The Confederates withdrew on July 4 of 1863. Rev. On November 5, 2019, the Elaine Twelve were memorialized on the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail in Little Rock. Wormser, Richard, director. [70] Fagan's lines had been badly thinned by not only Union fire but also heat and exhaustion. 72201. Animal rescue groups from across the country are converging on the Humane Society of the Delta in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, faced with the challenge of evaluating . Over 7,500 Confederate troops led by Lieutenant General Theophilus Holmes attempted to capture Helena in hopes of relieving some of the pressure on the Confederate army besieged in Vicksburg, Mississippi. They scorched and burned homes with families inside, slaughtered and tortured others. Additional support provided by the Arkansas General Assembly. A conference on the matter in Helena in 2000 resulted in no closure for the people in Phillips County. Courageously, she dressed up as a sharecropper and went to Arkansas. How could anyone treat people with such horrendous disregard and violence? This was a . The Confederates charged Fort Curtis in their last attack, but the heavy artillery inside kept the attack from reaching the fort. [5] The service was restored on October 1, 2015, and two new freight customers were quickly gained. [65] Carried by momentum, some of Price's infantry charged down the hill towards Helena itself, but were driven off. On November 5, 2019, the Elaine Twelve were memorialized on the Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail in Little Rock. Any information would be helpful. Brough issued a stay of the executions to permit an appeal to the Arkansas Supreme Court after the motions were denied. Helena-West Helena School District operates schools in what was Helena. Anthony, Steven. Brough, requesting that U.S. troops be sent to Elaine. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020. Believing that the Confederates were preparing to attack again, Prentiss requested reinforcements, which arrived from Memphis, Tennessee, on July 6. Major League Baseball Players Born in Arkansas The following morning, Gov. The commander of Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi, Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby Smith, was forwarded in June the dispatch that Johnston had received, and delegated making the decision whether to attack Helena to Lieutenant General Theophilus Holmes, the Confederate commander of the District of Arkansas. Livingston, Kelly, and Madison Peek. Trauma and Repair: Confronting Segregation and Violence in America. So sad. There is no danger of any lynching. Federal Troops and the Elaine Massacres: A Colloquy. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 61 (Autumn 2002): 272283. The charges ranged from murder to nightriding, a charge akin to terroristic threatening (as defined by Act 112 of 1909). Stockley, Grif, Brian K. Mitchell, and Guy Lancaster. [16] Holmes and Fagan reached Clarendon on June 26. 0:36. Others had their charges dismissed or ultimately were not prosecuted. He praised his troops for their restraint in suppressing the rebellion. Police say detectives have interviewed several people who might have been with . Troops and vigilantes, he noted, went into the canebrakes in search of negro desperadoes, leaving dead bodies lying in the road a few miles outside of the city. [55] Walker's men spent the rest of the morning primarily skirmishing with Clayton's cavalry and firing at long range. The trials were a joke. The City of Helena is located in Phillips County in the State of Arkansas. What is certain is that the massacre cast a long shadow for decades, with fear of reprisals silencing those who witnessed and survived the terror. Police say that Borum was . The Malco theater in Helena has served as both a place to see a movie and as a movie location in Arkansas. Military reports were intentionally vague. According to several accounts from white witnesses, both vigilantes and the troops committed acts of barbarism. [101] The Helena Confederate Cemetery includes burials of Confederate soldiers killed during the battle, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places,[102] as are the remains of the Union batteries.[103]. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Without Clayton's men first being driven from behind the levee, Rightor's Hill could not be taken. Evidence shows that the mobs of whites slaughtered African Americans in and around Elaine. They aimed to hire a lawyer to represent them with the landlords. She was able to go one way. When he returned home, 150 men came to ransack his house, seizing his union meeting minutes and his Masonic lodge books. News of the shooting quickly reached the county seat of Helena. The. That was 97 years ago but little has changed in the hearts of people. As they ran from the posse, the Colemans saw his neighbor, Jim Miller, and his family burned alive in their house. In 1811 the steamboat New Orleans called there, opening a prosperous era of river traffic. Many wept as they told of murder, land theft, forced migration and the legacies of living in a region where fear of retribution silenced people over generations. ; and in the plantation region of the Arkansas Delta. Their initial task was to appeal the sentences given to the Elaine Twelve and ask for a new trial based on errors committed by the trial court. Later in the year, Union troops used Helena as a staging ground for their successful campaign to capture Little Rock, Arkansas. Hostility toward him was so great from local white residents that, out of fear for his life, he was said to sleep at a different black familys house every night during the trials. The information you have provided is great for families that lost people and is greatly needed. What a travesty of justice. The cases of the Elaine Twelve were litigated on two separate tracks. They ushered her out the door." Helena-West Helena Police confirmed they were called to the Walmart Thursday just after noon to a report of a subject having a. Richard Hall asked my father to come to Mississippi to visit him. [13] Rains and high stream levels slowed Price's approach,[14] and though Marmaduke's men reached Switzer's on time, the infantry was delayed at the crossing of the Cache River. There were 2,312 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.8% were married couples living together, 28.