Battle of Richmond Association

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Battle of Richmond Association The Battle of Richmond Association was organized in 2001 to act as the lead organization in an effort to preserve the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky Battlefield.

The organization was formed in partnership with the Madison County Historical Society.

Last Saturday, BORA Board Members participated in and represented BORA at the Millstone Festival downtown in Visit Richm...
10/10/2026

Last Saturday, BORA Board Members participated in and represented BORA at the Millstone Festival downtown in Visit Richmond KY, which takes place on a portion of the Richmond Battlefield.

The day began with cloudy skies and cool winds and concluded with sunny and warm weather - a great event in downtown Richmond organized by Richmond Parks & Recreation!

The Third Stage of the battle was fought across Big Hill Avenue and into the Richmond Cemetery (see 4 maps included in this post). Later, around 4,000 captured Federal soldiers spent the night of August 30-31, 1862, as prisoners on the current Madison County Courthouse Square. They signed paroles at the Mount Pleasant home (see listing of the home on 3 of the maps), between Madison Middle School and Apollo Pizza.) Portions of the fence around the Courthouse at that time were later moved to the Richmond Cemetery, and we are pleased to report that the Cemetery has provided those portions for preservation by us and other partners - more on this soon!

Thank you to incoming President Louetta Hetrick for bringing EVERYTHING to and from our Pleasant View house HQ and to incoming Vice President/President Elect Rhonda McIntyre for being there all day with Louetta from set up to close!

Bill Williams served double duty in our tent and the Madison County Historical Society tent, Treasurer Brad Cunningham was there for several hours, and President George Ridings was there early for a while and then late to assist with packing up.

We were able to sell many items you can see on display here from our Mercantile Shop, and we were able to visit with many people about the different sites that comprise Battlefield Park and about the activities (Reenactment and Living History and more) we are able to offer thanks to our great Preservation Partner, the City of Richmond.

We also shared information with visitors about our upcoming 25th Anniversary of Preservation Celebration and Annual Meeting to be held Sunday evening, November 8th at 5 pm at Lake Buck Lodge on the Blue Grass Army Depot. Our keynote speaker is author and historian William C. "Jack" Davis, speaking on The Orphan Brigade. See information attached on the Event and Sponsorship Opportunities and to purchase tickets, along with our Membership form.

Link to purchase tickets online is here:

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/SF6Z3PXZN4N2F/checkout/6BCNFUXEJ7RLQKH7ISJNCGZH

Link to our Square site for online purchase of Membership and to purchase our two hardback books on the battle:

https://battle-of-richmond-association.square.site/

We also had with us a copy of the Parole signed by Private Andrew Copenhaver of the 12th Indiana infantry (US), signed just a few blocks away from our tent, in Mount Pleasant on September 1, 1862.

The original is on display at our Visitor Center, located at 101 Battlefield Memorial Highway, Richmond KY 40475. Repairs and renovations are complete and we are in process of getting everything back in order, so it is open with limited hours as work is being completed, but we look forward to having it open on a regular basis soon.

Dispatch by:
George Nelson Ridings,
BORA President and
Founding Board Member

Today is the Anniversary of the Battle of Perryville. Comments were disabled on prior Perryville post due to number of ...
10/08/2026

Today is the Anniversary of the Battle of Perryville. Comments were disabled on prior Perryville post due to number of images or to sharing in a Group, so this post has links in Comments to maps and other resources.

Dispatch by:
George Nelson Ridings,
BORA President and
Founding Board Member

Kentucky's largest Civil War battle took place on October 8, 1862, about 5 weeks after the Battle of Richmond, in and ou...
10/08/2026

Kentucky's largest Civil War battle took place on October 8, 1862, about 5 weeks after the Battle of Richmond, in and outside of Perryville, about 50 miles west of Richmond.

Fighting was intense and lasted from before sunrise until after sunset, resulting in nearly 8,000 casualties.

