"This godforsaken town": death and disease at Helena, Arkansas, 1862-63.

Civil War History, June, 2004 by Kohl, Rhonda M.

From December 1861 through July 1862, the Army of the Southwest boasted numerous successful campaigns in Missouri and Arkansas, including the Battle of Pea Ridge, Missouri. Union officials considered the Army of the Southwest a powerful and dynamic force able to capture and hold Arkansas for the Union cause.

However, when supply considerations necessitated the army's occupation of Helena, Arkansas, in July 1862, the army became an ineffective force in fighting not only the Confederates but also the disease-ridden Helena environment. The rapid attrition by disease caused regiments ...