LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL INTERESTED IN PRESERVATION
 
Louisiana's new attorney general, Charles Foti, has expressed an interest in what happens at the Mansfield State Historic Site. His staff has questioned whether there has been continuing damage to the battlefield. Our earlier satellite image showed the damage to that point. Given the attorney general's inquiry, we are commissioning a follow-up to demonstrate the ongoing damage to the battlefield. The Civil War Preservation Trust has partnered with us to pay for this, and one recent large donation helps cover a significant portion of our share. This will be telling information!

We must will continue to be vigilant on the preservation front and do what we can to preserve what remains of the critical battlefield sites.

A DELAY IN THE NEWSLETTER

We hope you will excuse the delay in the newsletter. We have just returned from England where Gary received his Ph.D. degree from St. Martin's College, Lancaster University, in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It was a quick trip--just a week--but it came on the heels of Thanksgiving and a house full of people followed by the beginning of the holiday season.

You may be interested to know that Gary's British mentors were extremely knowledgeable about the U.S. Civil War (compare it to our interest in European history). We had wonderful discussions and look forward to hosting them here at some point. We enjoyed soaking up some of the historic sites in London and Lancaster and hope to return for a longer trip in warmer weather. Though Gary completed all of his degree requirements earlier this spring, the postgraduate ceremonies take place only in December.

It was a beautiful ceremony presided over by the chancellor of the college, Her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandra. The pomp and circumstance during the ceremony was what you might imagine at a British event. We enjoyed it but are glad to be home.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN MANSFIELD

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the field
the shovels were stirring, it seemed quite unreal.
The history destroying with no such regard
for men whose lives mattered in battles fought hard.

And much to our wondering eyes there appeared
a sensitive body of folks oh so dear
They cared and they showed it with words and with cash
They knew that it mattered this long ago clash.

On Union, on Confederate, all people who care
We say that they mattered, the men who fought there
The battles of Mansfield and of Pleasant Hill,
The history that reaches and touches us still.

Oh fie on those who say that hist'ry is dead.
We know, we acknowledge the men who have led
Each side had great leaders, had men who came forth,
the soldiers who battled on foot and on horse.

Each one played his part in the battle long past
Each mem'ry we honor, our zeal it will last.
We all come together as a part of the host
and here's our commitment, our pledge is utmost.

We all do acknowledge Mansfield's Battlefield
and will not to passing economies yield.
Our hist'ry destroyed cuts us right to the bone
but we will not give up, we know we aren't alone.

So what is our wish on this cold starry night
as we ponder the battlefield’s terrible plight?
We wish for a time when all parties conclude
that history matters, preservation is good.

Let the shovels dismantle and move out of sight
of the battlefield where gallant soldiers did fight.
In the dark still the mining and turn off the light
as we seek to restore a new silent night.

written for Friends of the Mansfield Battlefield -
        Marilyn Joiner, Christmas 2004

MEMBERSHIP EXPANDS

You will be interested to know that our membership is ever-expanding. We have two new members who span not just the continent but oceans as well. On the east coast of the Atlantic, we have our first member from Gibraltar. To the west, we have our first member from Hawaii.

Thanks to all of you who have willing sent in your renewals. We love hearing from you, hearing about your ancestors and your special interest in the Civil War. We've had great correspondence with many of you, and we appreciate your enthusiasm. It helps to keep us going them things get rushed. 

A SPECIAL "THANK YOU"

It's always great to have response to a request. Thanks for those who have taken advantage of the Christmas half-price medallion special. All medallion sales now are pure profit to the organization. We hope you will consider ordering medallions for gifts, for awards at events, and to present at historic meetings. It's a great way to support the Friends of the Mansfield Battlefield and have something that is long-lasting.

Dr. William Hayden of Paris, Texas, has sent us a list for our mailing. We must not only renew existing memberships but continue to attract new members. If you have access to a good mailing list that you can share with us, we would welcome the opportunity to send a new member mailing to your list.

INTEREST CONTINUES

We were so fortunate to have the attention of the State of Louisiana drawn to the Mansfield State Historic site, both through our 2004 Annual Meeting (attended by Dr. Stuart Johnson of the Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism) and through actions of the Austin Civil War Round Table, Louisiana Environmental Action Network and Tulane Environmental Law Center.

The report of Mansfield State Historic Site Manager Steve Bounds clearly pointed out that the Mansfield State Historic Site is a tourist magnet. As we continue to focus interest on the site, we hope that will expand.

IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED

Gary will be among the historians on the Delta Queen in June on its Red River Campaign cruise. It's roundtrip from New Orleans. It features the Mississippi/Red River cruise and land trips to the sites. If you are interested, you can check out the Delta's Queen's Web site for more information.

NEED TO RENEW?

Send your name, address, phone, email(if applicable) and your check to FOMB, P.O. Box 44144 Shreveport LA 71134-4144. We also take credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express). If using a credit card, we need the following:

card number, expiration date, name on card, mailing address, v-code (*security code on upper right of Amex (4 digits)  or back of VISA/MC (3 digits) and your signature.

Membership Levels are Individual $25, Family $35, Family Legacy $100, Business Regular $100, Business Leadership $150. We also welcome larger membership levels!

MEDALLIONS

We still have medallions. We'll continue the Christmas special for you even though we cannot get these to you for the holiday. You may want to put some in reserve for gifts in 2005. Here's the info;