Simon Bolivar Buckner who fought at Perryville was the fathers of major World War II general

One of the interesting facts about the Battle of Perryville is that Simon Bolivar Buckner who fought at Perryville was the father of a major World War II general. Simon Bolivar Buckner was a Confederate warrior and politician from the United States. He served in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War and served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The Battle of Perryville began on October 8, 1862, when Bragg's army engaged Maj. Gen. Alexander McCook's corps of Buell's army. During this engagement, Buckner's division fought under General Hardee, making a significant breakthrough in the Confederate center, and reports from Hardee, Polk, and Bragg all lauded Buckner's actions. His valor was for naught, as Perryville resulted in a tactical draw that cost both forces dearly, forcing Bragg to withdraw and abort his invasion of Kentucky. Buckner joined several of his fellow generals in publicly criticizing Bragg's campaign performance.

Buckner's son, Lt. General Simon B. Buckner, Jr., in command of American land troops on Okinawa, was killed by Japanese artillery on June 18, 1945. Buckner was the highest-ranking American military officer killed by enemy fire during WWII. Buckner was raised to the rank of four-star general on July 19, 1954, by a Special Act of Congress (Public Law 83-508).