The Battle of Mansfield: Last Confederate Victory West of the Mississippi

On April 8, 1864, Confederate General Richard Taylor — son of President Zachary Taylor — intercepted a Union force three times his size at Sabine Crossroads near Mansfield. The battle lasted a single afternoon and ended the Union's Red River Campaign, saving Confederate control of western Louisiana and East Texas. Nearly 5,000 men fell. The next day, at Pleasant Hill, the armies fought again to a tactical draw, but the Union retreat was already decided. Mansfield State Historic Site preserves the battlefield with walking trails and a visitor center that makes the tactical story legible.