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De Soto Parish

DeSoto Parish, Louisiana
DeSoto Parish Courthouse in Mansfield, LA IMG 2421.JPG
DeSoto Parish Courthouse in Mansfield
Flag of DeSoto Parish, Louisiana
Flag
Map of Louisiana highlighting DeSoto Parish
Location in the U.S. state of Louisiana
Map of the United States highlighting Louisiana
Louisiana's location in the U.S.
Founded 1843
Named for settler, Marcel DeSoto
Seat Mansfield
Largest city Mansfield
Area
 • Total 895 sq mi (2,318 km2)
 • Land 876 sq mi (2,269 km2)
Population (est.)
 • (2015) 27,052
 • Density 30/sq mi (12/km²)
Congressional district 4th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.desotoppj.com

DeSoto Parish (French: Paroisse DeSoto) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 26,656. Its seat is Mansfield. The parish was formed in 1843.

DeSoto Parish is part of the ShreveportBossier City, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

It is a typical misconception that the parish was named after Hernando de Soto, the Spaniard who explored the future southeastern United States and discovered and named the Mississippi River. The parish was in fact named after the unrelated Marcel DeSoto, who led the first group of European settlers there, to a settlement historically known as Bayou Pierre. The parish's name is also commonly misspelled following the explorer's name as "De Soto Parish," but it is properly spelled following the settler's name as "DeSoto Parish."

The Battle of Mansfield was fought in DeSoto Parish on April 8, 1864. General Alfred Mouton was killed in the fighting, but his position was carried forward by Prince de Polignac, a native of France. The battle is commemorated at the Mansfield State Historic Site four miles south of Mansfield off Louisiana Highway 175. The Confederate victory prevented a planned Union invasion thereafter of Texas. Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, a Confederate victory, occurred with one year and one day left in the duration of the war. Mansfield was quickly followed by the Battle of Pleasant Hill to the south.


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