HELENA, Battle of. Helena, Ark., is on the west bank of the Mississippi River, about 82 miles below Memphis. Since 13 July 1862, when General Curtis arrived there from western Arkansas, it had been occupied by Union troops, and on 4 July 1863 was held by a division of the 13th corps, under General Salomon, and a brigade of cavalry, in all 4,129 effective men, under command of Gen. B. M. Prentiss. The place is surrounded by hills, and those nearest the city were occupied by strong re doubts; Graveyard Hill in the centre, Fort Righter on the north or right, and Fort Hind man on the south or left, were all connected by a line of bastions and rifle-pits, both ends of which rested on the river. In the river lay a gunboat. Toward the middle of June it was determined by the Confederates to take the place, whereby it was hoped to raise the siege of Vicksburg or, if Vicksburg fell, still to keep the river closed. General Holmes was ordered to move from Little Rock with about 7,600 men, Price's and Marmaduke's divisions, Fagan's brigade of infantry and Walker's brigade of cavalry. Holmes bivouacked about four miles from Helena on the evening of 3 July, and at midnight advanced to within a mile of the outer works. The assault was ordered at day light. On the Confederate right Fagan with
1,770 men advanced on Fort Hindman, carried all the outer entrenchments and made a des perate attempt to take the fort, but was repulsed with a loss of over 400 men. On the Confeder ate left Marmaduke's division of infantry and Walker's cavalry brigade, aggregating 2,780 men, attacked Fort Righter and were repulsed. Price, in the centre, with 3,100 men, made a strong assault, carried all the entrenchments in his front, seized Graveyard Hill, and ordered one brigade to move on the town and another to assault Fort Hindman in the rear, but the Union troops checked the advance of the two brigades and drove them back and, the attacks on the right and left being repulsed, the fire of the forts, rifle-pits and gunboat was concen trated on and at 10.30 A.m. Holmes gave the order to withdraw and led his troops back to Little Rock. The Union loss was 57 killed, 146 wounded and 36 missing; the Confederate loss was 173 killed, 687 wounded and 776 miss ing. Consult 'Official Records> (Vol. XXII); Greene, The Mississippi' ; The Century Com pany's and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol. III).