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Battle of Helena
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
Helena Battlefield
Date July 4, 1863 Location Helena (present-day Helena–West Helena), Arkansas, United States34°31′34″N 90°35′49″W / 34.52611°N 90.59694°W / 34.52611; -90.59694 Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Prentiss Lieut.-Com'r James M. Prichett	Lieut. Gen. Theophilus Holmes Maj. Gen. Sterling Price
Units involved
District of Eastern Arkansas USS Tyler	District of Arkansas
Strength
4,129	7,646
Casualties and losses
239 total 57 killed 146 wounded 36 missing	1,614 total 169 killed 659 wounded 786 missing
Helenaclass=notpageimage| Location within Arkansas

The Battle of Helena, also known as the Attack on Helena, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on July 4, 1863, in Helena, Arkansas. The battle was a failed Confederate attempt to relieve pressure on the besieged city of Vicksburg. The Union victory at Helena paved the way for the fall of Little Rock.

Prelude

Lieutenant-General Theophilus Holmes, commander of the Confederate's District of Arkansas, planned a coordinated attack from three sides on the formidable Federal fortifications surrounding Helena in order to relieve pressure on Vicksburg and to prevent Helena being used as a base to attack further into Arkansas. Holmes wrote to General Kirby Smith, commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, and received permission to attack Helena.

Infantry under Major-General Sterling Price and cavalry under Brigadier-General John Marmaduke would move from Jacksonport to the vicinity of Helena. Price and Marmaduke would meet up with infantry out of Little Rock, under Brigadier-General James Fagan. Holmes, accompanied by Arkansas Governor Harris Flanagin, traveled to Helena to take personal command of the attack.

Major-General Benjamin Prentiss, in command of the Union's District of Eastern Arkansas, was headquartered at Helena with approximately 20,000 troops. Brigadier-General Frederick Salomon commanded a division from 13th Corps and had been placed in charge of the forces manning the defenses of Helena, a Mississippi River port town at the terminus of Crowley's Ridge and ringed by steep hills cut by heavily thicketed ravines. Four artillery batteries with breastworks and rifle pits had been placed in a semicircle around the town. In addition, the USS Tyler, a "timber-clad" gunboat, had been assigned to support Prentiss.

Prentiss received word that an attack was in the works and actively worked to slow the movement of Confederate forces by felling trees. Helena itself was overcrowded with federal troops and was suffering from housing shortages and poor health and sanitation facilities. Occupying soldiers had dubbed the town "Hell-in Arkansas". Just prior to the battle, a large number of troops were transferred to Vicksburg to strengthen the siege around that city. This transfer left only about 4,129 Union soldiers to protect the Federal enclave at Helena.

Battle

Holmes planned for a dawn attack with Marmaduke's 1,700 dismounted cavalry attacking fortified Rightor Hill northwest of the town and capturing the artillery battery stationed there. Fagan's 1,300 men were assigned to capture Hindman's Hill southwest of the city. Brigadier-General Lucius Walker was assigned the task of guarding Marmaduke's flank and preventing Union reinforcements from reaching Rightor Hill. The main attack however, would take place in the center with Sterling Price's 3,100 men seizing Graveyard Hill and the battery protecting it.

Marmaduke's assault ran into trouble quickly and began taking artillery and small arms fire from his left flank. Walker was supposed to intervene for Marmaduke, but failed to come to his aid out of concern for his own exposed position. Walker's failure would eventually lead to bad blood between Marmaduke and Walker that ended in a bloody duel during the campaign for Little Rock. The southwest and center elements of the Confederate attack also suffered from failed communications and misinterpreted orders. Fagan and Price failed to coordinate their attacks due to Holmes' vague order to "attack at daylight". Price interpreted this order to mean an attack at sunrise and Fagan interpreted it to mean an attack at first light.

