When people think of Civil War battles, they normally think of the colossal clashes of blue and gray forces in places like Gettysburg, Pa., and the many battlefields of Virginia. However, some of the most significant battles west of the Mississippi River occurred in Louisiana.
In the spring of 1864, General Nathaniel Banks led Union troops up the Red River to capture the capital of Louisiana: Shreveport. After the Union captured Baton Rouge in 1862, Opelousas became the state capital. Then, Shreveport became the capital from 1863 until the end of the war in 1865.
Assisted by Union Navy gunboats on the river, Banks advanced up the Red River with 20,000 blue-clad troops. On April 8, 1864, General Richard Taylor, son of Zachary Taylor, 12th president of the United States, made his stand with an army of about 10,500 troops three miles southeast of Mansfield in DeSoto Parish.
“The Union troops quickly formed a line of battle along a rail fence and a ridge known as Honeycutt Hill,” said Amy Boone, the park manager for the Mansfield State Historic Site. “Two miles to the south, another 6,500 Union troops formed a defensive position at Chapman’s Bayou and held this location until dark.”
The Battle of Mansfield
Also called the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, Taylor defeated Banks in the Battle of Mansfield and saved Shreveport. The Union Army retreated to Pleasant Hill. They fought again the next day. During the fierce Battle of Pleasant Hill, both sides took heavy losses.
“By turning back Union forces at this time, the Confederates were able to prevent complete Union control of Louisiana and stop progression of the war into Texas,” Boone said. “In fact, the Confederate victory at Mansfield may have prolonged the war by several months.”
After the Battle of Pleasant Hill, Banks abandoned his plan to capture Shreveport and retreated down the Red River. General Ulysses S. Grant, commander of all Union armies and future president of the United States, sacked Banks, ending his military career.
Today, people can visit where the two armies brawled more than 160 years ago at the Mansfield State Historic Site. Located at 15149 Highway 175 about 60 miles south of Shreveport, the property covers about four acres. People can walk a trail to see where the soldiers battled and the monuments to those who fought in the war.
“This is the actual site of the battlefield,” Boone said. “Visitors can walk a one-mile hiking trail and see the historical monuments located on the grounds. People can see where each unit involved was and really get the opportunity to feel and see what it was like in 1864.”
Historic re-enactments
While on site, tour the museum and see artifacts found on the battlefield. Sometimes, lucky visitors can see re-enactors on the battlefield in period uniforms staging mock battles. These historic re-enactments give visitors a taste of what happened here during the Civil War. Visitors might see musket-firing demonstrations or take a candlelight tour of the battlefield among other events.
“We do nature programs and historical programs,” Boone said. “We have an outdoor classroom, inside meeting room and pavilions with picnic tables that people can use to enjoy the property. We have a very unique place that holds so much history. To get to see what is here is a huge treat! We love to host different groups, especially school groups and really share the history of the Battle of Mansfield with everyone!”
People can visit the historic site any Wednesday through Sunday, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information on the site, call 888-677-6267 or 318-872-1474. Online, see www.lastateparks.com/historic-sites/mansfield-state-historic-site.
