American Battlefield Trust News

Originally published June 2020 · p. 27

Even as we adjust to working remotely rather than in the field, the American Battlefield Trust continues to rack up major preservation victories, most recently announcing conclusion of major campaigns at Gaines’ Mill and Cold Harbor, Va., plus Perryville, Ky., plus a new opportunity at the latter, that will bringing us substantially closer to completing preservation of the Bluegrass State’s bloodiest battlefield. The work in Virginia represents acquisition of six individual properties totaling 128 acres, with a combined transaction value of approximately $3.3 million, a figure driven by the region’s strong real estate market and the presence of modern homes that will be removed as part of the long term preservation planning. Thanks to matching grants from the Federal American Battlefield Protection Program, the Commonwealth of Virginia, plus contributions from several major donors, the Trust’s fundraising goal from private donors was reduced to $1.7 million. The June 27, 1862, Battle of Gaines’s Mill was Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s first major victory as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. It began a surge of momentum that carried the Confederates into Maryland and the Battle of Antietam that September. Two years later, Grant’s disastrous assaults at the Battle of Cold Harbor, fought May 31–June 12, 1864, on the same Virginia soil, proved to be Lee’s final decisive battlefield victory.

Included in this effort is acquisition of a 50-acre parcel from Hanover County that had once been planned to become a massive sportsplex with multiple ball fields, parking, and towering lights that would have allowed night games. If built, it would have destroyed critical battlefield land and acted like a magnet to draw additional development to the area, widening roads, and threatening further loss. The newly protected land at Perryville coincidentally also amounts to 128 acres, a veritable “hole in the donut” that connects lands previously protected by the Trust and Perryville Battlefield State Park. This immensely significant property remained largely unchanged since the October 1862 battle. To date, the Trust has helped protect 1,150 acres at Perryville, making it one of the best-preserved battlefields in America. The preservation of Perryville’s 128 critical acres was made possible by the unwavering support of Trust members in addition to generous matching grants from the American Battlefield Protection Program and a generous gift from the HTR Foundation. This land witnessed the day’s first attack on October 8, 1862, as Confederate Maj. Gen. Benjamin Cheatham’s three brigades began their advance toward the Union position, which extended to the prominent hill known as “Open Knob.” Over the course of five hours, characterized by back-and-forth and increasingly bloody attacks and counterattacks, the Confederates were running out of ammunition, while the Union continued to exact a high toll that led to their ultimate victory. Almost immediately upon taking ownership of the above property, the Trust began actively raising funds to purchase a 51acre parcel elsewhere on the battlefield, itself largely surrounded by already protected land. The combined purchase price for this land and an important six-acre property at Stones River, Tenn., is $1.165 million. Again thanks to a combination of federal and state matching grants, the Trust anticipates needing to raise only $277,500 in private donations, a $5.82-to-$1 match! More information about this opportunity is available at www.battlefields.org/ WesternGiants20. Donors can give with confidence, as the Better Business

Bureau has once again accredited the Trust through its Wise Giving Alliance. The Trust’s commitment to fiscal responsibility is such that we have received 10 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, as well as the Platinum GuideStar Nonprofit Seal of Transparency. Likewise, the Trust’s education mission continues, perhaps stronger than ever. We launched a new Civil War Inquiry Curriculum, an easy-to-use, interdisciplinary, and resource-rich guide for middle school and high school educators who seek to teach the American Civil War by making use of leading questions to encourage student engagement, and fully overhauled our traditional curriculum. Both curricula based on the national Common Core Standards and those of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). The free online lesson plans of the Inquiry Curriculum include slide presentations and downloadable PDFs of primary source packets and worksheets, plus links to the Trust’s myriad digital resources, including animated battle maps and informational videos. It was developed by the Trust’s education department in consultation with award-winning history educators over the course of five years, and explores a new approach gaining popularity in pedagogical circles. “Inquiry-based learning turns the student into an historian, as they are exposed to primary documents, historical research methods, and critical thinking scenarios,” explained Garry Adelman, the Trust’s chief historian. “More and more teachers are embracing the ways it allows for independent learning, while getting students fully immersed in the subject matter.” In addition to this new curriculum, the Trust has substantially updated its traditional, lecture-based Civil War curriculum and lesson plans to reflect educator demand and more fully integrate digital content. All 47 new lesson plans, designed for grades 3–12, are now available for free online, with future additions also in the works. The Trust is working to develop additional curricula meeting the same standards that address other eras in American history, including the Revolutionary War and the early republic period. Outside the traditional classroom, The Trust has gone more digital than ever. Quarantine hasn’t put a damper on the spirited debate that takes place among historians whenever they gather on a battlefield; it’s just forced the discussion online. Those conversations, covering topics ranging from the best historical movies to the leadership lessons of George Washington, plus exclusive conversations with acclaimed novelist Jeff Shaara, and even a “fantasy draft” to create the ultimate Civil War field army, have found a home online with the American Battlefield Trust’s Zoom Goes the History series. Virtually every day, historians with a variety of expertise come together via the Zoom app and are broadcast to thousands on the Trust’s Facebook page, discussing a specific topic and fielding questions from the engaged audience. Participants spread across the country join the conversation from the comfort of their homes. Most sessions are broadcast live, although some are recorded for scheduling purposes. This allows guests so respond in real-time to questions posed by the audience, and Trust staff to embed links to further resources in the comments. After their official airing, all sessions are archived on Facebook and will become part of a YouTube collection.