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V-UI IIU fVVUUI e IIIIUI MUIlieforsoldiersliy SUSAN BLANCHARD Star Staff WriterIANGIPahoa — “We had a verysroall part in the Civil War. but we feel that it is pertinent to bring together the hits and pieces of the war that took place here at Camp Moore.” Mrs.Morris said.1 here were never any bloody battlesin langipahoa Parish, but the territory around the village of Tangipahoaplayed an important role in the Civil War.The 6 j-acre site of the Camp Moore confederate Museum and Cemetery commemorates the 400-700 southern soldiers who never lived to go home when the war ended in 1804.Camp Moore, named for Confederate General Thomas O. Moore, was established in 1801 because of its location for the military training of. 4.000 men.“The training camp was put here because the railroad offered the transportation needed, level ground and good water.“ museum curator Mrs.Irene Morris said.Strategically located between New' Orleans and Baton Rouge, the camp adequately served its purpose throughthe high point in the war in 1802 before being destroyed in 1804.There was a minor skirmish here in 1008. but never an all-out battle. Mrs.Morris said.The museum has in its collection an Adrian Persac original lithograph drawing of the camp, which obviously occupied more than the designed 01-acres of land.The peaceful looking camp was located in a clearing in tall pine tree groves with soldier tents, horses and townspeople who came by for an occasional visit.But, by 1804. the 4.000 trainees had dwindled to 2.4(H) when sickness, bad weather and malnutrition caused what one officer called “appalling*1 in a written report.The officer wrote of “heavy rains without shelter “and “extreme heat.*’ The tombstones placed in the small cemetery behind the museum in 1905 are nameless.“We don’t have a complete list of names of the soldiers who died here when the camp was destroyed or the circumstances in which they died,** Mrs. Morris said.“The officers didn’t make a list of whom was sick and who was dead because they didn’t know if thev weregoing to make it themselves.’’ Mrs. Morris said.One of the treasured relics of the museum is a fu/./y looking picture in Francis T. Miller’s Photographic History of Louisiana.It shows soldiers Thomas Russel reading a newspaper. Amos Russel grinding coffee.Emile Vaquin writing a letter home. Octave Balin and Arthur Roman completing the day’s washing at Camp Moore.“We want to know more about these soldiers.” Mrs. Morris said of the only known pictures of identified soldiers at the camp.Mrs. Morris has collected a number of publications where Camp Moore is mentioned, including four original newspapers from as far north as New*York.Most of w hat was written about the south told of activities at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, “the two high points of southern resistance.’’ Mrs. Morris said.For an accurate account of war events there are “Official Records.” photostatic copies of reports from Union soldiers and officers.There is an extensive display on the second floor of the museum of letters, telegrams, paintings, statues and countless other relics.Mrs. Morris said her favorite artifact is an old black cooking pot used by the soldiers and donated to the museum by Mrs. Debbie Strickland in 1924.Mrs Strickland is the grandmother of the McKneelys. who operate funeral homes throughout the parish.A most interesting bit of information is the origin of the name of the Louisiana State University football team, the Fighting Tigers.Although no one knows who actually named the team in 18%. Mrs. Morris said the name stems from the Louisiana Tigers of the Civil War.Other artifacts at the museum include a plaster of paris sculpture by writer James Rice of soldiers working together on a cannon.Originally intended to be commissioned for the official statue at Gettysburg. Mrs. Morris said, ‘it show s the concentrated effort of the old. the young, the draftee and the volunteer working for a common cause.”It w asn’t until 1905 that the camp was dedicated to the state, three years after a group of “local ladies” made the request of a northern lumber company who had purchased the land.The women later became known as the United Daughters of theConfederacy.*The museum was built by the state in 1985 just oft U.S. 51 in Tangipahoa. Mrs. Morris est imated 800 visitors a month.Wrestling,racing popular“The Louisiana Tigers were recruited from the waterfronts, dressed in zouaves and became one of the most colorful companies in the entire Civil War.” Mrs. Morris said The Tigers were distinguished by their brightly colored striped and solid colored full pants caught in with leggings around the calves of their legs.