Mission
- To protect and preserve the civil war battleground site of the Battle of Mansfield in DeSoto Parish Louisiana and its artifacts.
- To stimulate and improve awareness, appreciation and respect for the Battleground Site.
- To provide educational resources which explain and describe the Battle of Mansfield, the Red River Campaign and their historical significance.
- To conduct, promote and enhance the study of the Battle of Mansfield and the Civil War offensive known as the Red River Campaign.
- To cooperate with public and non-public historic preservation groups in preserving and protecting the battleground site, other Civil War sites and sites throughout the United States.
- To operate as a charitable organization and receive donations to support its purposes.
History
In the Beginning
In 2002 the Dolet Hills Lignite Mine and power plant, a joint venture between Louisiana electric utilities CLECO and SWEPCO, was churning up land. Giant draglines were scraping land in DeSoto Parish near the Mansfield State Historic Site that marks the last the last decisive Confederate victory, protecting Shreveport from Union control.
The mining churned up fields, camp sites, artifacts and, likely, unmarked burials. Historians, preservationists and descendants of those who fought in the Red River Campaign voiced thier concerns about the destruction.
One historian, Gary Joiner, had undertaken extensive research on the Red River Campaign in Louisiana. It was a rarely-mentioned campaign of the war. The only significant book about it, “Red River Campaign: Politics and Cotton in the Civil War” by the late Dr. Ludwell Johnson, was published in 1958.
Advocates for History
Gary’s research as a military historian and professor was encouraged by his wife, a native of Mansfield. Marilyn’s great-great grandfather had fought in that battle. They established a nonprofit Friends of the Mansfield Battlefield with the support of Hope Calhoun of Mansfield and Tommy Youngblood of Shreveport.
Engaging his academic connections as well as contacts in Civil War Roundtable study groups across the nation, Gary asked others to join as advocates for preservation of the battlefield and associated sites. The Friends challenged powerful utilities and government agencies as it presented information and research about Red River Campaign’s place in American history. Their group was inspired by the success of other groups throughout the nation who were working to preserve Civil War battle sites.
Accomplishments
At its peak, Friends of the Mansfield Battlefield had hundreds of members as near as Mansfield and as far away as Europe. Gary continued to discover new information on the battle and participants in the Red River Campaign. The Friends’ newsletter (Battlefield Journal) drew attention to the progress of the mining. The group hosted public meetings and presentations. It advocated for preservation with government leaders. It submitted editorials and letters for newspaper publication. It encouraged descendants of the soldiers to speak out. Ongoing research drew attention to the campaign and to the most-threatened area, the Mansfield State Historic Site.
As the dragline buckets scooped up soil equal to the volume of a three-bedroom home. Gary traveled to Civil War Round Tables to speak about the Red River Campaign. The Friends group grew and acquired funds to support its mission.
Dormancy and Resurgence
The mine had opened in 1985 and by 2016 the companies began to consider lignite mining uneconomical. As the mining slowed, the threat to the property diminished. Eventually, the Friends became dormant. Contributions were no longer solicited because the Friends had cash reserves which Gary and Marilyn protected and used to respond to requests at the Mansfield State Historic Site.
In 2026 the Mansfield State Historic Site expanded its programming and received support of DeSoto Parish tourist officials. The Friends of the Mansfield Battlefield reactivated its status as a nonprofit charitable organization with the Louisiana Secretary of State and the Internal Revenue Service. Throughout its recent history the Mansfield State Historic Site has been the victim of government funding cuts. The Friends of Mansfield Battlefield today advocates for preservation and education.