Benjamin H. Helm Memorial Shell Monument - Chickamauga National Military Park - Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

This pyramid of cannon balls marks where Brig. Gen. Benjamin H. Helm was mortally wounded at about 10:00 am on September 20, 1863 during the Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863.

Benjamin Hardin Helm (June 2, 1831 – September 21, 1863) was a Kentucky politician, attorney, Confederate brigadier general, and a brother-in-law of Abraham Lincoln. He was also the son of Kentucky Governor John L. Helm.
Source: Wikipedia - Benjamin Hardin Helm



Text:

Benjamin H. Helm
Brig. Gen. C.S.A.

Breckinridge’s Division
Mortally Wounded here
About 10 A.M. Sept. 20th, 1863

Kentucky in the American Civil War was a border state and officially neutral at the beginning of the war. Units from Kentucky served in both the Union and Confederate Armies. A marker to the 15th Kentucky Infantry Regiment (US Vols) is located on the Opposite side of Alexander Bridge Rd.

From the marker located across the road at tour stop #2.


The second day begins
Morning brought repeated attacks on the Union breastworks here

By the morning of September 20, 1863, Gen. Braxton Bragg had organized his Confederate army into two wings -- Longstreet on the left and Polk´s here on the right. Bragg ordered Polk to attack at dawn. However, the attack was delayed, in the Federals used the first critical hours of daylight to strengthen their log breastworks.

Finally, at 9:30 a.m. Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge´s Confederate Division struck the Union breastworks at this point. Other Confederate units joined them as the attack spread southward along the line of monuments behind you. The pressure of these attacks forced Union commander Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans to move men from his center to stop the attack here on his left.

About noon the futile and costly Confederate charges ended, not be resumed until late afternoon. The federals stood firm behind their log wall, awaiting the outcome of the fighting still raging south of here.

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From the NRHP nomination form:

	Structure Number:	MT-486(see note)
	LCS ID:	003268

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Historical Significance:

	National Register Status:	Entered - Documented
	National Register Date:	10/15/1966
	National Historic Landmark?:	No
	Significance Level:	Contributing
	Short Significance Description:	Monument contributes to national significance of park under NR Criterion A because it represents the national movement among veterans & federal government to commemorate Civil War battlefields. This was the first U.S. national military park.

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Short Physical Description

14'10" per side at base and 10' high, the monument consists of a pyramid of cannonballs set in cement & painted black, resting on a triangular molded limestone base. Attached to pyramid is a painted metal plaque identifying the site.

Long Physical Description

Monument located within the Chickamauga Battlefield northwest of Alexander Bridge Road near Tour Stop #2, map site #30.

Material(s)

Structural Component(s) Material(s) 1.  Superstructure Iron 2.  Substructure Limestone 3.  Superstructure Limestone 4.  Superstructure Concrete

Construction Period:	Historic
Chronology:	Physical Event Begin Year Begin Year AD/BC End Year End Year AD/BC Designer Designer Occupation 1.  Built 1893 AD 1895 AD Betts, E. E. Engineer

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My Sources
1. NRHP Narrative
2. Wikipedia - Battle of Chickamauga
3. The Civil War Home - The Chickamauga Campaign - Confederate Order of Battle
4. Wikipedia - Benjamin Hardin Helm

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Note
Trailhead Graphics, Inc. has produced a map of the Chickamauga Battlefield showing the locations of all of the monuments and the markers on the battlefield. Each location on the map has a number associated with it that cross-references to an index on the back of the map that has the name of the marker (called the Chick-Chatt NMP monument numbering system). This number corresponds to the structure Number listed on the NPS List of Classified Structures that is normally prefixed with the letters MT for the Chickamauga Battlefield.

Website pertaining to the memorial: [Web Link] List if there are any visiting hours: Sunrise to sunset Entrance fees (if it applies): 0.00 Type of memorial: Monument

Visit Instructions:

*(1.)* Please submit a photo(s) taken by you of your visit to the location (non-copyrighted photos only). GPS photos are also accepted with the location in the background, and old vacation photos are accepted. If you are not able to provide a photo, then please describe your visit or give a story about the visit.
*(2.)* If you have additional information about the memorial which is not listed in the waymark description, please notify the waymark owner to have it added, and please post the information in your visit log.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   02/23/2011 Lat34North visited it