Aug 1862The Confederate campaign into Kentucky begins.
- 29 Aug 1862Cavalry skirmishes north of Big Hill.
- 30 Aug 1862Battle of Richmond.
- 10 Oct 1862The Kentucky campaign ends.