Helena Confederate Cemetery - Helena, Arkansas - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Summary
Helena's Confederate Cemetery is a small burial plot of less than one acre located in the southwest corner of Maple Hill Cemetery on the side of Crowley's Ridge. In addition to many Confederate graves, it contains two monuments: the Cleburne Memorial and the Confederate Memorial.

Elaboration
Helena's Confederate Cemetery is a small burial plot of less than one acre located in the southwest corner of Maple Hill Cemetery on the side of Crowley's Ridge. In addition to many Confederate graves, it contains two monuments: the Cleburne Memorial and the Confederate Memorial.

The Cleburne Memorial marks the grave site of General Patrick Cleburne, one of the Confederacy's greatest divisional commanders. It is a tall marble shaft topped by an urn with flames coming from its top. The north and south sides of the shaft have inverted bouquets of flowers; the east and west sides have garlands of flowers swinging across to where they meet at the bottoms of the bouquets. The north side is embossed with a lyre and a shamrock; the east side has a sun halfway down over a waterline in a circular motif. The north side also has the Confederate seal. The concrete base is 1'5" x 3'6" x 3'6". The marble shaft stands 15' x 2'11" x 2'11".

The south side of the Cleburne Memorial, which was produced by M. Muldoon & Co. of Louisville, Kentucky, contains the inscription 'MISSIONARY RIDGE / RICHMOND, KY. "Rest thee, Cleburne! tears of sadness / Flow from hearts thou'st nobly won; / Mem'ry ne'er will cease to cherish / Deeds of glory thou hast done."

The east side of the Cleburne Memorial reads "FRANKLIN / RINGGOLD-GAP / M. MULDOON & CO., LOU., KY."

On the north side of the Cleburne Memorial is the inscription "CHICKAMAUGA / SHELTON HOUSE "-a rift revealed / The horse and rider, then the scene was dim; / But on the inner works the death hail rang / In dying Cleburne's ears, a battle hymn!"

The west side of the Cleburne Memorial contains the inscription "PATRICK RONAYNE / CLEBURNE, / MAJOR GENERAL, C. S. A. / BORN IN COUNTY CORK, / IRELAND. / MARCH 17, 1828; / KILLED AT BATTLE OF FRANKLIN, TENN. / NOVEMBER 30, 1864 / DULCE ET DECORUM EST / PRO PATRIA MORI. / SHILOH / CLEBURNE."

Organic growth, sugaring, and spalling are apparent on the Cleburne Memorial. White crusts have also affected the sculpture. The strings of the lyre and the words on the Confederate seal, both on the north side of the shaft, have been chipped.

The Confederate Memorial, located in the center of a circular dive in the middle of the cemetery, faces east and depicts a uniformed, mustachioed Confederate soldier standing atop a tall granite shaft. A cape is draped over his shoulders, and his hair sweeps back along his head below his cap. His hands, proper right above proper left, rest on the butt of his inverted rifle, the barrel of which rests on the ground before him. His proper right knee is slightly bent and an inverted cannon barrel sits behind his proper left leg. A cartridge box stamped CSA stands just below his proper right elbow. The tall granite shaft is embossed with battle names and memorial declarations. The east side of the shaft features one furled and two waving Confederate flags. Each side has an inverted cannon barrel topped by a pyramid of 14 cannonballs, with five on the bottom and two at the top of each pile. Each side of the shaft also features a stylized CSA logo. The base, made of granite, stands 30'x 9'x 9'. The sculpture, made of Italian marble, is 7'x 3'4"x 3'4". It was made by an unidentified firm in Louisville, Kentucky.

On the east face of the base of the Confederate Memorial is the inscription "SHILOH / CHICKAMAUGA / OUR CONFEDERATE DEAD. / THIS MONUMENT REPRESENTS / AND EMBODIES HERO-WORSHIP / AT THE SHRINE OF PATRIOTISM AND / SACRIFICE; DEVOTION OF THE MEM- / ORY OF THE LOST CAUSE, AND HONOR / TO THE SOLDIERS, KNOWN AND UN- / KNOWN, WHO REST IN ITS SHADOW. / CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL."

The north side of the base of the Confederate Memorial contains the inscription "ATLANTA / PERRYVILLE."

The west side of the Confederate Memorial's base reads "HELENA / WILDERNESS / UNKNOWN DEAD. / THE / NAMELESS DEAD - FAMELESS DEAD - / YET THEY MADE THE FAME OF OTHERS. / THIS LOFTY SHAFT IS WITNESS MUTE / OF THE LOVE WE BEAR BEYOND COMPUTE / FOR OUR SOUTHLAND'S PATRIOT BROTHERS. DEO VINDICE."

The south side of the base contains the inscription "BELMONT / MURFREESBORO."

Black crusts, sugaring, and carved graffiti on the north face have damaged the base of the Confederate Memorial. The cannonballs are damaged on the north and south sides of the shaft. The sculpture has also been the victim of vandalism, as well as sugaring and black crusts. The nose of the figure is damaged and his hat bill is missing.

In addition to the two large memorials, there are 100 other marked graves within the Helena Confederate Cemetery. Of those, 15 are marked "Confederate Dead," 17 mark graves of members of Parsons' Missouri Brigade, 23 mark graves of Confederates killed in the July 4, 1863, battle of Helena, and six mark graves of members of Dobbins' regiment.

Members of Parson's Brigade identified on headstones are Henry Bounstill, Smith, R.H. Crews, Wm. Head, D.E. Williams, W.C. Kerr, Wm. Tolbert, John W. Hayes, A. Lane, Fred Underwood, L.E. Lambert, J.R. McCullock, John A. Stone, H.V. Higgins, Ed Littrell, Fleming Fine, and John Brown.

Members of Dobbins' Regiment identified on headstones are Agnew, J.W. Moore, Jones, another Jones from Bateman's Company, Lt. Sewell, and John F. Walker.

Other marked graves include the following inscriptions:
* A.S. Bibb/Born in Alabama in 1829/ led company of Alabama volunteers/promoted in 1862 to colonel on Forrest's staff
* C.C. Barker, Confederate Dead
* Major Joe Martin, Hart's Regiment, McReats Brigade, July 6, 1863, wounded at Battle of Helena, Died at Col. Jarman's July 6, 1864.
* Capt. John C. Clark, born in Kentucky January 27, 1825, died July 7, 1863 of wounds received in Battle of Helena, Ark., on July 4.
* Confederate Dead, Hindman's Legion
* A.P. Lambert, Yell Rifles, Co. A, Cleburne's First Arkansas Regiment
* Richard J. Lanford, 13th Arkansas, Lanford Co.
* Major Sam Corley, Killed at Battle of Little Rock, 1863
* Major Smith, QM, Shelby's Brigade
* James Hooker, 19th Louisiana Regiment
* S.H. Dooling, Killed 1873
* Pernellon, killed at Helena
* John Sullivan, died 1863
* James Casteel, McGee's Regiment, Jones Co.
* B.W. Killed at Helena
* W.T. Killed at Helena
* Lieut. Bagwell, McGee's Regiment, Ward's Co., Killed 1863
* D.G. Killed at Helena
* John S. Cleaveland, 2d Texas Cavalry, Killed 1863
* D.T. Tackett, Harris Regiment

The majority of the headstones are low, rounded marble slabs.