NOVEMBER WINDS BLOWING CHANGE
By November 15 we will know who will be governor. We already know that Mitch Landrieu will be Lieutenant Governor. We recently received a letter suggesting that we contact him via his web site for issues of interest (mitchlandrieu.com). The future of the Mansfield Battlefield’s funding is in the hands of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, the department over which he has control. He’s made an invitation for people to voice their interests—please voice yours in the Mansfield Battlefield. Also, if you have not yet contacted the gubernatorial candidates, please do so now.

GOVERNOR RUN-OFF
Bobby Jindal (R) Led in primary with 32% His campaign office is P.O. Box 44290, Baton Rouge LA 70804-4290
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) leading of four major Democrat candidates with 18%
Write her campaign office to get the most attention: P.O. Box 80722, Lafayette, LA 70598 Her e-mail address is: kblanco@crt.state.la.us.

Again, remember to focus on the positives about the Mansfield State Historic Site and the Mansfield Battlefield. The state has a real treasure there. The resources available to us through historic tourism cannot be taken away from us – but they can be destroyed if we are not sensitive to saving them. The 140th anniversary of the Battle of Mansfield is coming up this spring. We want to show the nation that WE CARE ABOUT HISTORY!

MANSFIELD STATE HISTORIC SITE
We can’t say enough good things about the Mansfield State Historic Site. Many of you have written us that you have visited and were impressed with the kindness and knowledge of the staff there. However, if you have visited Civil War battlefields and sites in other states, you likely have seen that Louisiana just doesn’t seem to invest much in these out-of-the-way tourism sites. The Mansfield State Historic Site has limited resources – even to purchase items for their showcase and sales area. They’ve not even been able to take credit cards, leading people to purchase only what they had the cash to buy. Also, sales from the Mansfield State Historic Site do not go back into the site but into a big account in Baton Rouge.

As friends of the Mansfield Battlefield we are torn between doing enough to help the site but not doing so much that the state decides to cut funding there. We hope the state will expand funding of this site, realizing that it has real historic value to our citizens and to visitors to our state.

The site has asked the Friends to purchase a carbine and a historic letter for its collection. These are additions to the collection that will help make a visit to the site more memorable, and we are pleased to provide support.

OVERFLIGHT TO ASSESS DAMAGE
We are currently in the process of ordering an overflight of the Mansfield Battlefield to help assess damage and determine areas that are most endangered. This will be a high-resolution overflight specifically of the battlefield and the lignite mine. This will help give us a baseline to examine what the ground looks like for preservation efforts and to monitor the amount of future destruction. This is from a Quick Bird satellite and should be flown prior to the end of the year. We are still losing foliage in Louisiana – and since we have not had our first frost yet, we need to wait. This will be done in conjunction with some of our preservation partners. We will have both black and white and color photography with resolution below one meter.

EASEMENT INITIATIVE
Progress continues on the easements. We have been in contact with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and have met with them. We have also been talking with the Civil War Preservation Trust, and the Friends will be the entity that monitors the easement in partnership with the Preservation Trust, Department of Agriculture and the landowner. We are also in the process of examining other potential properties for inclusion in the next federal budget year, and we have requested from the Department of Agriculture between $200,000 and $300,000 in funds for use in matches with the other portion coming from outside sources.

FRIENDS TO FRIENDS
We have been contacted by one of the preservation groups in the Gettysburg battlefield to show them how we have succeeded in creating a positive environment at Mansfield and have built a coalition of interested stakeholders. We have also been working with the Preservation Trust in Arkansas to help acquire acreage at the Jenkins Ferry Battlefield and we may soon know how successful we have been with this venture. This battlefield is another vital component of the Red River Campaign, being the most important battle in the Arkansas portion, also known as the Camden Campaign. Gary has been working with the State of Louisiana, the Leesville Chamber of Commerce and our friends in the Anacoco Rangers of the Sons of Confederate Veterans to help preserve the Burr’s Ferry earthworks on the Sabine River in Vernon Parish. Our goal is to protect these fortifications by placing them on the National Register of Historic Places.

MANSFIELD WEEKEND
We continue to hear good things about the Mansfield Commemorative Weekend orchestrated by Friends Member Chuck McMichael and the Richard Taylor Camp of the SCV. The proceeds from the event went to the Friends, and we are grateful for the fund-raising and the friends-raising that was accomplished. We also had a great photo spread in Forum News, a Shreveport tabloid, photos in The (Shreveport) Times and on their Web site, and much positive response. You can see our photos on our Web site http://www.mansfieldbattlefield.org/. Look under the Historic Site photo album. Can you just imagine what will happen when we have a gigantic group of reenactors there in April? If you’ve not yet made your plans to come, please do so now. Don’t forget that our friend Pam Herberlie at Moonlight and Lace B&B will welcome your visit then or at any other time. Pam can be reached at 318-871-5591 or at pamheb@bellsouth.net. Mark your calendar now for the first weekend in April, 2004, or stop by now. Fall is a great time to visit the battlefield.

NEW AEP CONTACT
AEP has a new manager in the Shreveport area. We have met him and understand that he is interested in environmental issues. He has expressed an interest in meeting with Gary to talk about the battlefield, and we look forward to positive interaction with AEPSWEPCO.

SEND US YOUR ANCESTOR INFORMATION!
We are receiving information on Red River Campaign participants. Please send us yours! We’re creating a database of Union and Confederate soldiers and would like to have information as well as pictures too. We can accept scans or copies of images.

Gary is requesting information from anyone who knows anything about J.A. Jarratt who fought at Mansfield and was a sergeant in Company B of the Consolidated Crescent Regiment. This is for a research project, hopefully leading to a book.

JOSHUA A. SAXON
Company B, Walker’s Texas Cavalry
By his great grandson, J. Forrest Green