American Battlefield Trust

American Battlefield Trust — June 2021

Originally published June 2021 · pp. 12–13

May was National Historic Preservation Month, and the Trust celebrated with exciting new preservation projects and an unprecedented wealth of victory announcements sent out to our email subscribers.

Save 28 Acres at Gettysburg and Bristoe Station! The Trust is currently targeting 28 acres at two critical Eastern Theater battlefields facing imminent development threats, at Gettysburg, Pa., and Bristoe Station, Va. The six-acre parcel in Pennsylvania abuts the Baltimore Pike adjacent to land preserved by both the National Park Service and the American

Battlefield Trust. It served as a key Union position near Culp’s Hill. During the battle’s first and second days, tens of thousands of Union troops, plus dozens of cannon and other war materiel moved past this spot into battle. Preserving this acreage will not only add to the Trust’s success along the Baltimore Pike but will also partly fill a significant “hole in the donut.” Meanwhile, the 22 acres at Bristoe Station witnessed one of the most lopsided victories of the war. On October 14, 1863, near the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill caught sight of what he believed were the final two Union corps crossing Broad Run. Hill maneuvered directly into harm’s way and in just about an hour’s time, more than 1,380 Confederate soldiers became casualties. Incidentally, these same 22 acres had previously seen action on August 27, 1862, during the Battle of Kettle Run, a part of the Second Manassas Campaign. Combined, these properties are worth more than $1.3 million. Thankfully, a generous contribution from the Gettysburg Foundation, coupled with anticipated funding from the federal American Battlefield Protection Program, means that we only need to raise $103,500 to save this land forever, a remarkable $12.87-to-$1 match for all donations. Learn more at www.battlefields.org/easter-battlefield-duo. Trust Works to Acquire Heart of the Champion Hill Battlefield

Today, for just 1.7 cents per square foot, you can help acquire the crossroads that the late Edwin C. Bearss, legendary historian and guide, deemed his “favorite place” in the Vicksburg Campaign, the intersection of Middle Road and Plantation Road in the lee of Champion Hill, site of campaign’s largest battle. Although we had previously worked with the Champion family, yes, the same family has cared for this important site since before the Civil War, to place a conservation easement on these 144 acres, we now have the opportunity to purchase them outright and act as steward until their transfer for rightful inclusion in Vicksburg National Military Park. The purchase price for this land is $185,000, our existing conservation easement factoring into its value, toward which we are applying the $78,000 that Trust members donated last fall to create a Vicksburg Campaignfocused memorial fund after Ed Bearss’s passing. We can think of no better use than preserving Ed’s self declared favorite spot! That means this central spot can be saved forever and made part of a national park with just $107,000. Learn more at www.battlefields. org/championhill2021.

Award Recognizes Transformational Partnership at Cool Spring The American Battlefield Trust and Shenandoah University were recently honored with the 2020 Wingate Mackay-Smith Clarke County Land Conservation Award from the county Conservation Easement Authority in recognition of preservation and stewardship activities at the Cool Spring Battlefield. Not only has the site’s transformation created environmental impact, but its use by Shenandoah University students has enriched their academic pursuits. During the past year, the battlefield has also been an unparalleled community resource, as residents sought prime spots for outdoor, socially distanced recreation. “We often speak of a protected battlefield’s ability to function as an outdoor classroom, but nowhere has this been more fully realized than on the banks of the Shenandoah River in Clarke County,” said Trust President David Duncan. The site was protected through a public-private partnership between the Trust and Shenandoah University that began 2011. Once home to the Virginia National Country Club, the 195-acre property was secured by the Trust through member donations and matching grants from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program and the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund. Following acquisition, ownership of the site was turned over to Shenandoah University in 2013 which has integrated the land’s crucial role in the July 18, 1864, Battle of Cool Spring and its 10,000 linear feet of Shenandoah River frontage into a hands-on learning venue for students. Thanks to a perpetual conservation easement held by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, this learning venue and recreational hotspot, with trails for both hiking and biking, as well as opportunities for wildlife observation, will remain pristine and free of inappropriate development forever.

Mississippi Establishes New Historic Site Grant Fund During its recent legislative session, Mississippi became the fourth state to create a matching grant fund that specifically targets the protection of battlefield landscapes. Administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Historic Site Preservation Fund Grant Program will protect land directly related to Mississippi Native American heritage, Mississippi Civil War battlefields, and Mississippi Civil Rights Movement sites. Having easily passed both chambers, the Senate unanimously, the final text was approved by Gov. Tate Reeves on April 16. In creating this state-level fund, Mississippi joins Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, which enacted its own legislation just last year. The Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund, created in 2006, has been used to protect 9,600 acres associated with the Revolutionary War and Civil War; the Tennessee Civil War

Sites Preservation Fund dates to 2013 and has provided some $5 million in matching grants. This new funding mechanism will encourage additional preservation activities in Mississippi, where only about 8,600 acres, less than 5 percent, of the 194,000 acres associated with the state’s 16 major battlefields are permanently protected.

New Market Heights Opens the Gates to Further Present Black Perspectives in History

After announcing its preservation victory in February at the Civil War’s New Market Heights Battlefield, where 14 USCT soldiers earned the Medal of Honor for their incredible valor, the Trust and its partners in preservation have had increased opportunities to speak to the ways that preservation can elevate under-told historical narratives, including media opportunities with the Washington Post, National Public Radio, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In the Post, a National Medal of Honor Day opinion piece from Virginia State Delegates Alfonso Lopez and Lamont Bagby praised the Trust’s work and underlined the Commonwealth’s need to protect such sites. Delegate Baby was further interviewed on the subject by National Public Radio for its Morning Edition program, joined by historian Dr. Mary Abroe, a member of American Battlefield Trust Board of Trustees. Meanwhile, the Richmond Times-Dispatch devoted the cover of its Sunday pull-out Culture section to an appreciation of the Road to Freedom map and multimedia app created by the Trust and Civil War Trails. Officials from both organizations were joined by Virginia Tourism Corporation CEO Rita McClenny in praising the way the curated tour brings out stories of the African American experience during the Civil War era that are present across the Commonwealth, ready for residents and visitors to explore.

Western Theater Video Appeal After a successful trip to West Virginia and Kentucky last fall, the Trust’s Garry Adelman and Kristopher White are hitting the road again for a member-funded content creation foray through Virginia and into North Carolina. The research, images and video they capture will fuel a number of Trust projects. Their itinerary is ambitious, featuring sites from the colonial, Revolutionary, and Civil War periods. As they showcase land that the organization has helped save at Bentonville, Averasboro, Petersburg, and elsewhere, they’ll be joined by special guests and gain access to restricted and rarely seen places. Video output from the adventure will feature first on the Trust’s social media channels, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Details about future journeys, and the opportunity to support this important education mission, are shared most often via our e-newsletters, so subscribe today!