Red River Campaign tour

[stu613]

I recently attended a BGES Red River Campaign with Parker Hills as the historian. Hope you enjoy some of my pics.

First up is Grand Encore from the NPS visitor center. River flows from top left to bottom right. Left channel has been carved by the river post war and is the current "active" channel. Right channel is the war-time channel and is currently to shallow for navigation. Wartime landings are just below where the pictures were taken.

 

[J. D. Stevens]

Excellent. Keep them coming. We spent a couple of days on a self-guided Red River Campaign Tour in May. My pictures would never win the PotM award. Like your avatar. In 2003, I flew in a WWII trainer. We did a lot of loops, rolls, &c. Did not have to reach for the barf bag even once.

 

[stu613]

Excellent. Keep them coming. We spent a couple of days on a self-guided Red River Campaign Tour in May. My pictures would never win the PotM award. Like your avatar. In 2003, I flew in a WWII trainer. We did a lot of loops, rolls, &c. Did not have to reach for the barf bag even once.

Thanks, but to confess that was taken 50 years and 100 lbs ago! Was in Olathe, Ks with the then Confederate Air Force for a fouth of July airshow (1974). During the show, the pilot ran out of fuel due to a faulty fuel gage and put it down about 1/2 mile short of runway. I was with the CAF crew that were the first to arrive on scene. Interesting day. We may have crossed paths. The tour was the last week of May, ending the saturday of Memorial weekend. We homebased out of Alexandria, La.

 

[stu613]

This is Oaklawn plantation, part of the Cane River Creole National Park. You may recognize it as the house where John Wayne and William Holden captured the two female "spies" in the movie The Horse Soldiers. Note the tree lined approach used by the troopers up to the house. The interior in the movie is pure Hollywood and nothing like the real thing. In fact the black "servant" never left California, all her scenes were filmed in Hollywood on the interior set. I can now say I have walked in the steps of John Wayne!!!

 

[bdtex]

Keep the pics and commentary coming. The Trans-Mississippi Theater needs more study and exposure.

 

[gjpratt]

Thanks, but to confess that was taken 50 years and 100 lbs ago! Was in Olathe, Ks with the then Confederate Air Force for a fouth of July airshow (1974). During the show, the pilot ran out of fuel due to a faulty fuel gage and put it down about 1/2 mile short of runway. I was with the CAF crew that were the first to arrive on scene. Interesting day. We may have crossed paths. The tour was the last week of May, ending the saturday of Memorial weekend. We homebased out of Alexandria, La.

OT, but in the 1990s I owned and operated a WWII warbird flight business with T-6s. It proved the old adage of making a little money by starting out with a lot.

 

[gjpratt]

I see Burford hiding at the end of the porch.

 

[stu613]

I see Burford hiding at the end of the porch.

Yep, and that is Parker Hills, standing with his hand extended.

 

[stu613]

OT, but in the 1990s I owned and operated a WWII warbird flight business with T-6s. It proved the old adage of making a little money by starting out with a lot.

That is so cool. The old warbirds is my second love, after the CW. I was still living in Houston at the time, and got to fly on the B-17 "Texas Raiders" from Galveston to Olathe and back (and once during the show) for that weekend. We had a B-25 on our wing for the round trip, what a thrill for a 20 year old about to go into the USAF. Still love the old warbirds, but sadly have seen too many go down.

 

[stu613]

The battle ground for Pleasant Hill, La. Basically, the right flank of the Union line looking N towads the Confederate assault along the road- you can barely see a wartime logcabin in the middle near a flagpole and just above the ladys head. The marker in the second picture was behind me. I wont ident the lady for her privacy but she was super sweet. This is area is privately owned by the owner of the house in the background but he marked and maintains the area in rememberance.

 

[bdtex]

The battle ground for Pleasant Hill, La. Basically, the right flank of the Union line looking N towads the Confederate assault along the road- you can barely see a wartime logcabin in the middle near a flagpole and just above the ladys head. The marker in the second picture was behind me. I wont ident the lady for her privacy but she was super sweet. This is area is privately owned by the owner of the house in the background but he marked and maintains the area in rememberance.View attachment 444168View attachment 444167

Thank you for posting those. Been to Pleasant Hill a couple of times but never on actual battlefield property. That's a once-in-a-lifetime chance, if that many, for most folks so inclined. Very generous of the landowner.

