American Battlefield Trust — April 2023

Originally published April 2023 · pp. 16–17

the state: Brice’s Cross Roads, Corinth, Champion Hill, and Chickasaw Bayou. Although the Trust has long done work at three of these battlefields, the grants are part of our first-ever projects at Chickasaw Bayou, an important engagement in the Vicksburg Campaign that saw initial Union gains collapse in the face of heavy casualties.

Five Battlefields, Four States, 343 Acres When seeking to tell as a full story of the Civil War as possible, the actions of the Western Theater cannot go untold. Now, the Trust has launched a campaign that would guarantee preservation of 343 acres at Chickamauga (Ga.), Brice’s Cross Roads (Miss.), Wyse Fork (N.C.), Bentonville (N.C.), and Shiloh (Tenn.). Altogether, these hallowed grounds have a staggering transaction value of $2.5 million. But through a projected $2.3 million via government grants, donations, and other partners in multiple states who will, we only need to raise the final $140,732 to seal the deal and acquire these multiple key tracts. This means all gifts will be multiplied by an impressive ratio of $18-to-$1. While the properties we are trying to preserve span different years and four states, they are connected by the ebb and flow of the War. By connecting the dots between these battles, we think you’ll agree that each plays a crucial part in the Civil War. In early 1862, most of Tennessee was open for active campaigning. Union troops moved southward, winning the Battle of Shiloh, a bloodbath that produced far more casualties than any American battle up to that time, and resulted in more than two years of thrusts and counterthrusts, until the

Confederates were forced to evacuate the state during the summer of 1863. At Shiloh, we have the opportunity to secure a strategic two-acre tract that will expand our holdings to the east, near the heart of some of the fiercest fighting. Feeling emboldened, the Federal army moved into Georgia but were battered at the Battle of Chickamauga and driven back to Chattanooga, still controlled by the Union. The nearly two-acre, targeted tract at Chickamauga is part of the battle ground that saw Confederates capture Reed’s Bridge, which opened the larger battle. It’s also located close to a growing residential development. Meanwhile, stretched Union supply lines presented an opportunity for Confederate forces to score a victory at the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads in Mississippi. The Union captured Atlanta and then marched to the sea while Confederate forces moved northward toward Nashville, where they were soundly defeated. At Brice’s Cross Roads, we’re seeking to preserve a 95-acre tract that borders previously protected land. 1865 saw the Union army move through the Carolinas while ragged remnants of the Confederate Army of Tennessee moved east from Nashville to contest the advancing Federal. In fighting at Wyse Fork and Bentonville, the futility of further Confederate efforts was evident, and soon led to the largest mass surrender of the war at Bennett’s Place, in April 1865. Right now, we are conducting a crucial effort to acquire two separate and adjacent plots totaling 86 acres at Wyse Fork. Additionally, we’re pursuing more than 159 acres across two tracts at Bentonville. To learn more about this preservation opportunity, visit www.battlefields.org/preserve.

Mississippi Grant Program Supports Trust Efforts in the Magnolia State

Mississippi has joined the roster of jurisdictions proactively working to foster public-private partnerships to protect battlefield landscapes though the availability of state matching grants. In February, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) announced the first round of recipients for the Mississippi Historic Site Preservation Grants (MHSPG), a mechanism established in 2021 by Mississippi Legislature. Mississippi’s state grant program differs from predecessors in Virginia and Tennessee, in that it can also apply to 20th-century sites, notably those related to the Civil Rights Movement. Like other grants the Trust receives, selected projects must provide a one-to-one match in funds from other non-state sources, encouraging collaborative investment in these historic sites. This round of awards totaled more than $1.2 million and benefited four battlefields in

Calling all Partners in Battlefield Preservation! This January, the Trust launched the first edition of the Allies for Battlefield Preservation newsletter. This new communication mechanism is intended to highlight the power of advocacy, to encourage peerto-peer education and to empower local preservationists in their work alongside decisionmakers. With the Trust’s “Speak Out” Campaigns, the newsletter will prove a robust companion to any preservation-minded individual or group, or even those newly curious about ways to get involved. Looking ahead, we plan to convene virtual gatherings to offer training and foster dialogue among friend groups, round tables and other history affinity organizations. To sign-up for the newsletter, visit www.battlefields.org/emailsignup. You can also check out www.battlefields.org/preserve/ speak-out to learn of other opportunities to contact your representatives about pressing preservation issues.

