Cell Tower, Mine, Incinerator  Among CWPT Threats
By Deborah Fitts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A cell tower that could overshadow the blood-soaked ground of Antietam and a waste-to-energy plant whose smokestack would soar 150 feet above Monocacy National Battlefield are among the imminent threats highlighted in the Civil War Preservation Trust’s (CWPT) annual “History Under Siege: America's Most Endangered Battlefields” report.

In addition to the “10 most endangered” battlefields for 2008, the Trust also announced 15 “at risk” sites at a news conference March 12 at the National Press Club. Platinum-selling recording artist Trace Adkins, a student of history and supporter of battlefield preservation, was the keynote speaker.

 The great-great-grandson of a 31st Louisiana Infantry soldier who was wounded and taken prison at Vicksburg, Adkins said, “I’ve been a Civil War enthusiast all my life. When I visited the battlefield in Vicksburg and stood in a trench where my great-great-granddaddy stood, tears came to my eyes. As a father of five, I believe it is critical that I protect a legacy that belongs not just to my family but to our entire nation.”

CWPT trustee Cricket Bauer Pohanka, wife of late Civil War historian Brian Pohanka, a founder of CWPT, added, “Preserved battlefields are not just beautiful landscapes, they are outdoor classrooms that teach us what it means to be an American.”

In a departure from the usual event, CWPT then shifted its focus to Arlington Cemetery, where Adkins and CWPT President James Lighthizer laid a wreath at the large memorial near Arlington House, once Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s home, commemorating the unknown Civil War dead.

At Antietam, considered one of the best-preserved of the war’s major battlefields, a communications company is proposing a 120-foot cell tower about a mile from the park visitor center. Superintendent John Howard said the tower would be “quite visible” from key parts of the battlefield (see related story).

Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, has the dubious distinction as “the bloodiest single day in American history,” with more than 23,000 casualties. Fresh from a victory at Second Manassas in late August, Lee determined to bring the war to the North. The CWPT report noted that the result of the battle was inconclusive, but photographs of the dead “allowed Americans to see for the first time the true horror of war.”

Some 35 miles from Antietam is Monocacy where officials in Frederick County, Md., are considering construction of a trash incinerator that would sit literally within yards of the park boundary. Superintendent Susan Trail said the 150-to-170-foot smokestack would loom over much of the battlefield (see related story).

Dubbed “the battle that saved Washington,” the fighting on July 9, 1864, along the Monocacy River delayed the advance of Confederate forces upon the capital long enough for reinforcements to bolster the defenses.

CWPT identified two other threats to Monocacy National Battlefield. Interstate 270, which cuts through the heart of the battlefield, is choked with commuter traffic and officials are considering widening it.

The site is also one of 16 battlefields in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia that lie within a federal “National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor.” The designation could allow 15-story high-voltage towers to cross historic landscapes.

Others in CWPT’s top 10 list of endangered battlefields:

Cedar Creek, Va., where local activists are fighting a plan to expand limestone mining on 639 acres adjacent to Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. The acreage proposed for mining is 60 percent core battlefield, according to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.

A “Plan B” put forward by battlefield supporters would protect the more significant land while allowing mining to proceed on 158 acres — including a vein of limestone they say is rich enough to last three decades.

On Oct. 14, 1864, Confederate forces under Gen. Jubal Early attacked unprepared troops under Union Gen. Philip Sheridan, nearly driving them from the field. A timely Northern counterattack turned the tide and won the Shenandoah Valley for the Union.

Cold Harbor, Va., where only about 300 acres of what was once at least a 7,500-acre battlefield are protected, and development pressure from nearby Richmond is on the increase. In 2007 the Hanover County Board of Supervisors approved a new Comprehensive Plan that doubles the housing density allowed on the northern portion of the battlefield. Some of the land lies within the boundary of Richmond National Battlefield Park.

In one of the war’s most lopsided victories, in this final battle of the 1864 Overland Campaign heavily entrenched Confederates repulsed repeated assaults by a Union army nearly twice their size. Union Gen. Ulysses Grant later remarked that he regretted ever making the final assault at Cold Harbor, where his forces suffered casualties at more than four times the rate of the Southerners.

Hunterstown, Pa. Where rapid growth in Adams County threatens this pristine battlefield five miles northeast of Gettysburg. In the fall of 2006 Hunterstown was officially recognized by the National Park Service as part of the Gettysburg battlefield.

