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Here are copies of the resolutions that were read on Saturday morning.
The State of Texas Resolution
WHEREAS, the 140th anniversary of the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, in northwest Louisiana, is being commemorated through reenactments during the weekend of April 2-4, 2004, and the observance of these Civil War engagements includes a march to raise awareness of, and funds for, the preservation of the Mansfield battleground; and
WHEREAS, the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, which took place on April 8 and April 9, 1864, culminated in a failed Union attempt to secure control of the Red River Valley and capture Shreveport, Louisiana; had the Federals been successful, the could have eliminated Shreveport as a major supply depot, secured a tremendous quantity of Texas and Louisiana cotton, and enjoyed a favorable position for striking overland into Texas itself; and
WHEREAS, Success lay with the Confederates, however, as troops under General Richard Taylor overwhelmed the Union forces of General Nathaniel P. Banks just south of Mansfield; in the wake of the Confederate assault, the Union soldiers fell back to Pleasant Hill, where the next day they succeeded in repulsing a second attack; their victory notwithstanding, that evening General Banks began a retreat back down the river; and
WHEREAS, Today the Civil War Preservation Trust lists the battlegrounds at Mansfield as one of the top 10 endangered Civil War battlefield; of the approximately 5,000 acres composing the site, only 12 percent is currently protected from development, and the trust is working with the Austin Civil War Round Table and Friends of the Mansfield Battlefield to increase the amount of acreage that is being preserved; and
WHEREAS, More than 1,000 individuals, including cavalry troops, are expected to reenact the battles that signaled the end of the Red River campaign, and nearly 100 reenactors are expected to participate in the 16.3-mile "preservation march" between Mansfield and Pleasant Hill; while Texans make up much of the reenactment contingent, other participants in the march are coming from as far away as Washington State and the United Kingdom; and
WHEREAS, Those taking part in the march are portraying the members of the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment, which fought at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill and which was raised by Waco resident Joseph W. Speight in Leon, Smith, and McLennan counties; the reenactors will be equipped with authentic replicas of the uniforms and equipment believed to have been used by Texas troops at the time of the battles; and
WHEREAS, Organized by Doug Cooper, Daniel McCoslin, Frank Aufmuth, and the Texas Ground Hornets of the 15th Texas, this march is expected to raise $10,000 with a matching grant from the Austin Civil War Round Table for the preservation endeavor, and
WHEREAS, Site of one of the last Confederate victories of the Civil War, the Mansfield battlefield represents a significant and irreplaceable link with that terrible struggle, and efforts to preserve it are indeed deserving of special commendation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That all those associated with the preservation march of the 15th Texas in behalf of the Mansfield battleground be heartily congratulated and that they be extended sincere best wishes for a successful and memorable event.
William "Bill" Callegari
State Representative
District 132
State of Texas General Land Office Resolution
Whereas, the State of Texas in April, 1864 was threatened from invasion by a 35,000 man Union army commanded by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, and
Whereas, Major General Richard Taylor, son of President Zachary Taylor, assembled a force of 10,500 Confederates, composed predominantly of Texans, to oppose Banks, and
Whereas, this outnumbered Confederate army surprised Banks in the woods south of Mansfield, Louisiana on April 8, 1864 as the Union forces had moved away from the Red River where the heavy guns of the naval fleet protected them, and
Whereas, Taylor's Confederates were victorious in this decisive engagement of the Red River Campaign saving Texas from Federal invasion, and
Whereas, the battleground at Mansfield is hallowed ground where 1,500 Confederates and 2,900 Federals became casualties, and
Whereas, the momentous events of April, 1864 will be remembered on the weekend of April 2-4, 2004 with the 140th anniversary re-enactments of the Battle of Mansfield and its companion engagement at Pleasant Hill, and
Whereas, this re-enactment will include a "Preservation March" organized by the "Texas Ground Hornets" of the reactivated 15th Texas Infantry Regiment, a regiment that originally fought at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, and
Whereas, this Preservation March, over 16 miles in length, with authentic uniforms and equipment of Trans-Mississippi Texas troops, will raise awareness and funds for the preservation of the Mansfield battlefield, which is cited by the Civil War Preservation Trust as one of the top ten endangered Civil War battlefields,
Resolved, that I, Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, do commend the re-enactors of the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment for their efforts to preserve the Mansfield battleground from encroachment by mining operations and,
Further resolved, that I do convey the regards of this office to Mr. Doug Cooper, Mr. Daniel McCoslin, and Mr. Frank Aufmuth for their key roles in organizing this event and coordinating donations for thos worthy cause.
Adopted this 25th day of March, 2004, at Austin, Texas.
Jerry Patterson
Commissioner
A Message from the Governor:
"It is rather for us the living to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address reminds us of all the sacrifices made for this nation.
As you dedicate a monument to the brave soldiers and sailors who fought and died in the battle of Mansfield, we are all reminded of a perilous moment in our nation's history, when brother was armed against brother, and the fate of our great Republic was at stake. By remembering our past, and honoring our war dead, we can steel ourselves to meet any challenge in the future.
May the sons and daughters of America always stand for freedom, and be willing to offer their lives in its defense.
Sincerely,
Rick Perry
Governor
----------------
Pretty cool stuff.