Protecting 104 Pivotal Acres at Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain Given an opportunity to save more than 104 acres in the Virginia Piedmont, the Trust launched a campaign that aims to secure 97 acres of hallowed ground at Brandy Station and seven acres at Cedar Mountain. Taken together, this acreage has a total transaction value of $5,697,826. By tapping state funds requested by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and appropriated by the legislature to help save the land at Brandy Station, while applying for additional federal and state matching grants, we hope to fully cover $5,244,382 million (92%) of what we need through these sources. The historic value is unarguable. The Confederate victory at the 1862 Battle of Cedar Mountain resulted in the 1862 Northern Virginia Campaign, as well as the 1862 Maryland Campaign. Meanwhile, the 1863 Battle of Brandy Station represents the largest cavalry battle ever fought in North America and the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign. The 97 acres we have a chance to save today are essential to any future preservation work to be done at Brandy Station. They would connect previously saved land, from the western edge of Fleetwood Hill extending northward for nearly four miles. Plus, as the land is zoned light industrial, preservation would shield it from development’s grasp. To help with this preservation opportunity, v i s i t w w w. b a t t l e f i e l d s . org/104AcresVirginiaPiedmont.

Landmark Moments for the Trust

After taking possession of 117 acres at Buffington Island, site of the largest Civil War battle in Ohio, the Trust can now claim to have permanently protected hallowed ground in half the states in the Union. At our founding in 1987, the organization’s work was expected to focus on Civil War sites in the Old Dominion. Thanks to the generosity of members, the partnership of elected officials, and the collaboration of countless park administrators, the Trust has grown to become the nation’s premier heritage land protection organization, having saved a total of 56,000 acres across 155 sites in 25 states and representing three wars.

Educators Invited to Baltimore for 2023 National Teacher Institute

Shiloh National Military Park in Shiloh, Tenn. (Photo by Mike Talplacido)

The sun rises over the Brice’s Cross Roads National Battlefield in Baldwyn, Miss. (Photo by Mike Talplacido)

The Trust’s annual National Teacher Institute will descend on Charm City July 13-16, building on a two-decade tradition of excellence in continuing

Brandy Station Fleetwood Hill, Culpeper County, Va. | June 9, 1863 Fought in the second week of June 1863, Brandy Station was the largest cavalry battle ever fought in North America. With momentum firmly in hand after his stunning victory at Chancellorsville, Gen. Robert E. Lee decided to launch a second northern invasion. On June 3, the Army of Northern Virginia began the movement away from Fredericksburg. The first leg of the march took the Confederates to Culpeper Court House. From there, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry division was to screen the infantry as the march continued to the Shenandoah Valley. Stuart’s concentration, however, was detected by Union cavalry led by Alfred Pleasonton. Under the assumption that Stuart planned a raid around his right flank toward Washington, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, the commander of the Army of the Potomac, directed Pleasonton to cross the Rappahannock River and destroy the Confederate cavalry. Early on the morning of June 9, Pleasonton sent columns over the Rappahannock at Beverly Ford and Kelly’s Ford. Following the crossing at Beverly Ford, the Union troopers struck Stuart’s camp in the vicinity of a rail station on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, Brandy Station. The Confederates quickly rallied, and the Federals ran into stiff resistance at St. James Church and the Richard Cunningham farm. After moving over Kelly’s Ford, the Union cavalry split up. One division headed for Brandy Station while the other made their way to Stevensburg. The arrival of blue troopers at Brandy Station threatened the rear of Stuart’s position. Stuart countered by deftly shifting his brigades, and the two sides clashed in mounted combat on a long, low ridge that rose from the station called Fleetwood Hill. Correspondingly, Pleasonton’s force at Stevensburg was stymied by Confederate horsemen. Unable to break through Stuart’s position, Pleasonton abandoned the field after 14 hours of fighting To learn more about Brandy Station visit https:// www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/brandy-station.

A lone tree stands against a vivid dawn sky on Fleetwood Hill at Brandy Station Battlefield in Culpeper County, Va. (Photo by Buddy Secor)

Garry Adelman leads a tour at a past National Teacher Institute. (Photo by David Davis)

Buffington Island Battlefield Memorial Park in Portland, Ohio. (Photo by Jennifer Goellnitz) education. For three-and-a-halfdays, educators will have the opportunity to pick up skills and innovative methods while networking with other likeminded professionals. As part of the 2023 theme “What’s Past is Prologue: Making History Relatable in Today’s Classrooms,” eventgoers will take part in lectures and workshops to learn about historical topics from experts in both the education and history fields. The event is free for educators but requires a $100 refundable deposit to reserve a spot. At the conclusion of the event, educators can apply for continuing education certificates. Following the in-person event, the Trust will also host a Virtual Teacher Institute from July 2426. Registration for both events is now open. Learn more at www. battlefields.org/TI2023.