“They weren’t well liked by the officers, but they were glad to have them when it came time to fight.” Mrs. Morris said.To lend more credibility to the tale is a preserved war bullet carved in the shape of a tiger at (’amp Moore.Several big events highlighted happenings in 1977 at the Loranger Coliseum and Speedway. One year rounder was professional wrestling. With wrestlers being booked from a Tulsa, Okla. booking office, names suchas Cowboy Bill Watts, Jerry Oates, Dick Murdock, Grizzley Smith, The Assasin. Scandar Akbar, Haystack Calhoun, Eric the Red, Tom Jones, Killer Karl Kox, Bruiser Bob Sweetan and Sigfried Stanke made their appearance at the Coliseum.Wrestlers, both men and women, plus midgets, from Germany, France, Greece. Japan, China, England and several other countries were featured year-round.At the Raceway, stock car races began April 1 and ran every Friday night until Labor Day.Four classes. Full body, Sprint, Super Six and Hobby Stock brought in drivers and cars from all over the south during the racing season.Festivals were also highlighted during the year, with Billy Carter showing up as special guest of honor at the June 5 Cajun Festival. Five cajun and bluegrass bands provided entertainment at the Cajun get-together.Two weeks later, on June 19, a big rock festival was held and several dances were held throughout the yearat Coliseum.**We Look Forward To ContinuedGrowth To The Opportunity of ServingOur Area In A Variety Of Ways. OurFaith Is Great We Will Put ForthMaxium Effort To Be A ContributingMember Of The Community.Let us help youCAMP MOORE CONFEDERATE C1978 to be big yearBy SUSAN BLANCHARD Star Staff WriterThe first comprehensive drainage project in 20 years for Wards 6,7 and 8 will dominate Gravity Drainage District No. 1 ’s activities for 1978.With the passage of the $4.7 million bond issue the drainage board soon will initiate the extensive cleaning of six major drainage canals under the direction of the Department of Public Works.As the various priority jobs are contracted out, the drainage board crew will continue in its efforts to clean the lesser drainage canals and maintain the major canals.The drainage program is aimed at alleviating flood problems in the south end of the parish by unclogging drainage canals crippled by overgrow n vegetation.The drainage district crew is composed of Supt. Sydney Rundell, a labor crew foreman, six equipment operators, and five laborers.Seven of the 10 Tangipahoa Parish Police Jury members sit on the Drainage District No. 1 Board.To date, the drainage crew' has cleaned 43,772 feet of parish drainage laterals since maintenance work began this past November.A number of bridge support systems have been repaired in the past several months as well as the placement of riprap along canal banks to alllt; erosion, Rundellsaid.Drainage crews started work c Ponchatoula in Selzers C continued in the Independence arc are presently doing prelirr clearing of Ponchatoula Creek Whitmar Acres in Hammond.“Work has been completed on n ditches on Booker and Sisters Ro Ponchatoula which we feel alleviated some problems in area,” Rundellsaid.“The prime objective will be to and restore Ponchatoula and 1 Water Creeks. This will then alllt; drainage board equipment to cleaning the laterals that feelt; them,” Rundell said.“Prior to the contracts being the canals, there will be cont work by the labor crew' to underbrush and log jams whic constricting the flow of water,” R said.The top priorities in the multi-r dollar project are Yellow' Water1 Ponchatoula Creek, Selzer’s lt;Bedico Creek, Big Branch Crelt; Ponchatoula Cemetery Canal.“Recommendations will be m the commissioners that Ponchatoula Cemetery Canal be a higher priority.” Rundellsaid.Residents in Wards 6,7 and urged to contact Rundell at his c there are drainage problemMAYINJVCCD-177StereoCassette Deck■ftpvANRSTOP LOAD STEREO CASSETTE DECKAnother JVC winner which performs in full accordance with DIN 45 50 specifications. WfF is only 0.05 (WRMS). Its frequency controlled . 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Newspaper Details
Hammond Wednesday Star
Hammond, Louisiana, US
Wed, Feb 08, 1978
Page 103
Full Page
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LA, USA 04 Mar 2019
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