On this date in 1862, lead elements of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi begin arriving at Bardstown, Kentucky, to join forces with Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, in order to push on into Louisville, 40 miles to the north.
When the first of Bragg's troops marched into town, people embraced them as deliverers in a tableau reenacted over several days. The streets were lined with people, and Dixie and Bonnie Blue Flag were played. Bragg and his generals gave speeches. However, in spite of the warm reception, Kentuckians continued to fearfully hold back from joining the army and supporting the Confederate cause.
In nearby Louisville, the citizens were in a panic at the prospect of battle between the 2 opposing armies gathering there. Union General Nelson issued an evacuation order on the 22nd, in anticipation of an attack. Southern forces reached to within 2 miles of the city, but did not invade it. Having been beaten by Buell in the march to Louisville, and being refused by Gen. Smith to join forces in an attack on that city, Bragg eventually withdrew his army without a fight.
Sources: Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle, Kenneth W. Noe; Official Records, Vol. 16, Pt. 1
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