Helena in Phillips County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
General Patrick Cleburne
| | A Part of the Civil War Discovery Trail | |
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 26, 2017
1. General Patrick Cleburne Marker
"I am with the South in life or death, in victory or defeat."
Patrick Cleburne, May 1861
A Brilliant and Beloved Commander
Patrick Cleburne was a brilliant military tactician and one of the Confederacy's most able combat officers. Less than two years after enlisting, he held the rank of major general.
Cleburne fought in the Battle of Shiloh and was wounded twice during the Kentucky campaign. He saved the Army of Tennessee at Ringgold Gap. He fought with distinction at Pickett's Mill and Atlanta. Quiet and soft spoken but with an undeniable air of authority and competence, Cleburne was beloved by the men he commanded.
Death in Tennessee
In late 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood turned his army north and marched into Tennessee. Hours before the Battle of Franklin on November 30, a somber Patrick Cleburne met with his officers. As he parted from his old friend Daniel Govan, he said, "Govan, if we are to die let us die like men."
His two horses having been shot one after the other, Cleburne strode into a hail of shot and shell, his sword aloft, encouraging his men. Moments
this page online
[Photo captions]
Top right: Gen. Patrick Cleburne at the Battle of Franklin
Middle left: "It would not be hard to die if one could be buried in such a beautiful spot."
Patrick Cleburne to Capt. James Hill
November, 1864
Bottom left: Patrick Cleburne was laid to rest at St. John's Episcopal Church on the Leonidas Polk plantation near Columbia, Tennessee.
In 1871, Cleburne's body was moved to the Confederate Cemetery in Helena.
Erected 2013 by the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1861.
Location. 34° 31.711′ N, 90° 35.321′ W. Marker is in Helena, Arkansas, in Phillips County. It can be reached from Pecan Street south of Perry Street, on the right when traveling south. Located next to the Helena Museum of Phillips County. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address:
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 26, 2017
2. General Patrick Cleburne Marker is 3rd one from his bronze statue.
Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas Delta, in Crowleys Ridge, in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and in the Quapaw Homeland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mississippi Delta, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Phillips County's Confederate Soldiers (here, next to this marker); Patrick Cleburne in Helena (here, next to this marker); The Irish Immigrant (here, next to this marker); The T-33 Shooting Star (within shouting distance of this marker); The American Legion Hut (within shouting distance of this marker); "We are all the same as dead men" (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Arkansas' Mercν Car (about
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 26, 2017
3. General Patrick Cleburne statue
On October 10, 2012, a life size bronze statue of Major General Patrick R. Cleburne was dedicated in Helena, Arkansas at the Helena Museum. The statue is only a few feet from the property on which he lived before the Civil War started.
Also see . . . Patrick Cleburne. Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry (Submitted on October 22, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 4, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 992 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 22, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
