You are welcome Jim. I would certainly appreciate anything about this expedition that you turn up for my study of Fort Pleasant. I recently spoke by e-mail with the gGranddaughter of Col Pleasant who had a plantation according to her in northern Jefferson county near England Ark. This is one of the reasons that the fort being built in Jefferson County had its name changed from Fort Weighman, to honor Col Pleasant.

Also I have always wondered if this expedition possibly was a ruse?

I known that in June 1863 there seemed to be a concerted effort to attack union shipping along the whole of the Mississippi river from Memphis to Vicksburg. I believe that Dobbins was between Memphis and Helena. While Parson's was below Helena around the mouth of the Arkansas River. While Clark's brigade was farther south around Gaines Landing.

While the relief of Vicksburg was certainly one major objective by attempting to disrupt the union supply convoys. I wonder if a secondary objective was to maybe trigger a responce from Prentiss at Helena to send out some of his troops in Transports to put down these Confederate attacks. Thereby reducing the number of troops that Prentiss would have at Helena to repulse the Confederate Attack of the Battle of Helena, July 4th, 1863. A battle which was clearly designed to draw Union attentions away from Vicksburg.

Certainly you know that Holmes already had drawn up the plans for the Attack on Helena before he sent Clark's Brigade, Dobbins and Parsons commands to the Mississippi River to go boat hunting. It would seem to me that a case could be made that there was some greater military purpose to this expedition than just an independent harrassment raid.

The only things is that Prentiss didn't take the bait and send troops from his command at Helena. But according to Gibson, Union cavalry was sent by boat from Vicksburg to look for Clark's Command.