The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-04-07
MANSFIELD.

MANSFIELD.
The Battle of Mansfield-the most i'm
portant battle fought in the Trans Missis-
sippi Department during the Confederate
War-was fought on April 8, 1884, forty
six years ago tomorrow. Major-General
Richard Taylor, native Louisianian and
a worthy son of Zachary Taylor (the hero
of Buena Vista, and afterwards President
of the United States) commanded the Con-
federate forces engaged in this battle, and
Major General Nathaniel Prentiss Banks
commanded the Federal forces. Banks
was prominent politician, was elected to
Congress from Massachusetts in 1852 as a
Democrat, was in 1854 reelected by the
American and Republican parties, was
elected Speaker of the National House of
Representatives, and was three times
chosen Governor of Massachutts. Like
B. F. Butler, j. C. Fremont, Carl Schurz
and many others, he was what was known
during the war as "political general. -
Gen. Richard Taylor, while commanding
the First Louisiana Brigade under Stone
wall jackson in the Shenandoah Valley,
had helped to whip ''the gentleman from
Massachusetts, and knew his man. He
says in his admirable book, "Destruction
and Reconstruction:
my confidence of success in the impend-
ing engagement was inspired by accurate
knowledge of the Federal movements, as
we'll as the character of their commander,
General Banks, whose measure had been
taken in the Virginia campaigns of 1852
and snce.''
Banks, who was over-confident, attrib-
uted the long Confederate retreat of zoo
miles from the banks of the Atchafalaya to
Mansfield to his own wonderful strategy,
and expected almost promenade to
Shreveport and an easy victory over Gen.
E. Kirby Smith at that place. The Fed
eral authorities generally were confident OF
victory at Shreveport, and day after
Banks had been whipped few miles be-
low Mansfield and on the very day that
Taylor was again thrashing him at Pleasant
Hill, April 8, 1884, Gen. w. T. Sherman
telegraphed from Nashville, Tenn, to Gen.
S. r. Curtis, at St. Louis, as follows:
"Gen. Grant telegraphs me that Gen.
Steele will hold Red River. Steele will
need re-enforcements, and they should
come from Missouri and Kansas. If Steele
can hold securely Shreveport and Alexan-
dria you need nothing but militia in Kan
sas. Your re-enforcements should go by
land to Fort Smith and on to Red River,
wherever Gen. Steele may be-
April Oath Gen. Sherman wrote or tele-
graphed, confidentially," to Major
General Frederick Steele, who was adj
vancing on Shreveport from Arkansas with
force of 1000 or 10000 to effect juno
Dion with Banks army at that place:
Gail can now say is that if Shreve-
port has been taken and destroyed, all you
should attempt is to garrison Alexandria,
in connection with the gunboats, and
strengthen your line on the Arkansas
Steele wrote Banks from Camden, Ark,
that he would cooperate with him Sin the
best manner possible, at the same time
covering Arkansas until Shreveport shall
be OURS
Thinking that their calculations were
we'll made and the combined forces were
ample to walk over all opposition" quoting
Sherman to Admiral d. D. Porter, COM
handing the Mississippi Squadron in Red
River, it will be seen according to Sher-
mans mode of warfare, Shreveport was to
be dest,oyed-to head his future ssburnt
district" column, beginning with the de-
struction of Atlanta and ending with the
desolation of Columbia, including hum
dreds of homes on his almost unopposed
line of march. That North Louisiana,
South Western Arkansas and large part
of Eastern Texas would have suffered Sc
verely can we'll be imagined from reading
General Orders No. 43 issued by Major
General Franklin wherein he condemns in
pointed language the indiscriminate
marauding and incendiarism, disgraceful
to the army of civilized nation,". on the
retreat of the Nineteenth Corps from Grand
Ecore to Alexandria. Franklin was SOL
der, not marauder, which perhaps had
something to do with Grants declaring him
a gentleman, "but unfortunate in war;
Fortunately for the Confederacy, Gen.
Richard Taylor Unexpectedly interfered
with the proposed Federal "walk over -