Mansfield Battlefield Museum Closing for Renovations

Unidentified cavalry soldier in Confederate uniform
with slant breech sharps carbine, two knives,
and two revolvers.( Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs)  

          MANSFIELD -- Effective March 19, Mansfield State Historic Site will close to the public due to renovations of the site’s museum. Renovations include the installation of new track lighting, flooring and wall treatments in preparation for new exhibits about the historic Civil War battles at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. The site is scheduled to reopen by the end of April.
          The new exhibit is scheduled to be installed in late July. The exhibit will feature artifacts, letters,
uniforms, and other materials related to the battle of Mansfield, the Red River Campaign of 1864 and the everyday life of the Civil War Soldier. Other themes include the impact of the war on the lives of local community members, as well as the roles played by women, slaves and freed slaves.
          The Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill were significant losses for the Union Army, possibly
delaying the end of the Civil War by several months. The Red River remained in Confederate
hands until the end of the war as a result of the Battle of Mansfield.   In 1973, Mansfield State Historic Site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, an honorary designation for significant historical sites. The site is located in De Soto Parish, four
miles south of the town of Mansfield, along La. 175. The site hosts tours daily, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information, visit www.LaStateParks.com.