Civil War Group Seeks Members

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) _ A new group is seeking members to support a historic Civil War battlefield along the Texas-Louisiana state line.

The 58-acre Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site in Texas includes a statue of Confederate Lt. Dick Dowling and an interpretive pavilion illustrating the story of the Sept. 8. 1863, battle.

Control of the site has been transferred from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the Texas Historical Commission. A Friends of Sabine Pass Battleground has been set up to help with he mission of preserving and interpreting the historical events in the Sabine Pass area.

The Friends group has applied for nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service and is in the process of soliciting charter members. Its annual dues are $25.

The battleground is about 1.5 miles south of the town of Sabine Pass, Texas.