Linda,

I've never seen a reference to this being called Hick's Station only Brownsville Station.

Just east of the ballpark by the National Guard Armory is a bean field that was the site of the 1864-5 winter camp of the Third Michigan Cavalry. They dubbed it "Michigan City".

We hunted the site extensively back in the 1980's and found that they had built cabins in rows about ten feet apart. Each cabin or mess had its own firepit for cooking and apparently also used for disguarding broken or unwanted items. In my collection is a regulation U S cavalry bit with the U S bosses and a cavalry crossed sabers hatpin dug from one of these firepits.

Perhaps the most unique items found on this camp were sutler's tokens in five, ten and twenty-five cent denominations which bear the sutler's name (J.A. Legatt) and the regimental designation.

The Third seemed to be armed primarily with Starr Carbines and Colt Army Revolvers as the great majority of the bullets found here were used in those weapons. A few of the men may have been armed with Colt Revolving Rifles and Sharps Carbines.

Where the ballpark now stands was the site of an engagement during the War. When they were building it back in the late 70's we found hundreds of fired bullets both federal and Confederate. This may have been one of the hay stations that Shelby overran in 1864 covering the onset of Price's Missouri Raid.

Scattered artifacts have been recovered from the field north of the Third Michigan camp but they were for the most part federal infantry and a few Confederate items but not enough to indicate a permanent camp.

Just north of this on Bayou Two Prairie was the site of another federal cavalry camp. We've yet to find a reference indicating what unit was camped there but they were armed with Colt Revolving Rifles and Colt Army Revolvers.

Hope this helps