The Watchdog, CWN To Join Forces
By Craig L Barry - Watchdog Editor
(December 2008 Civil War News)

At The Watchdog, a non-profit 501(c)(3) domiciled in Michigan, all monetary proceeds from publications after expenses go to battlefield preservation — not a portion, but 100 percent.

The Watchdog’s motto has long been “Getting It Right since 1993” on many matters relative to the material culture of the 1860s. However, this also means we need to be “doing the right thing” today.

For this reason, we are beginning a partnership with Civil War News beginning in January. A column produced by The Watchdog will appear in most CWN issues as well as contributed stories and reviews by Watchdog editors.

The legacy of Civil War News in the Civil War historical community goes even further back than our own. Michael Cavanaugh started what is now Civil War News as The Civil War Book Exchange in 1974. In 1986 professional journalists Pete and Kay Jorgensen took over, ushering in the Civil War News era in 1988.

The newspaper grew into the Mecca for book reviews of Civil War publications and related preservation news articles. The Watchdog looks forward to our new partnership with Civil War News and to bringing historical research along with new topical information of relevance to Civil War News readers in 2009.

At The Watchdog, 100 percent of monetary proceeds from publications after expenses go to battlefield preservation. Our most recent donation of a reproduction US 1841 Mississippi rifle raffle raised more than $2,000 for Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF) in 2008, making a total of over $8,500 raised for CCBF from Watchdog-sponsored raffles in the past five years.

In addition, many of the authors of our books and pamphlets, including myself (The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy) and John E. Tobey (Columbia Rifles Research Compendium 2nd edition) donate their share of publishing royalties and compensation entirely to battlefield preservation. Patrick Reardon (Making Cartridges) donates his proceeds to the Museum of the Confederacy.

You can disagree with the recent actions of CCBF relative to coming to an agreement with the Belgian-owned mining operation in their backyard, but we are not preachers and this is not a sermon.

Individually, we may not agree with their actions, but we have to trust that CCBF is acting with the best interests of the historic property they manage, just as they have always done. As recently as last year Cedar Creek was the Civil War Preservation Trust’s “number one most endangered battlefield property” in the country.

According to the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT)Civil War battlefields are being destroyed at an alarming rate. “Hallowed ground, where more than 600,000 Americans gave their lives, is being paved over for shopping malls and housing tracts … fast food restaurants, amusement parks, and other forms of urban sprawl.”

According to the CWPT, “nearly 20 percent of America's Civil War battlefields have already been lost forever to future generations. Of those that remain, only 15 percent are protected by the Federal government.”

To which, let me add, most of us sit idly by and allow this to happen “on our watch.” We are all culpable, and frankly, this generation will have a good deal of explaining to do to their children’s children.

What will you say when they ask what you did about saving battlefield land besides an occasional visit to a museum or living history demonstration at one of the NPS battlefield parks? Did you assuage your culpability with a minimal donation while there? What will the experiences of the next generation be of this powerful part of American history?

Before we ourselves feel the icy hand of commerce grabbing up more unprotected battlefield land, consider skipping lunch one day per week and donate the proceeds saved over the course of the year to battlefield preservation.

Support Civil War News and The Watchdog by continuing to subscribe, and encourage new members in your circle of Civil War enthusiasts to benefit from a subscription of their own. Give a gift subscription to a friend.

Consider whether you or members of your group could benefit from purchasing a couple of The Watchdog Civil War publications. During 2009 we will offer books, anthologies and pamphlets in perfect bound or in CD ROM format. These include a planned research anthology of Vols. 1-15 of the original Watchdog Civil War Quarterly magazines (1993 through 2007) and an updated and expanded Second Edition of The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy.

You can rest secure in the knowledge that by taking any of these mutually beneficial steps you will support the preservation of a diminishing and non-renewable historical resource. With respect to battlefield preservation, “The future depends on what we do in the present” (Mohandas Karamchand “Mahatma” Gandhi).