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Browsing named entities in Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing). You can also browse the collection for Helena, Ark. (Arkansas, United States) or search for Helena, Ark. (Arkansas, United States) in all documents.
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Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Chickasaw Bayou
Chickasaw Bayou, battle of
When Gen. W. T. Sherman came down from Memphis to engage in the siege of Vicksburg, late in 1862, with about 20,000 men and some heavy siege guns, he was joined by troops from Helena, Ark., and was met by a gunboat fleet, under Admiral Porter, at the mouth of the Yazoo River, just above the city (Dec. 25). The two commanders arranged a plan for attacking Vicksburg in the rear.
They went up the Yazoo to capture some batteries at Chickasaw Bayou and other points.
The Yazoo sweeps round in a great bend within a few miles of Vicksburg.
The range of hills on which Vicksburg stands extends to the Yazoo, about 12 miles above the city, where they terminate in Haines's Bluff.
There is a deep natural ditch extending from the Yazoo below Haines's Bluff to the Mississippi, called Chickasaw Bayou, passing near the bluffs, which were fortified, and along their bases were rifle-pits for sharp-shooters.
This bayou lay in the path of Sherman's march up the bluff
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Civil War in the United States . (search)
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Cleburne , Patrick Ronayne 1828 - (search)
Cleburne, Patrick Ronayne 1828-
Military officer; born in County Cork, Ireland, March 17, 1828; came to the United States and settled at Helena, Ark., where he later practised law. When the Civil War broke out he entered the Confederate army; in March, 1861, planned the capture of the United States arsenal in Arkansas; in 1862 was promoted brigadier-general; took part in many important engagements in the war; and in recognition of his defence of Ringgold Gap received the thanks of the Confederate Congress.
He originated the Order of the Southern Cross, and was known as the Stonewall of the West.
He was killed in the battle of Franklin, Tenn., Nov. 30, 1864.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Floyd , John Buchanan 1807 - (search)
Floyd, John Buchanan 1807-
Statesman; born in Blacksburg, Va., June 1, 1807; was admitted to the bar in 1828; practised law in Helena, Ark.; and in 1839 settled in Washington county, in his native State.
He served in the Virginia legislature several terms, and was governor of the State in 1850-53.
His father, John, had been governor of Virginia.
In 1857 President Buchanan appointed him Secretary of War.
While in the cabinet, he was detected, by a committee of the House of Representatives, in the act of stripping the Northern arsenals of arms and ammunition and filling those of the South with those munitions of war. As early as Dec. 29, 1859, a year before, according to the report of the committee, he had ordered the transfer of 65,000 percussion muskets, 40,000 muskets altered to percussion, and 10,000 percussion rifles from the armory at Springfield, Mass., and the arsenals at Watervliet, N. Y., and Watertown, Mass., to the arsenals at Fayetteville, N. C., Charleston, S. C.,
Helena, battle at.
There was a sharp struggle between the National and Confederate troops at Helena, Ark., on the west side of the Mississippi, on July 4, 1863. Gen. B. M. Prentiss was in command there.
The Confederates in that region were under the command of General Holmes, assisted by Generals Price, Marmaduke, Fagan, Parsons, McRae, and Walker, and were the remnants of shattered armies, about 8,000 strong in effective men. The post at Helena was strongly fortified.
It had a garrison of 3,000 men, supported by the gunboat Tyler.
Holmes was ignorant of the real strength of Prentiss, and made a bold attack upon the works.
At three o'clock in the afternoon the Confederates were repulsed at all points, and withdrew with a loss, reported by Holmes, of 20 per cent. of the entire force, or 1,636 men. Prentiss lost 250 men. The Confederate loss must have been much greater than Holmes reported, for Prentiss buried 300 of their dead left behind, and captured 1,100 men.
Mississippi River.
Indian name Miche-sepe, meaning Great water, or Father of waters ; was first discovered by Europeans with De Soto, in June, 1541, not far from the site of Helena, Ark., it is supposed.
De Soto died on its banks.
A London physician named Coxe purchased the old patent for Carolina granted to Sir Robert Heath (see State of North Carolina) in 1630, and put forward pretensions to the mouth of the Mississippi, which two armed English vessels were sent to explore.
Bienville, exploring the Mississippi at a point some 50 miles from its mouth, unexpectedly encountered one of Coxe's vessels coming up. Assured that this was not the Mississippi, but a dependency of Canada, already occupied by the French, the English commander turned about and left the river; and that point has ever since been known as the English Turn.
In 1673 Joliet and Marquette descended the river to a point within three days journey of its mouth.
Father Hennepin explored it from the mouth of the Il
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Prentiss , Benjamin Mayberry 1819 - (search)
Prentiss, Benjamin Mayberry 1819-
Military officer; born in Belleville, Va., Nov. 23, 1819; served as captain in the Mexican War, and in April, 1861, became colonel of the 7th Illinois Volunteers, in which State he resided since 1841.
He was promoted brigadier-general of three-months' troops, and was placed in command at Cairo, then a position of great importance.
In May, 1861, he was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers, and served in Missouri until April, 1862, when he joined General Grant, and fought in the battle of Shiloh, where he was taken prisoner.
In November he was promoted major-general, and early in July, 1863, he defeated a Confederate force under Generals Holmes and Price, at Helena, Ark.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Washburne , Cadwallader Colden 1818 -1882 (search)
Washburne, Cadwallader Colden 1818-1882
Military officer; born in Livermore, Me., April 22, 1818; brother of Elihu Benjamin Washburne; was a land surveyor in early life, and afterwards a lawyer; went West in 1839, and finally settled at La Crosse, Wis., in 1859.
He was in Congress from 1856 to 1862; a delegate to the peace conference in 1861, and soon after the attack on Fort Sumter he raised the 2d Wisconsin Cavalry, of which he became colonel, and, in December, 1861, conducted a successful expedition from Helena, Ark., into the interior of Mississippi.
He was exceedingly active and efficient in the command of divisions in operations around Vicksburg in 1863, and afterwards served with distinction under Banks in Louisiana.
He was made brigadier-general of volunteers in July, 1862, and major-general in November.
From 1867 till 1871 he was a member of Congress, and in the latter year was chosen governor of Wisconsin.
He died in Eureka Springs, Ark., May 14, 1882.