The Confederates Attack Fort Curtis

The Confederates Attack Fort Curtis. . "such a slaughter was never greater on any battlefield west of the Mississippi" Sgt. Henry S. Carroll, 33rd Missouri, A Strong Position , Fort Curtis sat on the brow of a low ridge above Helena, in the shadow of Crowley's Ridge. Fort Curtis mounted seven heavy guns and was the Union army's last line of defense. On the morning of July 4, 1863, fog shrouded the ridge, making it impossible for the fort's gunners to see their targets. When the fog lifted they tried to stem the hard- charging Confederates at Battery C. They failed and the Confederates took the battery., General Salomon Prepares a Defense , General Frederick Salomon ordered Lt. Col. Thomas Pace's 1st Indiana Cavalry and the Dubuque Battery to Fort Curtis. Infantry summoned from the levee and fleeing soldiers from Battery C joined the cavalry. Watching the Confederates gather for the attack Sergeant Henry Carroll recalled, "They seemed to think they had gained the day but they were woefully mistaken., The Confederate Attack Fails , The chaplain of the 28th Wisconsin saw the attack, later writing, "They charged down the hill toward the town in a very brave manner but were met by a most destructive fire of grape and canister as well as by volley of musketry." Their officers urged the hard-hit Confederates forward, but it was futile. They fell back, fighting all the while. Finally the guns of Fort Curtis and the Union counterattacks were simply too much. Many Confederates were killed and wounded in the assault, hundreds more surrendered., [Photo captions] , Top right: Above: The interior of Fort Curtis. Left: General Frederick C. Salomon, U.S.A. , Bottom left: Second Lieut. Orlo H. Lyon, 3rd Iowa Battery. The 3rd Iowa Battery manned the guns at Fort Curtis during the Battle of Helena.