"Battle of the Month" Club

[Scribe]

Originally Posted by Dred

Well.. It's July now, July 6th to be exact. I've been lost in the souther regions of Tejas for the last few days. So what's up for July? I'd rather not go to Getteysburg since there is an entire forum dedicated to it, and We did Vicksburg in May. Any ideas for July?

Hoping to relieve the pressure on Vicksburg Confederate Lt. Gen. T.H. Holmes (a candidate for worst general of the WotR honors) convinced Department commander Lt. Gen. Kirby to let him make an attack on the federal enclave at Helena, Ark.

Ironically, Holmes made the attack on July 4, 1863.

The Union forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Benj. Prentiss gave Holmes and the rebels one of the worst whippings of the war... 206 Union casualties and 1,636 Confederate.

Holmes timing was, of course, bad, but in retrospect the timing was also bad for Prentiss. Gettysburg and Vicksburg meant that Helena got little attention and Prentiss little national credit. Prentiss is best remembered today, when he is remembered at all, for his stand at the Hornet's Nest.