Civil War Battlefields Must Be Protected as Signs of American Bravery

Thank you!

Your articles remind us why these issues are so important. I am happy to hear you had the opportunity to follow such skilled guides, as interpretation, as anyone who has done it knows, is an art form.

And to Mark B of Al:

I'll tell you a story first. There was a similar problem on the campus of the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA several years ago. The gun emplacements used by Confederate forces in December of 1862 and May of 1863 and vanished under academic buildings, dorms, and a dining hall. One remains today, out of (by my conservative estimate) at least fourteen. The BOV was hesitant to place a sign at the site, and bikers had used the lunette as a ramp for many years. It took an outcry from several departments and a movement headed by two great friends of mine to finally have the site preserved.

So why am I telling you this? You can't give up, just because they tried to appease you by putting a marker up. Tell your neighbors, your friends, they people you meet on the street. It sounds like people just don't know it's there, and perhaps if they did, there would be more of a push to preserve it. Just keep riding the BOE until they cave.

I'm no expert, but that's my two pennies on the issue. Best of luck.

P.S. Do you have any pictures of the site?

Fort Gilmer (Phenix City Al.)

In Phenix City Al. their is a dirt fort on top of one of the heightest hills in town . The Board of Edcuation owns the land the fort sits on . Four wheelers have just about destroyed this fort . I tried 20 year ago to get something done about saving the fort but they said their were no funds to do anything about it.They finaly put up a marker telling about the fort , but not preserving it. Does anybody know way's to get this fort preserved . This fort was from the last battle of the Civle war to take Columbus Ga.

Civil War Battlefields

The writer of this article is so on base. First of all, I am a military history buff(civil war first), second I am a veteran, and third I am a guy. If we don't do what we can now to protect and preserve these battlefields, our generation, will rightly so, be blamed for the loss of these irreplacable historic sites. Mr. Aloysius mentions the Civil War Preservation Trust, which I am a proud member. This organization has saved over 25,000 acres of endangered battlefields over the last few years and is still fighting to save more. The Wal-Mart fight in the Wilderness is at the top of their list right now. This is one fight we can't afford to loose. The brave men in blue and gray who fought there in May of 1864 deserve better than what Wal-Mart has in mind for them and their memory. Let's keep fighting the good fight. God bless America and God bless these heroes who fought on these fields so long ago.

Civilwar Battlefield Preservation

All Civilwar Battlefields should be preserved. so that every American can see how the battlefield look back in the 1860s

That's what I think about Civilwar Battlefield preservation.

Civil War Battlefields

A great man once said that you can't know where you are going if you don't know where you have been. Thank you for the excellent article on preserving our battlefields.

Battlefield Guides

Excellent blog. I heartily concur with your thoughts about how licensed battlefield guides can enhance the public's experience at these important national landmarks. Indeed, my family and I have had the pleasure of touring Gettysburg, Antietam, Harpers Ferry, and other sites with Garry Adelman and I can enthusiastically recommend his expertise and enthusiasm to historians of all ages.