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. Finally, on January 14, 1925, Governor Thomas McRae ordered the release of the Moore defendants by granting them indefinite furloughs after they had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The violence occurred not only in the more familiar urban centers of Chicago and Washington, but also in the hinterlands of Omaha; Charleston, S.C.; Longview, Tex. Peacock, Leslie Newell. [21], The Union troops in Helena were commanded by Major General Benjamin Prentiss and consisted of the Thirteenth Division of the XIII Corps. News also reached the Union forces at Helena of a major Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Anyone can read what you share. The decision by the justices was aided by two white men involved in the massacre who reversed their previous testimonies. Facebook/Historic Arkansas Facts and Photos. Males had a median income of $27,203 versus $17,250 for females. Ultimately, the Ware defendants were freed by the Arkansas Supreme Court after two terms of court had passed, and the state of Arkansas made no move to re-try the men. Helena, Arkansas - Wikipedia All Rights Reserved. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Both Holmes and Marmaduke accused Walker of dereliction of duty. Gov. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. To the north, Confederate cavalry commanded by Brigadier Generals John S. Marmaduke and Lucius M. Walker failed to act in concert and accomplished little. [80] Between 10:30 and 11:00 am, Fagan received orders to retreat from before Battery D. Part of the 37th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was trapped during the retreat and was captured. [42] The Confederates came under fire from the 29th Iowa Infantry Regiment, which had been sent to reinforce the position at Rightor's Hill, and became disorganized. Helena was the county seat of Phillips County[3] until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with neighboring West Helena. Corrections? Upset about unfair low wages, they enlisted the help. Holmes noted that the defenses of Helena were stronger than he expected, but carried on with the attack anyway. One hundred years ago this week, one of the worst episodes of racial violence in American history unfolded in Elaine, Ark., a small town on the Mississippi. Johnson, J. Chester. For additional information: [99], Helena was reinforced and in mid-August, Union forces began a campaign against Little Rock, with Helena as the staging ground. Brough, who had ridden on the train with the troops and accompanied them on a march to the Hoop Spur area. A couple in Garland County is suing Officer Ryan Wingo in Garland. He began moving towards Jacksonport and met Major General Sterling Price and Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke on June 18. Additional support provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council. The community, originally settled in 1797 and first called Monticello and then St. Francis, grew around a warehouse built for barge shipping. The trial had occurred in a setting dominated by a mob spirit, violating the prisoners right to due process. One hundred years ago this week, one of the worst episodes of racial violence in American history unfolded in Elaine, Ark., a small town on the Mississippi. [59] The cannons in Battery C were manned by men from the 33rd Missouri Infantry Regiment, and they, along with a portion of the 33rd Iowa, poured a deadly fire into Parsons' men, while Battery B fired at McRae's brigade. Whayne, Jeannie M. Black Farmers in the Red Autumn: A Review Essay. Arkansas Historical Quarterly 68 (Autumn 2009): 327336. Arkansas has a rich history of movie theaters, many that hold a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and are still in operation today. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. They produced a predictable narrative that resembled those dating back to slavery. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003. Updates? Helena, AR Map & Directions - MapQuest [15] Moving through swamps resulted in the loss of many accompanying animals and wagons. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. In fact, local police were complicit in the killing of untold numbers of African-Americans. More atrocities were later reported, including cutting souvenirs from black bodies and . : 1920. The purpose of the meeting, one of several by black sharecroppers in the Elaine area during the previous months, was to obtain better payments for their cotton crops from the white plantation owners who dominated the area during the Jim Crow era. The descendants of the wealthier white perpetrators, they insist, have profited, and continue to do so, from the suffering and loss that their families endured in 1919. As you know, our black history is very limited in some areas. [34] To protect Fagan's flank, Brooks' men were sent up the Lower Little Rock Road at around 1:30 am;[35] the detachment opened the battle in the early dawn by clashing with Union pickets. The Memphis Press stated that white locals were so enraged that they were firing bullets into black corpses as they left Helena en route to Elaine. By November 5, 1919, the first twelve black men given trials had been convicted of murder and sentenced to die in the electric chair. The trials began the next week, with John Elvis Miller leading the prosecution. A Union counterattack retook the hill and captured many prisoners,[79] with over 350 prisoners taken on Graveyard Hill alone. [8], Helena is located at 343134N 90365W / 34.52611N 90.60139W / 34.52611; -90.60139 (34.526223, 90.601377).