Preservation sometimes gets overlooked by reenactors. As cliched as it may sound, I believe that we often take our visits to Civil War Battlefields for granted. We assume that because we have a sense of the timeless, almost mystical value these fields hold for us, others might share the belief that we should save our Civil War heritage for posterity's sake. Having watched the fields and forests of my youth vanish before the bulldozer in the years following my family's timely retreat from Victor, New York, and having recently witnessed a plan calling for the demolition of no less than 60 historic buildings in downtown Pittsburgh (a move that would virtually destroy much of that cities unique character), I can say with a great deal of certainty that our Civil War heritage is far from safe. The Conservation Fund's Civil War Battlefield Guide has page after page of battlefields that have already been lost to sprawl, and there are many more that are threatened.
If you have any comments or suggestions regarding preservation, or you wish to add information about a preservation oriented organization, I can be reached at cwbuffs@worldshare.com or cw_reenactors@yahoo.com.
The explosion of suburban development over the past 50 years poses a serious threat to the sanctity and integrity of many Civil War battlefields. However, apathy is perhaps the greatest threat of all. Ignorance is Apathy's closest ally. There are many people who are willing to move to a pristine, unique, interesting area precisely because it is pristine, unique and interesting. Naturally, the influx of urban/suburban escapees often transforms a place into the very thing they were trying to leave. A developer might market his/her housing development as a piece of history (which in turn appeals to a person's greed: "I can OWN a bit of history"). Those moving into the developments might not consider the harm the influx of people might potentially do to that region. Worse still, they might simply not care. Businessmen and developers frame the discussion as a "what's gained verses what's lost" discussion, with economic vitality as the impetus for expansion. Local business leaders hop on the proverbial bandwagon, and the asphalt flows. The fact that a well preserved battlefield can in fact serve as a draw (or for that matter, the fact that large, multi-national chain stores often tear the heart out of the towns economy) is ignored. Appeals to a higher cause are often dismissed as reactionary, naive or elitist.
An advertisement from the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites shows it best; their legacy, and ours. Two photographs juxtaposed. In one, the dead lay scattered about a field. In the next, an ugly cluster of buildings, asphalt and automobiles sprawls across the scene. Theirs was a legacy forged in blood across hundreds of battles, great and small. Ours is a legacy of soulless development and profiteering, a legacy of mindless expansion that threatens to sweep away the woods, fields and streams sanctified with the lives of our predecessors for all eternity.
Many battlefields survived for generations under the watchful eyes of farmers, often the descendants of the farmers who hid in the cellars as the battles swirled around them. Within months after the armies passed on, the fields were replanted, the homes repaired, and the cycle of harvest resumed. Thus it continued for generations.
The decline of the American farm, coupled with the recent boom in suburban development, poses a serious threat to our Civil War battlefields. While it may be argued that in the past, privately owned battlefields were inaccessible to the public, the integrity of the battlefield was ensured. The same cannot be said today. Developers, often cashing in on the historical value of the area, purchase hundreds of acres at a time for the new sub divisions. Strip malls and expanded roadways soon follow, until, in a sickening irony, the once pristine area becomes that very thing its new residents once sought to escape.
Much may be said about the loss of regional identity. Whereas one may distinguish a small town in my native upstate New York from a town in Pennsylvania based on the architecture of its older buildings, the same cannot be said of the malls and prefabricated homes springing up all over the country. We are losing our distinctiveness as a country at the very time we seek to instill a respect for "diversity."
Equally ominous are the implications of losing a physical tie to the past. Approaching a historical event is much like approaching a culture far different from our own. Much has been made of our recent "progress," but the breakneck speed at which our society is changing often prevents us from taking the time to adequately question the implications of such broadly reaching transformation. What is often lost is a direct connection, to work, to education, to humanity. This is one of the most valuable aspects of preserving historical artifacts, homes and lands, this sense of physical attachment.
