Ball State students create new app
for Perryville Battlefield visitors

A new app created by Ball State University students will enhance the experience of visitors to Perryville Battlefield.

The app, scheduled to be available April 19, provides firsthand accounts of the action, including troop movements and a look at life through a soldier's eyes. The battle unfolds with digital narratives and historical photographs as visitors travel the site.

“This app will give a better understanding of what happened here during the battle,” according to Kurt Holman, park manager. “It will tell the story of not just the generals but will enhance the understanding of the experiences of the common soldiers.”

The app also reveals how local residents suffered. During the fighting, homes were used as hospitals and generals’ headquarters. Some residents survived by digging holes into the middle of their houses.

Ball State students are scheduled to exhibit the app at the park on April 19. The app should be available through the Android Marketplace (Google Play), Joseph Sweet, a Ball State history major, announced.

Through the support of a Ball State Provost Immersive Learning Grant and the Friends of Perryville Battlefield, students were able to produce the app this semester.

Perryville was the largest and bloodiest Civil War battle fought in Kentucky. It left about 7,600 soldiers dead, wounded or missing in October 1862.

Ball State is located in Muncie, Ind.