Helena in Phillips County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Service with Distinction
Seven men from Phillips County, all of them immigrants to Arkansas, became high ranking Confederate officers. They served with honor in the Army of the Tennessee and in the Trans-Mississippi, participating in many decisive battles and campaigns.
The Arkansas Frontier, 1835-1861
Many ambitious men came to Phillip County before the Civil War, drawn by the opportunities offered by the frontier. Among them were lawyers Charles Adams and James Tappan; Patrick Cleburne, an Irish immigrant; Archibald Dobbins, a farmer; and Daniel Govan, Thomas Hindman and Lucius Polk - men of means. All enlisted in the Confederate army soon after the war began.
Serving the Confederacy,1861-1965
James Tappan saw combat first, leading the 13th Arkansas at Belmont, Missouri, in November 1861. Hindman, Cleburne, Govan, Tappan and Polk fought at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862.
Tappan and Hindman returned to Arkansas but the other fought with the Army of Tennessee at Richmond, Perryville, Stones River, Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge. Hindman rejoined them at Chickamauga and they fought together until he was wounded at Kennesaw Mountain. The rest served together until Cleburne's death at Franklin, Tennessee, in November 1864. Hindman became commander of the military district of the Trans-Mississippi. Adams and Dobbins fought with him at Prairie Grove in December 1862. Adams later commanded the Northern Sub-District of Arkansas. Dobbins led his cavalry regiment at the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863, and commanded a brigade at the Battle of Big Creek in Phillips County in 1864. Tappan fought in the Red River Campaign at Jenkin's Ferry.
Returning from the War
After the war Thomas Hindman went to Mexico. He was assassinated soon after returning to Helena. Archibald Dobbins fled to Brazil, where he disappeared. Lucius Polk, his health ruined, retired to his family's home in Tennessee.
Charles Adams, Daniel Govan and James Tappan returned to Phillips County. Adams moved to Memphis, practicing law until his death from yellow fever. Govan remained in Helena until 1894, when he accepted a post as an Indian agent in Washington State.
James Tappan remained in Helena, serving in the state legislature and twice declining the Democratic nomination for governor.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1862.
Location. 34° 32.574′ N, 90° 35.455′ W. Marker is in Helena, Arkansas, in Phillips County. Marker is on Franklin Street. Marker in Maple Hill Cemetery at foot of hill were are buried Civil War Soldiers. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Helena AR 72342, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Remembering the Fallen (within shouting distance of this marker); A Grand Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); “Let him sleep now with his brave companions” (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Patrick Ronayne Cleburne (about 700 feet away); Fight at the Levee (approx. 0.4 miles away); Battery A (approx. half a mile away); Pippengerville (approx. half a mile away); Battery B (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Helena.
Also see . . .
1. Charles W Adams. Civil War Confederate Army Officer. He served during the Civil War first as Colonel and commander of the 23rd Arkansas Infantry regiment, then as Chief of Staff for General Thomas C. Hindman's Division in the Army of Tennessee. (Submitted on January 26, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
2. Thomas C Hindman. Confederate Major General. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, one of six children of a planter and Indian agent. (Submitted on January 26, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
3. James C. Tappan. Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he joined the Confederate Army and was commissioned Colonel of the 13th Arkansas Infantry in May 1861. (Submitted on January 26, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
4. Daniel Chevillette Govan. Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the Confederate Army and was appointed Colonel in command of the 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment. (Submitted on January 26, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
5. Lucius E Polk. Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, at the start of the Civil War he was a planter when he enlisted the Confederate Yell Rifles as a Private. (Submitted on January 26, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
6. Patrick Cleburne. Civil War Confederate Major General. The most popular Confederate division commander, he was known as the "Stonewall of the West." (Submitted on January 26, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 26, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 1,179 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on January 26, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.