[9]. In June 1863, Confederate Commander Theophilus Holmes sought to take pressure off of Vicksburg, Mississippi, by attacking the Union-held town of Helena, Arkansas. At 11 p.m., a band of white men shot into the church. Honor or memorial gifts are an everlasting way to pay tribute to someone who has touched your life. Hundreds of black citizens were killed in Elaine, Ark., a century ago this week. The community, originally settled in 1797 and first called Monticello and then St. Francis, grew around a warehouse built for barge shipping. [54] Walker's men had encountered the felled trees across their path of advance, and though he threw forward a skirmish line, most of his men remained back at the barricades. Red Summer 1919: Tree honoring black victims cut down in alleged crime The convictions were again affirmed. Instead, the troops either shot or arrested them. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2020. 5. Two Narratives: How a 1919 Massacre Tore Elaine, Ark., Apart. Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, November 15, 2021. https://lynching.cnsmaryland.org/2021/11/14/two-narratives-how-a-1919-massacre-tore-elaine-ark-apart/ (accessed August 16, 2022). Elaine massacre - Wikipedia As racialized violence spread in both Northern and Southern cities during the Red Summer of 1919, Delta planters were paying close attention. There were 2,710 housing units at an average density of 304.6 per square mile (117.6/km2). As they surrounded his house, another man inside, Charlie Robinson, tried to run away. Still others described the barbarism of cutting off the ears or toes of dead negroes for souvenirs and the dragging of their bodies through the streets of Elaine. Gerald B. Lambert, the founder of Listerine, who owned 21,000 acres near Elaine, saw white men spread throughout the woods, firing at any suspicious person. Neuman, Scott. [7], Helena built a reproduction of Fort Curtis in 2012 that is free to the public. Stopford, Annie. The Arkansas Democrat sent . Helena has been called the cradle of the Delta Blues, and each October the citys King Biscuit Blues Festival draws fans from around the world. 14 Best Things to Do in Helena-West Helena (Arkansas): Arkansas Welcome Center Phillips County Museum Fort Curtis Delta Cultural Center Robert Nighthawk Gravesite Quapaw Canoe Company King Biscuit Time Marker Sonny Boy Williamson's Boarding House Helena Confederate Cemetery Pillow Thompson House Freedom Park Frank Frost Gravesite After hiding for two days in the woods, the Colemans returned home to find dead bodies of women and children scattered about their community. Battle of Helena - Wikipedia On October 31, 1919, the Phillips County grand jury charged 122 African Americans with crimes stemming from the racial disturbances. No one even took the time to confirm the number of kills, as if these people were as worthless as termites. [87] Almost all of the Confederate losses were from the brigades of Fagan, Parsons, and McRae, who took 32 percent of their attacking forces as casualties. From Race Riot to Sit-in: 1919 to the 1960s. On the third try, the Confederates managed to overrun Battery C, but the men from the 33rd Missouri had time to spike one cannon and take supplies necessary for firing before the Confederates captured the guns. The Elaine Lynchings: A Visit to Elaine, Arkansas, 100 Years After Men and women migrated to Northern factories or joined the military, creating a labor shortage in the cotton fields and lumber mills. The 1919 cotton crop was the most profitable in history and they stood to make a good amount of money. Gov. The sharecroppers who gathered at a small church in Elaine, Arkansas, in the late hours of September 30, 1919, knew the risk they were taking. 1E, 6E. Butts, J. W., and Dorothy James. Helena-West Helena mayor explains how town got $1 million grant to A local schoolteacher saw 28 black people killed, their bodies thrown into a pit and burned, and 16 African Americans killed, their bodies hanging from a bridge outside of Helena., A Memphis reporter described events on Oct. 2 after the troops had arrived. One union member, Ed Ware, told her that men had fired into the Hoop Spur church, killing several people, then burned it down the next day with bodies inside. The main attack broke through Battery C, but Union troops fended off the attackers and sealed the breach. Central Arkansas Library System, Little Rock, Arkansas. The violence even claimed those who had nothing to do with the union efforts, such as brothers David Augustine Elihue Johnston, Gibson Allen Johnston, Lewis Harrison (L. H.) Johnston, and Leroy Johnston, who were returning to Helena from a hunting trip when they were attacked and killed on October 2. Phillips County Arrest, Court, and Public Records | StateRecords.org During the 1910 census, my great-great-great-grandfather was listed. Marmaduke paused his men, who were fighting dismounted, to wait for artillery to be brought up and for Walker's men to arrive in support. Enraged citizens fired at the bodies of the dead negroes as they rode out of Helena toward Elaine.. Visualizing the Red Summer. [13], Helena, Arkansas is home to historic buildings such as the Sidney H. Horner House and the Centennial Baptist Church. HELENA-WEST HELENA -- Hard on the banks of the Mississippi River, the World still turns, one page at a time. The Arkansas Race Riot. N.p. Rogers, O. 100 years after hundreds of African Americans were reportedly killed in Elaine, Arkansas, a memorial is set to bring details of the tragedy to light Some observers say the number of people who.
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