The Confederate forces pushed the Union units across the rolling hills and won the fighting, but lost the campaign because they began their retreat from Kentucky over the following days. They knew that they were greatly outnumbered by combined Federal troops who had marched into Kentucky from Tennessee and the new units that had been raised and assembled to meet the Confederate move into Kentucky that began in August.

Photos shared here were taken by author during recent years.

Facebook seems to be limiting Comments due to number of images in the post. A following post will have links to Maps and other Resources in Comments.

Following is the Battle Summary from the National Park Service:

Perryville -- Campaign: Confederate Heartland Offensive
Date(s): June-October 1862

Principal Commanders:

Major General Don Buell [US]
Major General Braxton Bragg [CS]

Forces Engaged:
55000 total (US 55000; CS 16000;)

Estimated Casualties: 7607 total (US 4211; CS 3396)

Description:

Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's autumn 1862 invasion of Kentucky had reached the outskirts of Louisville and Cincinnati, but he was forced to retreat and regroup.
On October 7, the Federal army of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell, numbering nearly 55,000, converged on the small crossroads town of Perryville, Kentucky, in three columns. Union forces first skirmished with Rebel cavalry on the Springfield Pike before the fighting became more general, on Peters Hill, as the grayclad infantry arrived.

The next day, at dawn, fighting began again around Peters Hill as a Union division advanced up the pike, halting just before the Confederate line. The fighting then stopped for a time.

After noon, a Confederate division struck the Union left flank and forced it to fall back. When more Confederate divisions joined the fray, the Union line made a stubborn stand, counterattacked, but finally fell back with some troops routed. Buell did not know of the happenings on the field, or he would have sent forward some reserves.

Even so, the Union troops on the left flank, reinforced by two brigades, stabilized their line, and the Rebel attack sputtered to a halt. Later, a Rebel brigade assaulted the Union division on the Springfield Pike but was repulsed and fell back into Perryville. The Yankees pursued, and skirmishing occurred in the streets in the evening before dark.

Union reinforcements were threatening the Rebel left flank by now. Bragg, short of men and supplies, withdrew during the night, and, after pausing at Harrodsburg, continued the Confederate retrograde by way of Cumberland Gap into East Tennessee. The Confederate offensive was over, and the Union controlled Kentucky.

Results: Union Victory (strategic)
CWSAC Reference #: KY009

Dispatch by:
George Nelson Ridings
BORA President and
Founding Board Member

BORA Board Member and Active Volunteer Lisa Vaughn recently captured this sunrise image, looking eastward from Battlefie...
10/07/2026

BORA Board Member and Active Volunteer Lisa Vaughn recently captured this sunrise image, looking eastward from Battlefield Park into the Blue Grass Army Depot.

See Comments for a map to show this area. The portion of the American Battlefield Trust map that is shaded in blue has a large blue arrow added to show the vantage point and view.

The image was taken just south of the Pleasant View historic home, built in 1825 (it is marked as the Barnett home on the map.)

This view shows the area where Confederate Brigadier General Patrick Cleburne's Division advanced to attack the Federal left flank, positioned east of Mt. Zion Church.

Submit your photos from the park in Comments or via message to us!

Dispatch by:
BORA President
George Nelson Ridings


Thanks to members of the 7th Michigan Independent Federal Battalion for dropping by on their way back from the Battle of...
10/05/2026

Thanks to members of the 7th Michigan Independent Federal Battalion for dropping by on their way back from the Battle of Franklin.

Millstone Festival is today in Visit Richmond KY - Downtown on Main Street! Come visit our tent and the Madison County H...
10/03/2026

Millstone Festival is today in Visit Richmond KY - Downtown on Main Street!

Come visit our tent and the Madison County Historical Society at their tent!

See the Richmond Parks & Recreation page for complete Event Details.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19a4yqaL94/

We are proud to announce our Annual Meeting and 25th Anniversary of Preservation Celebration Event to be held November 8...
10/02/2026

We are proud to announce our Annual Meeting and 25th Anniversary of Preservation Celebration Event to be held November 8 at Lake Buck Lodge on the Blue Grass Army Depot (and on our Battlefield!)

