Helena AR008

supportedunresolved Holmes says Price's delay gave the enemy abundant notice of his approach; Greene says Prentiss was expecting an attack and kept his troops under arms all night.

Attributed knowledge from the attacking commander's report and a history; no inspected message log.

supportedunresolved Holmes says rain, high water and wretched roads delayed Price four days, and that the impracticable roads kept him from bringing up artillery to use captured works.

Movement statements from the attacking commander's report; no inspected return.

supportedunresolved Holmes says it was deemed very important to drive the Federals from their only stronghold in Arkansas, and that as a means of raising the siege of Vicksburg, and of keeping the Mississippi closed if that city surrendered, the policy of the move was apparent. Greene says Holmes hoped by capturing Helena to raise the siege or, if Vicksburg fell, to keep the river closed; NPS says the attack was an attempt to relieve pressure on Vicksburg.

Stated aims from the attacking commander's report, a history and a summary.

supportedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Union victory. NPS says the Confederates captured some fortifications but were repelled; Holmes and Greene say he ordered the withdrawal at 10.30 a.m.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads 1,842 total (US 206; CS 1,636); the live field reads 1875 total (US 239; CS 1636;). Holmes reports 173 killed, 687 wounded and 776 missing, 1,636 in all; Greene says Prentiss certified 400 buried, 108 wounded paroled and 993 prisoners sent north, 1,501 left in his hands, and gives the Union loss as 230.

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. Three Union figures (206, 239, 230) differ; the Confederate 1,636 agrees across frozen, live and Holmes. Greene's Union components (57 + 127 + 36) sum to 220 against his printed total of 230 (a computation here).

supportedunresolved Holmes blames L. M. Walker for failing to cover Marmaduke's flank and says McRae utterly failed to aid Fagan; he records that Price attacked more than an hour after the time ordered, giving Price's explanation that he had halted to avoid arriving prematurely, and attributes the failure in very great measure to the men not being well in hand after success. Greene says Marmaduke's attack was feebly made. The live heading ranks Prentiss Brigadier General against the frozen Major General.

Blame is the attacking commander's and Greene's judgment; the frozen commanders Prentiss and Holmes do not receive automatic sole credit. The heading rank is not adopted.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical strength bounds are blank (missing_numeric_strength). No figure in this pass is adopted as a simultaneous opening force.

disputedunresolved The frozen force field names the District of Eastern Arkansas and the District of Arkansas without counts; the live field reads zero. Holmes reports his whole force at 7,646; Greene says that with officers it was probably 8,000 to 9,000, that Union officers estimated it at 15,000, and that Prentiss's garrison numbered 4,129. NPS says the Confederates had more troops.

Reported, estimated and garrison figures differ in scope; none is adopted as matched opening strength. Live zeros are not measured absence.

supportedinherited Greene says Helena had been fortified by Fort Curtis and four outlying batteries commanding the western roads. Holmes says the place proved far more difficult of access and more strongly fortified than he had supposed, with one heavily armed regular work and four redoubts with rifle-pits on hills peculiarly adapted to defense.

Inherited relative to the July 4 start; the works predate the attack. No map verification or numerical effect.