Often called “North Cavalry Field,” Hunterstown was the scene of fighting late on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, when the command of Union Gen. George Custer dismounted and took position around the Felty Farm. Custer then personally led a small but daring raid against troopers under Gen. Wade Hampton, positioned farther south on Hunterstown Road.

The Southerners took the bait and chased Custer back up the narrow, enclosed road, falling prey to the hidden Federals who delivered a withering crossfire. The incident prevented Hampton’s force from supporting a Confederate assault on Culp’s Hill. A monument commemorating the action will be dedicated in Hunterstown on July 2 (see calendar listings and fundraising directory).

Natural Bridge, Fla., where rapidly growing Tallahassee threatens the site of one of the war’s last Confederate victories. Only 7 acres are protected within Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park.

At present a 55-acre property that saw much of the most serious fighting is being offered for sale, openly advertised as battlefield. The State of Florida has been negotiating with the landowner in hopes of adding the acreage to the state park, but no agreement has been reached.   

In early March 1865 a Federal flotilla arrived at the mouth of the St. Mark’s River on the Florida panhandle with the aim of gaining the interior. A Confederate scout warned nearby Tallahassee of the threat, and soon every able-bodied man in the capital, including wounded soldiers home on leave and university cadets as young as 14, went to defend the approaches to the city.

Only about 700 were mustered, but in a day-long fight on March 6, they repulsed three major attacks near the crossing at Natural Bridge and forced the Union expedition to return to its fleet. Tallahassee was one of only two Confederate capitals never to be occupied by a Federal army.

Perryville, Ky., where one of the most pristine Civil War battlefields in the country is vulnerable to rapid development along the U.S. 150 corridor from Perryville to Danville.

In a rezoning proposal now before Boyle County, a developer is asking for the last agriculturally zoned land within the Perryville city limits to be rezoned for commercial and high-density residential uses. Cell tower proposals also threaten the battlefield viewshed, where more than 650 acres are preserved (including 385 acres saved by the Trust).

The largest engagement fought in Kentucky, the battle of Perryville, Oct. 8, 1862, was a Confederate victory, although commander Braxton Bragg chose to retreat into Tennessee in view of his losses and the larger Federal force. His army would never return to Kentucky.

Prairie Grove, Ark., where Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park encompasses 838 acres of battlefield and attracts 200,000 visitors annually. Now burgeoning population growth has prompted the widening of U.S. 62 to four lanes right up to the border of the park. Washington County is the third fastest-growing county in the state.

The day-long fight, Dec. 7, 1862, ended in a stalemate. But it proved a strategic success for the Union, as the demoralized and poorly supplied Southerners withdrew under cover of darkness. Federal forces retained control of northwest Arkansas for the rest of the war.

Savannah, Ga., where new homes, roads and commercial establishments threaten the preservation of the city’s 1864 defenses. Isolated earthworks remain on the grounds of the Savannah Christian Preparatory School and along the southern portion of the Confederate line between Ogeechee Road (U.S. 17) and Louisville Road (U.S. 80), but most of the fragments are overgrown and unprotected.

While Federal works are protected in Tom Triplett County Park, and two pre-war masonry fortifications guarding the city’s seaward approaches are protected by the Coastal Heritage Society and the National Park Service, other earthen forts and batteries have been lost or are eroding.

The surrender of Fort Pulaski in April 1862 rendered Savannah’s main port useless to the Confederacy, but smaller earthen forts defended the city’s seaward approaches, allowing blockade runners to hide in nearby rivers and estuaries for the next two and a half years.

In 1864 in a desperate attempt to block Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea, Confederate Gen. William Hardee moved guns to an eight-mile-long defensive line west of the city manned by 10,000 troops. The Federals reached the line on Dec. 10 and, after three days of probing attacks, Sherman laid siege to the city. The Confederates began evacuating the night of Dec. 20, deciding to give up the city and save its defenders.

Spring Hill, Tenn., where some of the most rapid development in the country is under way. Partnering with Maury County a decade ago, the Trust was able to preserve 110 acres, but additional land may be lost.

Throughout 2007 controversy attended a plan by General Motors to sell several hundred acres around the anetebellum plantation Rippavilla. GM has offered to donate 100 acres out of the more than 500 acres in question to the nonprofit that runs Rippavilla, but the fate of the rest of the property is unsettled.

