Catahoula News Booster March 24, 2021, Page 7A ‘Be cheerful … others suffer worse’ Stanley Nelson (25th in a Series) tremely hazardous. In 1864, Confederate “Major Douglas was in- forces in North Louisiana structed to consult with me braced for an invasion of but not to be governed by Union gunboats, infantry me. I used every argument and calvary. and persuasion with him, At his Llanada Plantation and reduced it all to the just outside the city limits point, ‘Are these positions of Jonesville, General St. expected to be isolated and John Richardson Liddell had unsupported?’ He agreed to only recently returned after leave the question to Major many months of fighting in General Taylor. Tennessee. He now com- “Major Douglas, finding manded a regiment of cal- his own views sustained by vary and was responsible for Taylor, began and pushed protecting an area of North forward the construction Louisiana from the mouth of without further reference the Red River northwest to or notice of my opinions or Shreveport and the Arkan- wishes. My recourse now sas line, and eastward to the was to General E. Kirby Mississippi River. Smith. I candidly stated that In addition, Confeder- such works could not be IN ITS April 30, 1864 edition Harper’s Weekly reported that Union Admiral Porter's flotilla on the Red River, ate forces and citizens were held long enough to do any “which has done excellent service, consists of twenty-two gun-boats, together with several supply steamers, hospi- menaced by jayhawkers good. I represented that the tal-boats, etc. … The opening of the Red River region has placed within our reach {Union} a vast amount of cotton, who plundered and pillaged engineer who insisted upon which the enemy {Rebels} had stored away for export or sale. On the 17th 800 bales from near Fort De Russy {on the before returning to safe hav- Red River at Marksville} reached Cairo, and large quantities were still awaiting transportation at the date of our last putting them ought to be en in the swamps from Larto advices. In the vicinity of Shreveport thousands of bales are believed to be hidden away.” (Harper’s Weekly, April 30, required to stay in them … Lake to Catahoula Lake in 1864) and prove their usefulness. I the area primarily between badly in need of pork or salt- pidity of the Cotton Bureau, Arkansas and Texas. What recorded the marriage in a also told Major Douglas him- the Red and Little rivers. ed beef, while some of the which seemed inclined to wisdom could there be in book. self that I would not give him Jayhawkers were Confeder- soldiers were without shoes the absorption of all this in- destroying that which was By early 1864, six more than two hours to hold ate draft dodgers, deserters after wearing them out on terest for selfish purposes, useful to us, without being months after Mary followed the place when attacked.” and Louisiana Unionists. The marches and during battles. though suspected and con- of decided advantage to the the Kilpatrick family to Tex- Why move the guns to an Unionists were dedicated to COTTON: SELL IT demned by all others.” enemy?” as, conditions along Black indefensible post like Trinity, bringing down the Confed- OR BURN IT? With the Mississippi Riv- A DANGEROUS River had grown even more where four rivers meet, from eracy. Soon, Liddell received er in the hands of the Union, PLACE hostile and dangerous. the high ridge at Harrison- General Richard Taylor, a letter from a member of transporting cotton west In late winter 1864, Lid- Liddell was forced to be burg, where Fort Beauregard the son of former U.S. Pres- the staff of General E. Kirby was imperative. dell’s son Moses (nicknamed away from home so often commanded the Ouachita ident Zachary Taylor, was Smith, commander of the Soon, according to the Judge), who had fought at tending to his Confederate River for a mile and had suc- Liddell’s superior officer. Trans-Mississippi, compris- Texas Historical Association, the First Battle of Bull Run, duties in North Louisiana cessfully fended off gunboat Based in Alexandria, Taylor ing Confederate strongholds the returned from Texas where that he tried unsuccessfully attacks months earlier? was in charge of the Louisi- west of the great river. Smith Confederate govern- Liddell’s slaves had been to get his beloved wife Mary “I was overruled in the ana Rebel forces west of the was based in Shreveport. ment “authorized the cre- sent. In Houston County, to leave, but she refused. whole thing” by General Mississippi River. Liddell, an With bales of cotton ation of a cotton bureau they were charged with Accepting her decision, Taylor, Liddell wrote, adding opinionated man who knew stacked on the Ouachita within the Trans-Mississip- feeding cattle. he cautioned Mary “to re- that Taylor sent a brigade many of the Confederate