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On June 21, 1863, Acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter, whose Mississippi
Squadron was supporting Grant at Vicksburg, heard from various sources that a
large Confederate force assembled from northern and central Arkansas was headed
toward the Mississippi “for the purpose of seizing on some point on the river,
cut off our transports, and relieve Vicksburg.” Deeming Helena a likely target,
Porter dispatched word to Prentiss and made arrangements to station three
gunboats off the city. Major General Stephen A. Hurlbut sent Prentiss a similar
warning from Memphis on June 24. Days before Prentiss heard from either Porter
or Hurlbut, he noticed that increased Confederate cavalry activity was
preventing his own 831 horsemen from penetrating the countryside to gather
intelligence. Prentiss finally decided to take no chances and issued orders on
June 27 or 28 that henceforth “the entire garrison should be up and under arms
at 2.30 o’clock each morning.”12
By July 1, Prentiss had received enough reports from spies, refugees, and
scouts to conclude that an enemy army as large as 15,000 men was within fifteen
miles of Helena. The news had a galvanizing effect on the wary general. His
garrison numbered only 4,129 effectives, including 3,128 infantry and 170
artil-lery-men (not counting the 33rd Missouri). In addition, a change in orders
and mechanical problems reduced Helena’s naval support by July 2 to a single
gunboat, the timberclad USS Tyler. Prentiss kept his calm and advised his
officers to expect an attack at any time. When the Rebels failed to make an
appearance on July 2 or 3, Prentiss became convinced that they meant to strike
on Independence Day. A lieutenant in the 2nd Arkansas Regiment of African
Descent caught wind of the rumors emanating from Prentiss’ headquarters: “We
rec’d news on the 2d that there was a large rebble force fifteen miles from here
and that they intended to celebrate the 4th in here.” Prentiss canceled the
garrison’s plans to mark the Fourth of July and changed the time of reveille to
2:00 a.m. Late on the evening of July 3, he conferred with his senior
subordinates. He advised them “to strengthen the picket posts and caution the
guards to great watchfulness.” A shot from one of the guns in Fort Curtis would
alert Helena’s defenders to an attack in progress. Before the general retired
for the night, he conducted a final inspection of Helena’s defenses accompanied
by his second-in-command, Brigadier General Frederick Salomon.13
Elsewhere in Helena, another Union officer followed Prentiss’ example, albeit
on a humbler level. Just before Captain Edward S. Redington of the 28th
Wisconsin Infantry extinguished his desk lamp, he recorded these thoughts for
his wife: “I have packed up all my papers and clothes; loaded my pistols; filled
my pockets with ammunition; have examined every cartridge in my company; filled
up every [cartridge] box that was not full; talked the men into good humor; and
sit down to write you this line. . . .”14
As the Federals made their final preparations for the coming battle, Major
Robert H. Smith, a Confederate staff officer, seated himself near the Allen Polk
house five miles from Helena to write his last letter home. “If I fall do not
think harshly of me,” Smith implored his wife, “for I think that I have your
approbation to fight for liberty rather than live as a slave, to drag my family
down, down to the lowest depths of slavery and misery by such an enemy. Teach my
boy to hate the fanatical principals that rule the Yankee race. Raise him
virtuous, honest, and generous.”15
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