 

[J. D. Stevens]

The battle ground for Pleasant Hill, La.

That is a great picture of the statue in memory of CSA soldiers. My last visit there was after the Jefferson Symposium in 2019. I thought I had taken pictures of everything at the Battle Park. I took pictures of at least a dozen markers and monuments there, but somehow I missed the statue. Did your tour include the cemetery where some of those killed in the battle were buried? Wish I had known about this tour. Keep the pictures coming.

The tour was the last week of May,

Myself and a fellow CW buff took a two day self-guided tour the second week of May. We began at Fort Jesup. The actual fort was not involved, but there was a skirmish to the west when Debray's Cavalry Rgt accidently ran into Lee's Cavalry Division. Looking forward to more of you pictures.

 

[gjpratt]

OT, but in the 1990s I owned and operated a WWII warbird flight business with T-6s. It proved the old adage of making a little money by starting out with a lot.

But I sure had a lot of fun living a boyhood dream. And a very understanding wife and family. Just one reason why we are coming up on the 44th anniversary.

 

[stu613]

But I sure had a lot of fun living a boyhood dream. And a very understanding wife and family. Just one reason why we are coming up on the 44th anniversary.

Looking forward to meeting you and talking CW and warbirds as well.

 

[stu613]

That is a great picture of the statue in memory of CSA soldiers. My last visit there was after the Jefferson Symposium in 2019. I thought I had taken pictures of everything at the Battle Park. I took pictures of at least a dozen markers and monuments there, but somehow I missed the statue. Did your tour include the cemetery where some of those killed in the battle were buried? Wish I had known about this tour. Keep the pictures coming.


Myself and a fellow CW buff took a two day self-guided tour the second week of May. We began at Fort Jesup. The actual fort was not involved, but there was a skirmish to the west when Debray's Cavalry Rgt accidently ran into Lee's Cavalry Division. Looking forward to more of you pictures.

No cemetaries at Pleasant Hill, we just had enough time to visit the extreme union Left flank (where the CSA thought they were doing an end run but didn't go far enough in the woods) and the extreme right flank as shown. there was a church at the left flank stop, but we did not have enough time to check it out or explore the small cemetary that was there ( I dont think there were any period graves there anyway0We then ate lunch at a small store in Pleasant Hill that took about 2.5 hours to serve hamburgers to about 20 people. They obviously werent prepared for a "large" crowd. We then had to hustle over to Grand Encore to make our scheduled appt with the staff before they closed. Attached are the shots taken on the left flank stop- not really anything to see other than saying we were on "the ground". Parker Hills is pointing to where we were standing,which is about where the heavy black line is on the bottom red rectangle. the second photo (with bus) is looking N down the line of CSA attack

 

[J. D. Stevens]

2.5 hours to serve hamburgers to about 20 people

That happened on a tour I was on a few years ago. Kind of ruined the day since we had to rush by planned stops in the afternoon. There is a cemetery near the Battle Park on highway 175 from Mansfield. Your picture of the map is handy. Never been to that part of the battlefield. Next time I'm over that way, I'll stop at the church where you guys were. Thanks.

Historical Marker

The gate to the cemetery has a cattle guard. It's a couple hundred yards to the cemetery. When you drive in, the cows think it's feeding time and surround your car.

 

[stu613]

The site of the Battle of Blair's Landing, where CSA Gen Tom Green was killed while dueling with union gunboats on the Red River.

 

[bdtex]

The site of the Battle of Blair's Landing, where CSA Gen Tom Green was killed while dueling with union gunboats on the Red River.

Looks snakey.

 

[stu613]

Looks snakey.

LOL- funny you should say that- no snakes but this fellow crawled up behind us during the lecture. I thought the lady next to me was going to jump out of her skin!

 

[stu613]

The site of the ****/lockes built by Gen Banks to deepen the Red River so that the union gunboats could escape downriver. The original pilings are still in place below the surface. Site is at Pineville, La looking towards Alexandria. Earthworks of Fort Buhlow are about 1 mile north. This is all in a state park at Pineville