-jeremy "brother maynard" mazur
Austin Red Sock Boys
The State of Texas Resolution
WHEREAS, the 140th anniversary of the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, in northwest Louisiana, is being commemorated through reenactments during the weekend of April 2-4, 2004, and the observance of these Civil War engagements includes a march to raise awareness of, and funds for, the preservation of the Mansfield battleground; and
WHEREAS, the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, which took place on April 8 and April 9, 1864, culminated in a failed Union attempt to secure control of the Red River Valley and capture Shreveport, Louisiana; had the Federals been successful, the could have eliminated Shreveport as a major supply depot, secured a tremendous quantity of Texas and Louisiana cotton, and enjoyed a favorable position for striking overland into Texas itself; and
WHEREAS, Success lay with the Confederates, however, as troops under General Richard Taylor overwhelmed the Union forces of General Nathaniel P. Banks just south of Mansfield; in the wake of the Confederate assault, the Union soldiers fell back to Pleasant Hill, where the next day they succeeded in repulsing a second attack; their victory notwithstanding, that evening General Banks began a retreat back down the river; and
WHEREAS, Today the Civil War Preservation Trust lists the battlegrounds at Mansfield as one of the top 10 endangered Civil War battlefield; of the approximately 5,000 acres composing the site, only 12 percent is currently protected from development, and the trust is working with the Austin Civil War Round Table and Friends of the Mansfield Battlefield to increase the amount of acreage that is being preserved; and
WHEREAS, More than 1,000 individuals, including cavalry troops, are expected to reenact the battles that signaled the end of the Red River campaign, and nearly 100 reenactors are expected to participate in the 16.3-mile "preservation march" between Mansfield and Pleasant Hill; while Texans make up much of the reenactment contingent, other participants in the march are coming from as far away as Washington State and the United Kingdom; and
WHEREAS, Those taking part in the march are portraying the members of the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment, which fought at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill and which was raised by Waco resident Joseph W. Speight in Leon, Smith, and McLennan counties; the reenactors will be equipped with authentic replicas of the uniforms and equipment believed to have been used by Texas troops at the time of the battles; and
WHEREAS, Organized by Doug Cooper, Daniel McCoslin, Frank Aufmuth, and the Texas Ground Hornets of the 15th Texas, this march is expected to raise $10,000 with a matching grant from the Austin Civil War Round Table for the preservation endeavor, and
WHEREAS, Site of one of the last Confederate victories of the Civil War, the Mansfield battlefield represents a significant and irreplaceable link with that terrible struggle, and efforts to preserve it are indeed deserving of special commendation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That all those associated with the preservation march of the 15th Texas in behalf of the Mansfield battleground be heartily congratulated and that they be extended sincere best wishes for a successful and memorable event.
William "Bill" Callegari
State Representative
District 132
State of Texas General Land Office Resolution
Whereas, the State of Texas in April, 1864 was threatened from invasion by a 35,000 man Union army commanded by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, and
Whereas, Major General Richard Taylor, son of President Zachary Taylor, assembled a force of 10,500 Confederates, composed predominantly of Texans, to oppose Banks, and
Whereas, this outnumbered Confederate army surprised Banks in the woods south of Mansfield, Louisiana on April 8, 1864 as the Union forces had moved away from the Red River where the heavy guns of the naval fleet protected them, and
Whereas, Taylor's Confederates were victorious in this decisive engagement of the Red River Campaign saving Texas from Federal invasion, and
Whereas, the battleground at Mansfield is hallowed ground where 1,500 Confederates and 2,900 Federals became casualties, and
Whereas, the momentous events of April, 1864 will be remembered on the weekend of April 2-4, 2004 with the 140th anniversary re-enactments of the Battle of Mansfield and its companion engagement at Pleasant Hill, and
Whereas, this re-enactment will include a "Preservation March" organized by the "Texas Ground Hornets" of the reactivated 15th Texas Infantry Regiment, a regiment that originally fought at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, and
Whereas, this Preservation March, over 16 miles in length, with authentic uniforms and equipment of Trans-Mississippi Texas troops, will raise awareness and funds for the preservation of the Mansfield battlefield, which is cited by the Civil War Preservation Trust as one of the top ten endangered Civil War battlefields,
Resolved, that I, Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, do commend the re-enactors of the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment for their efforts to preserve the Mansfield battleground from encroachment by mining operations and,
Further resolved, that I do convey the regards of this office to Mr. Doug Cooper, Mr. Daniel McCoslin, and Mr. Frank Aufmuth for their key roles in organizing this event and coordinating donations for thos worthy cause.
Adopted this 25th day of March, 2004, at Austin, Texas.
Jerry Patterson
Commissioner
A Message from the Governor:
"It is rather for us the living to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address reminds us of all the sacrifices made for this nation.
As you dedicate a monument to the brave soldiers and sailors who fought and died in the battle of Mansfield, we are all reminded of a perilous moment in our nation's history, when brother was armed against brother, and the fate of our great Republic was at stake. By remembering our past, and honoring our war dead, we can steel ourselves to meet any challenge in the future.
May the sons and daughters of America always stand for freedom, and be willing to offer their lives in its defense.
Sincerely,
Rick Perry
Governor
----------------
Pretty cool stuff.
-jeremy "brother maynard" mazur
Austin Red Sock Boys
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