An unscathed battlefield can provide a pathway to the past in often unimaginable ways. The terrain provides a sense of the scale, the tactics and movements of the armies. Monuments provide unit locations, or describe the fall of generals. Save a battlefield, and you save a means of envisioning the past that is all too often ignored in our rush to embrace virtuality. Failure to do this means that interpretation and experience will become the property of a few individuals, each casting his or her own light on the subject. No product of academic or popular discourse, no website or CD-ROM, no video tape can approach the visceral feeling one experience's on the field at Gettysburg, Antietam, Chickamaugua, or any one of the hundreds of battlefields scattered across the country. Technology has a limited potential for liberation, but only if we use it properly. When used as a cheap alternative for the real thing, its potential turn very ugly indeed. Virtual battlefield tours are no substitute for intact battlefields, and we must acknowledge this fact.
Civil War battlefields represent a vital link not only to the past, but to a richly woven tapestry of regional identity. Each is in its own way unique, and each speaks to us with fascinatingly different intonations. At a time when we often sacrifice quality in the name of convenience and familiarity, these sites, and others like them, provide us with links to a time when conversation was a major pastime, neighbors shared resources out of a common desire to survive the harshest of conditions, and men and women made unimaginable sacrifices to support their ideals.
If we pave over these fields, or destroy them with housing developments, we will have lost a vital part of our culture. Worse, we will have sacrificed another unique aspect of regional and national identity to the growing movement towards a mundane, uniformly selfish consumer culture. While profit is a cornerstone of our society, our pursuit of the almighty dollar should not in turn cost us our souls. We already have too many Wal Marts, McDonalds and Best Buys; is it too much to ask that we preserve these portions of ourselves? Have we become so selfish and myopic that we must bulldoze everything in sight for the sake of a convenient location for a drug store? I sincerely hope and pray that this is not the case.
Some Lost or Fragmented Battlefields
Atlanta, Georgia
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Mechanicsville, Virginia
Nashville, Tennessee
Peachtree Creek, Georgia.
Winchester I, Virginia
This is but a small sample of some of the more well known battlefields to fall victim to development over the years. Others are virtually gone as well; the Second Kernstown, Virginia; large portions of Cold Harbor; virtually all of Corinth, Mississippi. South Mountain and Chancellorsville are also threatened by developers/industry. The threat is not something imaginary or exaggerated; it is all too real, and it can only grow over time.
The government maintains a number of national battlefields, but much can be accomplished through state and local governments. Individuals and corporations can also be effective participants in the struggle to save our heritage. There are a number of successful efforts underway to fight over-development, and reenactors can play a crucial role in fighting to preserve the physical links to the era we attempt to honor.
There are a number of ways that preservationists can aid in the struggle to preserve our heritage. Many of these suggestions apply to general preservation.
1. Public awareness: You would be amazed at the number of people who are willing to act when a community's historical legacy is threatened. Contact the local paper, attend meetings held by zoning boards and the local government. Stay informed, and follow the arguments. Above all, know the people you're dealing with, and the stakes involved. If you choose to organize or to side with an organization that might be involved, pay close attention to their ideals, and let others know what those might be (an example: Pittsburgh's ambitious plan to attract retail outlets involves tearing a fifth of the city down. The president of the misnamed Historical Review Board is one of the most fervent supporters of this plan. Based solely on the name, one might look at this group as one dedicated to preserving the past, rather than destroying it).
2. When awareness doesn't exist, encourage it. Reenacting in and of itself can aid in the process of making history a living entity, rather than an "impediment to the future." Lead discussion groups and visit classrooms to talk about the lives people once lived. Encourage the thought that history is an active and viable process, rather than a dry, channeled discourse. Join the local historical society and do volunteer work. Meet with local business leaders, and let them know that your community is as committed to the past as it is to future "progress."
3. Know the issues, and present a strong case. Many people are willing to prostitute themselves to attract or retain a business, even if it means selling their proverbial souls (as well as the souls of others). In an area with high unemployment, a mall might be an appealing addition to the town, even if it means damaging locally based businesses or destroying landmarks. Preservation need not stand in the way of economic growth, and this should be communicated. Charges of elitism sting the most when preservationists take hard line stances against development without factoring in the economic benefits of saving historic sites. By all means take the moral high ground: saving the past today will help to ensure its existence for future generations. Counter charges of elitism and snobbery by pointing out that a preserved site is a resource that can be shared by all (you could also point out that most large developments are sponsored by multimillionaires and large corporations, and that this group hardly constitutes an oppressed caste).
