Columns

As Paul Harvey used to say in his syndicated radio program, “AND now you know the rest of the story!” Most readers of this article know the details of the Battle of Mansfield when Gen. Richard Taylor’s Confederate Army soundly defeated Gen. Nathaniel Banks’ larger Union Army on April 8, 1865. Taylor suffered less than 1000 casualties whereas Banks lost 2200 men. His hasty retreat allowed Taylor to capture 20 cannon, 200 wagons full of supplies and hundreds of rifles. General Kirby Smith, the general over all of the Trans-Mississippi region, was in Shreveport, La. He told Taylor to not engage the Union forces in Mansfield but wait until just south of Shreveport which was the capital of Louisiana at that time. “Too late, Sir”, replied Taylor, “The battle is over and the Yankees are on the run”!

The small towns and communities have contributed so much to DeSoto Parish through the years. As our early settlers moved from the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi looking for good and inexpensive farmland they selected our area. It was a rough life but they were determined to make good communities to raise their families. They encouraged everyone to be a good citizen. The following are a few of these areas but space will not allow all communities nor all family manes to be mentioned but everyone was important to our growth and culture. Some of the smaller towns and communities of the Parish will be discussed in this article.

Some have asked so I thought that I would go into 2023 with an explanation about the title of my column. It’s intended to be upbeat and encouraging (notice the exclamation mark!). Don’t think about the title being ominously uttered as if by your Mom or Dad, “Van, Jr. – let’s talk…” or the dreaded words said by your significant other, “Honey, we need to talk…” (Followed by the sad words, “I love you, but…”). AND, guys, don’t try this yourself because it doesn’t work that way. You’ll say the dreaded words and she’ll just look quizzically at you and tell you that no “we” don’t. This title is more like seeing a friendly face in a crowd at a big party and an old friend yelling, “Hey, Reeeech – Let’s talk!”

A Late Autumn

After work I like to unwind on my back patio looking west into 30 acres of dark green pine woods. Big ole virgin pines that soar 150 foot up reaching into and through the green canopy. What a sense of humble majesty, of strong quiet, of reflection. And as my ole chimenia slowly puffed and caught up one of the boys in my neighborhood came skidding up on his bike to check out the fire. A few months earlier he’d worked in the side yard for me in return for my black mountain bike. His was a small wornout one that we’d patched several times and mine wouldn’t let me ride it. Gravity was not my friend. Since I am too proud to ride with a helmet and knee pads I’d regretfully hung it up on the garage wall as a grim reminder. But the sharp looking bike needed a young boy to ride it.

Many of you who have followed these articles know the writer’s second interest besides DeSoto Parish history is Western History. Today’s story is on the Chisholm Trail. Not only is this a very important part of the Western History it has a certain sentimental value due to the background related to my wife. Her mother was born and reared in Kansas and related to John Chisholm who was one of the trailblazers of the noted cattle drive trails.

There are several very important historical events that took place during the Christmas Season. Of course the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was the most important and the “Reason for the Season”. But on December 21, 1620, the first landing party of Pilgrims came ashore in Massachusetts at the place they named Plymouth. There they founded the second successful English settlement in America. The first settlement was at Jamestown, Virginia, up the James River. Tradition says that as they came ashore the Pilgrims set foot on a large granite boulder that they named Plymouth Rock. That rock became a famous symbol of the revolution and of our faith. Nearly a century later the second president of the United States, John Adams, urged the early American Colonies to not forget the trials the early settlers faced and the reason they came to America.

A Standard Yule

While visiting with some interesting people that were touring our Mansfield Female College Museum I found that they traditionally had a Christmas Yule Log insert for their gas fireplace. That night when I got home the first thing I did was get a fire started in my real fireplace. After I could tell it was going good I put the biggest piece of my split firewood on top. Of course it didn’t last long, much less all night like the old Yule Logs were supposed to. Its twohour interlude falls far short of the tour group’s fake Yule Insert that probably stayed in from Thanksgiving until New Years. The main consolation I have though is that the next Yule Log I select will be completely different from the last one. Another thing I enjoy about my fireplace is kindling and starting the day’s first fire and keeping it going until bedtime satisfies my inner-firebug.

DeSoto Extension Agent

It may seem like (and some days FEEL like) we just finished the Fourth of July, but it’s time again to rearrange the furniture and find the perfect spot for this year’s Christmas tree.

Pretty much everywhere you look these days, there are trees being sold, hauled or trimmed. Taking proper care of a tree once you get it home could mean the difference between a merry Christmas and a disaster.

Kathy Rish, a Christmas tree vendor at Winn-Dixie in Zachary, who sells trees from Appalachian Farms of North Carolina, said freshness is the key to having a beautiful and safe tree.

“We’ve been open for almost two weeks and we’ve already received our second shipment in a week,” she said. “We get small shipments, so our trees are always fresh.”

Having just read the book “Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans” by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger it was felt that Andrew Jackson’s life and accomplishments should be shared. With this article being written in the first part of December there is a chance the book will be reviewed on Public Television a little later so be sure to watch should it be televised. My Daughter gave this book to me for my November birthday and I’ve really enjoyed it.

Korean Chili?

What!? Yes, the headlining article on the My Recipes site was “The Secret Ingredient to Better Chili” by Matthew Kassel (from, ahem, New York City). And chili is one of my favorite winter dishes to make so I couldn’t resist this read. I already have my own version perfected but wondered if there was some Tex-Mex secret ingredient that I’d overlooked all these years. Nope. It turns out that Mr. Kassel was talking about a Korean sauce called Gochugang that is made with chili powder (that seemed right?), garlic (Uh-Huh), and fermented soybeans ( !! ). He doesn’t help things by telling us that the sauce is thickened with … rice paste (Ugh!)