The Battle of Middle Creek

The Battle of Middle Creek (HM1B5H)

Location: Prestonsburg, KY 41653 Floyd County
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Country: United States of America
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N 37° 39.038', W 82° 48.816'

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Inscription

January 10, 1862

Middle Creek was Eastern Kentucky's largest and most significant Civil War battle. It was fought during the first phase of the war, when it was still doubtful which government would control the region. The Confederates never regained the strategic advantage they lost as a result of this battle.

Although Floyd County and the Upper Big Sandy Valley remained a no man's land for the duration of the war, the battle effectively ended the Confederacy's first bid to gain control of the region.

For Kentuckians the battle was a poignant example of neighbor against neighbor. Floyd County men of the 5th Kentucky Infantry, C.S.A., and the 14th Kentucky Infantry, U.S.A., fired volleys at one another, charged each other's lines, and engaged in hand-to-hand combat on the steep hillsides above the Forks of Middle Creek. The battle's outcome brought national attention to the Union commander, former Ohio Senator James A. Garfield, and cast into doubt the military competence of the Confederate commander, Kentucky politician and Mexican War hero Humphrey Marshall. Garfield would use his success at Middle Creek as a stepping stone to the White House, while Marshall would find Confederate authorities questioning his military judgment.
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HM NumberHM1B5H
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Date Added Sunday, October 19th, 2014 at 5:18am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 340011 N 4168600
Decimal Degrees37.65063333, -82.81360000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 39.038', W 82° 48.816'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 39' 2.28" N, 82° 48' 48.96" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)606
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1 State Hwy 404, Prestonsburg KY 41653, US
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