At the same time however, you should keep in mind that many people simply don't share your sense of historical responsibility. Don't unnecessarily antagonize them. Discuss the economic benefits of preservation (green space, tourism, name recognition). Keep in mind that this can sometimes be a double edged sword, in that it can promote even more development. However, the goal is to preserve as much as possible, and to that end, we need to foster discussion with those forces ultimately responsible for development. People need jobs, and arrangements that benefit both sides are possible. A sanctimonious attitude can do more harm than good, and there is little sense in losing everything solely for the sake of principle. Stick to your guns, but be open minded.
4. If you belong to a reenacting organization, create a committee dedicated to preservation. The committee can run fund raisers, clean and protect monuments, and schedule those reenactments that focus heavily on preservations. You would be surprised at how much money a group can raise.
5. Attend preservation oriented events. The latest edition of the Camp Chase Gazette has an excellent article (by reenacting legend Rob Hodge) describing a march aimed at raising funds for preserving a portion of the threatened Chancellorsville battlefield. The South Mountain reenactment features a similar march. The Camp Chase Gazette has a detailed listing of upcoming events, with gray stars marking reenactments which raise funds for preservation. Some events donate 100% of the proceeds to preservation (South Mountain and Cedar Creek are but two examples).
6. Join a preservation oriented association. The Civil War Preservation Trust, recently formed by the merger of Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites and the Civil War Trust is the largest Civil War oriented preservation organization, with over 40,000 members. There are a number of smaller associations that have been quite successful in fighting against battlefield development (the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and the Central Maryland Historical League both sponsor well attended reenactments that raise thousands of dollars for preservation annually). All of these groups accept donations.
7. Don't get complacent. Without time, effort and money, battlefields can and will disappear. Many have alreaddy been lost. The government has saved a number of sites, but the National Parks Service can't be relied upon to save our heritage. Furthermore, the NPS has made some controversial decisions lately concerning possible development at Gettysburg. Businesses and individuals have to shoulder an increasing burden of responsibility when it comes to preservation.
8. Don't give up hope. The threat is enormous and seemingly irresistible at times. Chantilly, New Hope Church, Franklin . . . names that resonate in our history . . . all lost in part or entirety. The list of casualties is growing. Despite these irreplaceable losses, there is hope. Thousands of acres have been saved, and thousands more are undeveloped. There are powerful forces at work on our side, and they are still recruiting.
There are many excellent sources of information available. There are also a number of preservation oriented societies waiting for your membership. This is hardly an exhaustive list, but I plan to add others.
Organizations:
Publications
A monthly magazine focused
on reenacting, the CCG features a detailed calendar
emphasizing reenactments and events that donate proceeds to
historical preservation. Recent issues feature a series of
articles, "If Not You . . . Who? If Not Now . . . When,"
written by Rob Hodge. Hodge helped to organize a
preservation march in an effort to raise funds to save a
portion of the Chancellorsville battlefield, and the series
of articles chronicles his efforts, from inception to
completion. The "Observation Post," the CCG's general
news section, often contains preservation news. Event
reports frequently detail preservation efforts on the part
of organizers. An outstanding resource for those interested
in the link between reenacting and preservation. A monthly publication with a
strong focus on preservation news. Somewhat more general
than the Camp Chase Gazette, the Civil War News focuses on
reenactments, historical preservation and miscellaneous
Civil War related happenings. Articles geared toward
preservation frequently appear on the front page, and a
column on preservation news is a regular feature. The CCG
and CWN compliment each other in many respects, with the
Gazette providing in depth reenacting news and the News
closely following efforts to save historic lands. Both are
vital resources for preservationists. The
Civil War Battlefield Guide Produced by the Conservation
Fund, this is an invaluable resource for anyone captivated
by the Civil War. The guide provides accounts of hundreds of
major and lesser known battles of the war, as well as the
current status of many principle sites. Detailed
topographical maps provide information on troop movement, as
well as giving a sense of just how developed many
battlefields are. If the battlefield is open to the public,
the hours and ownership (National Park Service. APCWS,
Historical Society, etc.) are listed. The Appendixes Provide
detailed information on casualties, a list of lost or
fragmented battlefields, and an excerpt from the Civil
War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation's Civil
War Battlefields. Essays by a number of leading Civil
War Historians and commentators appear throughout the
text. The Conservation Fund has
protected over 5,800 acres of Civil War battlefield
property, and the organization also publishes The Dollar$
and Sense of Battlefield Preservation: The Economic Benefits
of Preserving Civil War Battlefields. All proceeds from
The Civil War Battlefield Guide are used for
battlefield preservation. http://www.conservationfund.org
Certificate for a "foot of
the battlefield," issued by the Cedar Creek Battlefield
Foundation Founded in 1988, the Cedar
Creek Battlefield Foundation formed to prevent the Cedar
Creek battlefield from succumbing to commercial development
in the late 1980s. A number of factories already dot the
battlefield, but the CCBF was able to purchase 158 acres and
the Heater House. The foundation also owns and operates a
visitors center adjacent to the property. The CCBF relies on donations
from its members, on funds raised through the annual Cedar
Creek reenactment, and through state grants. Currently, they
seek to enhance the visitors center, renovate the Heater
House, open the field to visitors (it currently serves as a
cow pasture for most of the year) and purchase more land as
it becomes available. Annual membership rates
vary, from the $15 private to the $1,000 Major General.