and the Yankees planning an pi Department. Gen. Kirby That region was much main at Llanada. Remain under General Camille Poli- generals, disliked Taylor. He invasion up the interior riv- Smith organized the bureau like Catahoula Parish, a dan- closely at home … seek no gnac to protect the workers, thought of Taylor as an arro- ers as part of the Red River for the sole purpose of ac- gerous place for anyone to cause and create no trou- all slaves, who built the Trin- gant tyrant who didn’t know Campaign of 1864, the Con- quiring cotton to be ex- be. Many of the Black River ble … be very circumspect ity works and also protected what he was doing. federacy sought to prevent changed for foreign supplies planters had moved to Tex- in language that might give Confederate property. “Constant orders were the cotton falling into the funneling in through the as with their belongings. At excuse to our enemies. “All haste possible was received by me from Taylor hands of the enemy. Liddell blockade at Galveston and the plantation of Dr. Andrew “If we lose I shall be in used,” Liddell wrote. “The to seize property in horses offered a somewhat contro- across the Rio Grande. Robert Kilpatrick in Concor- exile. Be cheerful, though. guns were brought down on and mules on the Missis- versial stance – he suggest- “The Cotton Bureau au- dia Parish in 1863, some of Others suffer worse than steamboats from Fort Be- sippi (River} plantations,” ed jayhawkers who commu- thorized civilian agents to his former slaves decided to we. Keep stores in the main auregard” at Harrisonburg Liddell wrote in a book on nicated with Union forces at negotiate the sale of Con- follow him to Texas. house. Keep someone close “and landed close at hand for his Civil War experiences Natchez -- be enlisted to sell federate cotton to Union Not long before federal by. Congregate for safety. mounting with dispatch. (Liddell’s Record, edited by the cotton on behalf of the buyers and made possible forces arrived in September Don’t let Judge stay in Llana- “It so happened at that Nathaniel C. Hughes). “Not Rebel planters to the U.S. the shipment of cotton 1863, teenager Mary Reyn- da. It’s dangerous for him if time, March 2nd, I visited satisfied with the supply government. grown in East Texas near olds, born into slavery on arrested.” my family living a short dis- obtained from this source, “Tax it twenty cents per the Red River to Shreveport, the Kilpatrick place at Lis- ‘I WAS tance below the site of this orders were also received pound,” Liddell wrote. “Let Louisiana, where Union buy- more, was married by Kilpat- OVERRULED’ proposed fortification. Pre- to impress horses from cit- it go to parties authorized to ers purchased it and then rick in a ceremony that both In late February 1864, viously at the desire of Poli- izens on the west side of come in the lines for the pur- shipped it to New Orleans. he and his wife officiated. Liddell wrote that he went gnac I had given him three the Ouachita and within our pose – parties known to be This measure, however, was Mary recalled that Kil- with Major H.T. Douglas “of to four companies of calvary lines. hostile – who would manage not enough because many patrick and his wife stood in- the Engineer Corps to Trin- to scout for him, to assist in “All these arbitrary pro- to carry it through the Yan- cotton producers withheld side the house with a broom ity {across Little River from picking the approaches from ceedings depressed the peo- kee lines in some way.” cotton in anticipation of “held crosswise” in the door. Jonesville}” and not far from Natchez, and to watch the ple greatly and created un- That way, Liddell rea- higher prices in the future. Mary and her fiancé stood Liddell’s Black River home, movement of the gunboats mistakable dissatisfaction. soned, the planters “should As a result, General Smith outside the door. “where it was proposed in the river below. I was at I saw that the military re- have something to live by. routinely professed an au- After a few words by to construct some isolated home but a few hours when strictions on this side of the It was hard to strip them of thorization to force cotton Kilpatrick, his wife placed parks for heavy artillery. The some reliable scouts gave Mississippi exceeded those everything. The Confeder- producers to sell half of their a wreath on Mary’s head place is about thirty miles me the information that six of the other greatly, and ate Government would be cotton at low prices or risk and afterward the couple from Natchez, directly west, gunboats were coming up hence great demoralization benefited by the proceeds the impressments of all of stepped over the broom into and is accessible at ordinary the river and would soon be and discontent prevailed … of the tax, in procuring all it.” the house.