By Rickey Robertson

Rickey Robertson retired from Louisiana State Police and upon his retirement became a historical researcher/writer for Stephen F. Austin State University.  Rickey is a proud Peason Ridge Heritage Family member and currently is Pastor of Cold Springs Baptist Church in Anacoco, Louisiana. Rickey has written many articles on the Louisiana Maneuvers of 1941 and speaks to groups on this great historical event that affected our state and nation. He and his wife reside in Peason, Louisiana.

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Beginning in 1818, my ancestors and other hardy folks began settling the area around Kisatchie and Peason Ridge. When the first settlers arrived, there were deer, bear, buffalo, and other food sources available, along with many wonderful springs for water. One family that was part of the early settlers was the Dowden Family. Yes, in West Central Louisiana and almost every parish there are members of the Dowden Family. But who was the patriarch of this family? It was Uncle Mike Dowden.

Alfred Michael Dowden was the sixth child of James and Martha “Patsy” Nash Dowden. Alfred Michael Dowden was born on October 22, 1824, at Kisatchie and passed away after a very eventful life on March 11, 1911, at age 87.

Uncle Mike was a true pioneer of this area and worked hard to provide for his family. He married Mathilda Powell Ford on March 12, 1846, and they had six children. But war had come to America and Uncle Mike joined the US Army and fought bravely in the Mexican War of 1846. He returned home to his wife and family on his farm at Kisatchie. He was a strong man, and one story about him is how he was pulling a two-wheeled cart filled with over 200 pounds of flour and household goods from Natchitoches. One wheel hit a mud hole in the road and overturned the cart with its load. Uncle Mike lifted the entire cart, setting it upright, then continued his way home!

In the spring of 1861, Uncle Mike, a combat veteran, went to New Orleans and joined the Confederate Army. He joined a company of men from this area, Company K 19th Louisiana Infantry, known as the Anacoco Rangers where he became a Sergeant. Uncle Mike and his comrades fought in many battles, especially at the Hornets Nest at Shiloh. After the war Uncle Mike returned to his family at Kisatchie and like many other Confederates, he began to help rebuild his community and other communities that had been ravaged by the war.

At his home at Kisatchie Uncle Mike had some guineas. Now a guinea can make lots of racket and one day his were squawking loudly and he got enough of their racket. He stepped out on the porch with his rifle and shot each guinea, never missing a shot! He told the family, “Now I’ll have some peace and quiet!”

After the Civil War one thing Uncle Mike is remembered for is that he would hand carve tombstones for his departed family members and neighbors. It is said that this tender and very compassionate man would cry as he made these stones. Once the stone was finished his mourning would end. I have been to two locations where he got his stones, on Sandy Creek and on Martin Creek. At these locations he could find large flat rock slabs to work. In some of the older cemeteries there are still some of his handmade headstones.

Alfred Michael Dowden and his son, Alfred Asa Dowden, are buried on the old home place between Kisatchie and Peason. We owe this pioneer so much because he drew strength from God, and he built a strong family foundation. This large family continues to live throughout our area. And remember one thing: men like Uncle Mike made our country a great nation.