The fight at Spring Hill, Nov. 29, 1864, came as Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood tried to prevent an isolated Union column from retreating to a stronger position at nearby Franklin. Fighting began late in the day and, as darkness fell, Hood gained a strategic position cutting off the Union retreat.

Hood’s subordinates received no further orders, and when the Confederates bivouacked for the night they left the road north to Franklin open, allowing the Federals to slip past. The next day the opposing forces met again in the bloody battle of Franklin, a disaster for the Confederacy.

‘At Risk’ Battlefields
Brandy Station, Va., the site of the war’s largest cavalry battle (June 9, 1863), lies in Culpeper County, one of Virginia’s fastest-growing locales. Culpeper Regional Airport, which has already swallowed a portion of the battlefield, may undergo significant expansion.

Fort Monroe, Va., where an active army base that still occupies the fort faces an uncertain future thanks to a 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decision. National and local preservation groups are working with government officials in hopes of preserving this historic treasure.

Fort Morgan, Ala., where this fort that once guarded the mouth of Mobile Bay faces maintenance and infrastructure problems. A new site management plan and executive director for the Alabama Historical Commission show promise, though a repair bill could top $20 million.

Fort Stevens, D.C., where preservationists worry what the upcoming closure of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center could mean for the site. Meanwhile, a push to interpret the defenses of Washington is gaining steam.

Glorieta, N.M., where portions of the March 26-28, 1862, battlefield lie outside Pecos National Historic Park and are vulnerable to development. Traffic on Highway 50 makes some historic landmarks unsafe for visitors, although the Glorieta Battlefield Coalition has done much to improve accessibility and interpret the site.

Hoke’s Run, W.Va., where preservationists worry that a new Wal-Mart coming to town and residential development within a stone’s throw of a monument marking Stonewall Jackson’s participation in the July 2, 1861, fight may mean that time is running out for Shenandoah Valley’s first battlefield.

Honey Springs, Okla., where only about one-third of the land associated with the largest battle fought in what was then Indian Territory, July 17, 1863, is currently protected. Longstanding disputes between battlefield supporters and local residents over traffic and visitor access continue.

Kennesaw Mountain, Ga., where roads at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park attract 160,000 Atlanta-area commuters every work day. Park roads are operating at 160 percent capacity and traffic severely restricts pedestrian access.

Lovejoy’s Station, Ga., where a 287-home development is proposed on 75 acres of the Aug. 20, 1864, battlefield in Clayton County. Another 204 acres in adjoining Henry County have been preserved as the Nash Farm Battlefield.

Mansfield, La., where lignite mining operations have threatened Mansfield State Historic Site. Mining appears to be moving away from the core battlefield area, but environmental problems stemming from excavation still remain a concern.

Petersburg, Va., where although the U.S. Army has been sensitive to Petersburg National Battlefield during the expansion of Fort Lee, rapid community development could impact future preservation efforts outside the park.

Richmond, Ky., where a new highway interchange at Duncannon Road off of Interstate 75 will only increase the already intense development pressure on this battlefield of Aug. 29-30, 1862. Fast-growing Lexington is 25 miles to the northwest.

Shepherdstown, W.Va., where developers seeking to build a 144-home subdivision on the Sept. 19-20, 1863, battlefield were facing a hearing in March before the West Virginia Supreme Court. Jefferson County has already denied the rezoning request and recently pledged $100,000 toward preservation efforts.

South Mountain, Md., where Dominion Transmission is seeking to build a $55 million natural gas compression station in Middletown, near Turner’s Gap and the Sept. 14, 1862, battlefield. The area borders significant amounts of preserved battlefield and scenic landscape. Also, the proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor power lines would cross through one of the battlefield gaps.

Yadkin River Bridge, N.C., where in August a developer seeking to build a racetrack near the site of the last Confederate victory in the Carolinas (April 12, 1865) began excavation and grading activities without county permits, ignoring stop-work orders. A court eventually issued a restraining order against the developer, but a summer 2008 opening is still predicted.

CWPT celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2007 with the milestone of 25,000 acres of battlefield saved in 18 states. Among the sites preserved in recent months by the Trust are key parcels at Perryville, Champion Hill in Mississippi and Glendale, Va.