Keynote Speaker William C. “Jack” Davis will speak on The Orphan Brigade at our Event. Civil War enthusiasts will recognize him from his many appearances on historical programs and shows, and from his dozens of books and hundreds of articles published over the last 50 years. We are fortunate to have him join us as part of a three day speaking tour in Kentucky that will include appearances with the Kentucky and Louisville Civil War Roundtable meetings the day before and after our event.

Join us for: 25 Years of Saving Hallowed Ground:
Honoring the Past, Securing the Future

In November, will be celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our first land purchased and preserved, commemorating the day when local preservationists bought the 62-acre Herndon farm with the Pleasant View home (where our 23 Annual Reenactments have taken place) at auction.

Madison Bank (now Stock Yards Bank & Trust) helped and supported…and the Madison County Fiscal Court/Government opened Battlefield Park, which has grown to nearly 400 acres (and still growing!)

Richmond Battlefield Park is now maintained by the City of Richmond, as one of several historic sites they own and support.

The Rogers House, built in the 1810s, is our Visitor Center, and Pleasant View, built in the 1820s, is our other destination at the portion of the park where we hold the Reenactment and where people come every day to walk the trails and take pictures and have picnics and enjoy other recreation activity.

Sponsorships are welcomed and still available.

We will celebrate and we invite you to join us to on Sunday, November 8th - event form is attached for you to print and mail in, and the online registration link is here:

https://checkout.square.site/.../6BCNFUXEJ7RLQKH7ISJNCGZH

Dispatch by:
George Ridings, BORA President

The Battle of Richmond Visitor's Center and The Pleasant View home will both be open today from 10-2. Make plans to ent...
09/30/2026

The Battle of Richmond Visitor's Center and The Pleasant View home will both be open today from 10-2. Make plans to enter history and learn more of those who were a part of the Battle of Richmond.

Many know of the current Galt House Hotel and Event Center in Louisville, Kentucky that was built in 1970. That is the t...
09/29/2026

Many know of the current Galt House Hotel and Event Center in Louisville, Kentucky that was built in 1970. That is the third Galt House. The first Galt House was built on the land of Dr. W. C. Galt, noted physician and botanist. The first Galt House was built in 1835 on Main and Second Street. Just after the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, General William Bull Nelson used the Galt house as his base of operations. Nelson and General Jefferson C. Davis argued over efforts to organize and arm citizens of Louisville to aide in Union defenses. This argument resulted in Nelson slapping Davis. In turn Davis, using a friend's gun, shot and killed Nelson. Davis returned to the army as a General. This Galt house burned in 1865.

Would you like to learn more? See what happened to the rest of the Generals after the Battle? Come see us today from 10-4 at the Battle of Richmond Visitor's Center.

September 29, 1862--After a series of heated arguments (to put it mildly), Union Brig. General Jefferson C. Davis shoots...
09/29/2026

September 29, 1862--After a series of heated arguments (to put it mildly), Union Brig. General Jefferson C. Davis shoots and kills his superior officer Major General William "Bull" Nelson in the lobby of the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, KY. (The current hotel location is two blocks west of the wartime building. An image of the Kentucky Historical Marker at the site is included.)

Nelson was 38 years old.

Although arrested, Davis was never charged in the murder, and the matter was eventually dropped.

Nelson was entombed in Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery, but was moved to Camp Dick Robinson in Garrard County, Kentucky.

After his grave was vandalized, Nelson's remains were moved to his family's plot in the Maysville (KY) Cemetery in the 1880s.

Images from FindAGrave site: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5894212/william-nelson/photo

Dispatch by:
Phillip Seyfrit,
Retired Curator,
Richmond Battlefield Park
and
George Ridings,
BORA President

Address

PO Box 1862
Richmond, KY
40476

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30am
Friday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18596240013

Website

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