November 19, 2015 - On Saturday, December 12, Mansfield State Historic Site will re-create the scenes of Christmas experienced by those living in north Louisiana in 1865, by taking visitors on a special night tour of the Mansfield battlefield. Beginning at 6 p.m., tour guides in period clothing will take visitors onto the battlefield by candle lantern, where re-enactors will act out various scenes at stops along the trail.
Christmas is always seen as a time for family, feasts, and presents; but in 1865 this was not always the case. Though the war was now over, many families were displaced, waiting for loved ones to return home, mourning their losses, or experiencing a new life of freedom. See the experiences of a refugee family, Union soldiers, former Confederates, and more, as this program demonstrates the mixed feelings of finally celebrating a Christmas without war. Though many had a bittersweet Christmas, they were the lucky ones. Some 620,000 soldiers would never spend another Christmas with loved ones, having died on the battlefields and in the hospitals of the American Civil War.
Ongoing tours will start every 15 minutes, with the last tour departing at 7:45 pm. Admission for this special event is $6 per person age 4-61 and $4 for seniors 62 and over; children age 3 and under are admitted free.
Mansfield State Historic Site is located on State Highway 175, three miles south of Mansfield. For more information, call 318.872.1474 or 888.677.6267, or visit www.LaStateParks.com.