Membership benefits include discounts in the visitor center
store and free admission to the outstanding
reenactment. Dahlgren Chapel, from the
Central Maryland Heritage League website. The Central Maryland
Heritage League formed in 1989 to preserve local
environmental and historical resources. Their efforts saved
much of the South Mountain battlefield, and the group
currently protects about 32 acres spread among Turner, Fox
and Crampton Gaps. Their efforts have helped to protect over
500 acres through easements. Additionally, they own the
Dahlgren Chapel on Turner's Gap and two other buildings.
Although I have not seen the figures for the 1999 event, the
1998 Fire on the Mountain reenactment raised $7,000 toward
preserving and acquiring battlefield land. In addition to the funds
gained through membership ($25 fee) and the the reenactment,
the CMHL utilizes matching funds from federal and state
agencies. This is a particularly beautiful area, and the
threat of development is high (many developers advertise the
historic location as a means to lure potential buyers). That
smaller organizations such as the CMHL have been successful
in averting wholesale development is a tribute to the hard
work and dedication of its volunteers. Logo from
brochure. Located in the Carnegie Free
Public Library in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, G.A.R. Post #153
is one of the few remaining Grand Army of the Republic Posts
in existance. Traci and I have visited the Post, which is
filled with dozens of artifacts, printed materials and
flags. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to these
relics, and the room itself is in serious need of repair.
The 9th
Pennsylvania Reserves
have joined forces with the Carnegie Free Public Library to
restore and preserve the room and its artifacts. The first step of the
process involves an acessment and survey of all materials by
conservation experts. This is an expensive but necessary
proposition, given the condition of the facility and
materials on hand. The room is open to the
public on Wednesday nights, and frequently features a member
of the 9th Pa Reserves in full uniform. The men we talked
with were quite knowledgable about the Post's history.
Visitors are asked to make a small donation. http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~jw3u/round/gar-room.html. Recently formed by the
merger of Association for the Preservation of Civil War
Sites and the Civil War Trust, the Civil War Preservation
Trust is the largest preservation organization to focus
exclusively on Civil War battlefield preservation. Among its
40,000 plus members are noted historians, reenactors,
artists and journalists.The two organizations have saved
nearly 10,000 acres of endangered battlefield
property. The CWPT preserves and saves
battlefields by purchasing the land outright if possible
with funds gained through donations, easements and fund
raising. According to the Camp Chase Gazette, they
are currently trying to raise $16 million as part of a "fund
raising campaign that will provide a 2 to 1 match for $8
million available from congress for Civil War battlefield
preservation through the federal Land and Water Conservation
Fund." (XXVII, No 2, Holiday, 1999: 72) Membership in the CWPT
varies, from the $20 student level to the $1000 Color Bearer
(lifetime). Members receive quarterly issues of Hallowed
Ground (left), a beautifully typeset magazine
with articles detailing preservation efforts, describing
endangered battlefields, and historical essays. Members also
receive discounts at The Historic Inns Network, discounts on
merchandise from certain vendors, and access to all property
owned by the Foundation.