Fagan was surprised to find his attack on Hindman Hill was opposed by artillery fire from Graveyard Hill. Fagan had expected Price to be engaged already with that battery. Fagan's artillery had not been able to reach the battlefield because of felled trees blocking the road. Fagan had no artillery available to silence the Federal guns and had no choice but to order his troops to try to take the hill while under artillery fire. Fagan's men reached the summit of the hill and managed to seize the outer fortifications but were pinned down just short of the summit by the two Union batteries.

Price's assault on the center of the Union lines did not commence until almost an hour after Fagan's attack had begun. Price's men charged the Federal lines but were repulsed by concentrated artillery fire from the batteries and the Tyler. Price's Confederates made two more desperate charges before successfully capturing the guns on Graveyard Hill. Price attempted to turn the guns on the remaining Federals but found that the guns had been successfully disabled before their capture.

The Confederates had achieved some success despite the miscommunications. Fagan held most of the fortifications to the southwest and Price held the high ground in the center of the Union lines. Holmes arrived on Graveyard Hill and failed to press his advantage home. Holmes was seemingly unable to decide if he should support Marmaduke on his left flank, Fagan on his right flank, or press his advantage in the center and instead issued a series of confusing orders that led to partial measures which failed to turn the tide in any of the three positions.

The exposed Confederates were targeted by every remaining gun on the battlefield as well as the heavy guns of the Tyler. By 10:30, Holmes realized that his position had deteriorated and that he could make no further headway. A general retreat was ordered, and the attack on the Union base had failed.

Aftermath

No longer threatened, Helena became an important Union enclave on the Mississippi River and would become the base for the successful advance upon the Arkansas state capital later in the same year.

Battlefield preservation

Today, several markers and monuments are located inside Helena. The Civil War Trust, a division of the American Battlefield Trust, and its partners have acquired and preserved 56 acres (23 ha) of the battlefield.

See also

• Helena Confederate Cemetery
• List of American Civil War battles
• Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1863

References

1. ^ "Battle of Helena, Arkansas, 4 July 1863". www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved July 27, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
2. Taylor, Michael W. "Battle of Helena". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 27, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. Christ, Mark K. Civil War Arkansas 1863: The Battle for a State. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-8061-4087-2 p. 122: "The 4,129 men of Prentiss's garrison knew what to do when the signal shot roared from Fort Curtis at 3:30 a.m."
4. Battery A Site, Battle of Helena, Helena, Phillips County Archived October 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Accessed August 22, 2013
5. ^ United States War Dept.. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 1, Volume 22, In Two Parts. Part 1, Reports., Book, 1888; digital images, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth154600/ : accessed August 24, 2013), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department, Denton, Texas.
6. "Battle Detail - The Civil War - Helena". National Park Service. Retrieved July 27, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
7. "Helena Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved August 31, 2019.

Further reading

• Castel, Albert (1993) . General Sterling Price and the Civil War in the West (Louisiana pbk. ed.). Baton Rouge; London: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0-8071-1854-0. LCCN 68-21804.

External links

• Battle of Helena at the American Battlefield Protection Program
• Battle of Helena at the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture

v t e Helena–West Helena, Arkansas
Predecessor municipalities	Helena West Helena
Areas	Cherry Street Historic District
Landmarks	Delta Cultural Center Sidney H. Horner House Maple Hill Cemetery Helena Confederate Cemetery Phillips County Courthouse Jerome Bonaparte Pillow House
Education	Helena–West Helena S.D. Central H.S. KIPP: Delta Collegiate H.S. Phillips C. C. of U. of Arkansas
Transportation	Helena Bridge Thompson–Robbins Airport (owned by city, outside city limits)
Media	The Helena-West Helena World
Culture	King Biscuit Blues Festival (previously Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival)
History	Battle of Helena
Arkansas portal • This list is incomplete.

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• 1863 in the American Civil War
• 1863 in Arkansas
• Arkansas in the American Civil War
• Battles of the American Civil War in Arkansas
• Battles of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
• History of Phillips County, Arkansas
• July 1863 events
• Union victories of the American Civil War
• Vicksburg campaign