American Battlefield Trust — July 2023
Originally published July 2023 · pp. 14–15
Play a Part in Preserving 24 acres across Tennessee and Kentucky Second only to Virginia, the state of Tennessee saw the greatest number of battles throughout the Civil War, but President Lincoln saw Kentucky as so decisive he said, “I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game.” The Trust has launched a campaign to protect four Civil War sites in the Volunteer and Bluegrass states, totaling 24 acres. The sites the Trust is targeting carry heavy historical significance but are currently eyed by developers. To protect these hallowed grounds, the Trust needs to raise $118,000 to help unlock $13.75 million in federal, state, and local matching funds. Thankfully, five different preservation-minded allies have also provided key matching funds, positioning the Trust to present donors with a $117-to-$1 match. Although not as widely known as Gettysburg or Antietam, the Battle of Franklin saw 28,000 Union soldiers under the leadership of Gen. John Schofield hold out against Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood. After long and arduous fighting, Hood’s army was crippled at Franklin; the Confederate general lost 20 percent of his men, allowing the Federals to move toward Nashville. Then, at the Battle of Nashville, the Union victory
completely obliterated Hood’s Army of Tennessee and effectively ended the war in Tennessee. There, the Trust has an opportunity to save two of the most threatened acres at Fort Neeley, a well-preserved Union fort in downtown Nashville. In Kentucky, the Battle of Belmont was the first true test for battlefield commander Gen. Ulysses S. Grant but garnered an inconclusive end to which both sides claimed victory. Although the battle was fought on the Missouri side, the troops were positioned in Kentucky, on the same tract where the Trust is seeking to preserve land. Lastly, the Battle of Richmond saw counterbattery artillery fire that lasted for two hours. Here, 20 acres nearly became acres of housing development that would have erased the history of the 1862 battle forever. To learn more about this preservation opportunity, visit https://www.battlefields.org/ give/save-battlefields/helpus-save-hallowed-groundtennessee-and-kentucky
was an area where archaeological surveys indicated possible unmarked Civil War-era graves. The African American Cultural Alliance was at the forefront of efforts, supported by the Civil War history and preservation communities, to negotiate a compromise solution. Although the damaging proposals were circumvented, those threats and the response to them elevated public appreciation for and understanding of Fort Negley’s place in Nashville’s historical narrative. It is this type of lasting change that the Trust honors with its Preservation Legacy Award.
Vote in Orange County Approves Mega-Development Near the Wilderness Despite major public opposition, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of a devastating rezoning proposal that would impact core Wilderness Battlefield land and threaten the nearby Congressionally authorized boundary of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Battlefields National Military Park. The decision was reached in one hearing session with little debate and public discussion. At 2,602 acres, the “Wilderness Crossing” proposal is the largest rezoning in the county’s history. It would severely impact the rural region, turning it into a
congested area. The residential and commercial development is proposed to consist of more than 200,000 square feet of mixeduse commercial development, 5,000 new residential units, and over 730 acres of data centers and distribution warehouses. These would inevitably disturb adjacent Wilderness Battlefield land negatively. Moving forward, the Trust and its allies are considering all available options to best advocate and protect the threatened battlefield. To stay tuned in to recent news at the Wilderness, visit www.battlefields.org/ preserve/speak-out/fightcontinues-wilderness-battlefield
The Trust is Gettysburg Bound for 2024 Annual Conference The clock is ticking; in less than one year, hundreds of Trust members will descend on Gettysburg for the organization’s 2024 Annual Conference. From April 25–28, they’ll enjoy tours, talks and other special gatherings at an event designed to showcase both the battlefield and the community that surrounds it. Over the past two decades, the Trust has saved just shy of 1,240 acres associated with the three day Battle of Gettysburg. Members have invested millions in land acquisition, landscape restoration, and the development of groundbreaking interpretive
Nashville Leaders Recognized for Efforts at Fort Negley Although it dates to the Civil War, Nashville’s Fort Negley did not play a decisive role in the city’s namesake engagement during that conflict. Instead, it has faced 21st-century battles as the focus of controversial plans that pitted conflicting visions for
Franklin Battlefield in Franklin, Tenn. Photo by Mike Talplacido.
a growing city against an iconic place integral to its past. Gathered on those heights overlooking the city, at the outset of its Annual Conference in May, the Trust presented both Mayor John Cooper and the African American Cultural Alliance of Nashville with its prestigious Preservation Legacy Award in recognition of their stalwart commitment to the site’s integrity. The announcement followed on the heels of a Metro Nashville Council meeting that passed a resolution “affirming the protection of Fort Negley” and pledging the site will now be devoted to “educational purposes, archeological research, historic interpretation, and public park uses and shall not be developed for any purpose other than those proposed in the 2022 Fort Negley Master Plan.” More recently, concerns arose when the neighboring Adventure Science Center announced plans to plant an arboretum on land it leases from Metro Parks. This
The American Battlefield Trust presents the African American Cultural Alliance and Mayor John Cooper with its Preservation Legacy Award for their work on preserving historic Fort Negley. From left to right: Cyril Stewart, President of Friends of Fort Negley Park; Jeneene Blackman, CEO of the African American Cultural Alliance; John Cooper, Mayor of Nashville; David Duncan, Trust President; Country Music Star Kix Brooks. Photo by Melissa A. Winn.
Youth Leadership Team members take a tour of the Antietam Battlefield with Trust Chief Historian Garry Adelman. Photo by Melissa A. Winn. Learn more about Victory Week 2023 at www.battlefields. org/victory-week-2023.
Trust President David Duncan gathers with a crowd of Gettysburg partners at Lee’s Headquarters to announce the 2024 annual conference location. Photo by Melissa A. Winn. technologies to bring the battlefield to life. A pre-registration mechanism for the event is now live, ensuring interested attendees first notice of tour options and other key milestones in the countdown, as well as provide a way to suggest personal favorites and other can’t-miss spots. The Trust is committed to working with a variety of local businesses and vendors to help provide lodging, transportation, food and other elements.
Trust Highlights 441 Historic Acres Saved Across Four States during “Victory Week” During its third annual “Victory Week,” the Trust noted that 441 acres of hallowed ground across eight properties on five different battlefields associated with the Civil War’s Eastern and Western Theaters have been deemed
“preserved forever.” Included in this mass accomplishment are projects at Antietam, Md. (one acre), Belmont, Ky. (one acre), Chattanooga, Tenn. (eight acres), Mill Springs, Ky. (239 acres), and Upperville, Va. (190 acres). Taking place amidst National Preservation Month in May, Victory Week provides an opportunity for the Trust to celebrate its success by sharing a diverse roster of preserved properties, and exercise transparency among its membership by detailing the steps taken to reach the status of “victory” on such properties. The Trust’s use of the term “victory” signifies the conclusion of a long and arduous process to save, and often restore, battlefield acreage. The process includes confirming historic actions that unfolded upon the pinpointed soil, negotiating with landowners, and performing full due diligence, consulting local groups and decisionmakers, hunting down all possible funding
sources and sharing preservation opportunities with donors, then finalizing the legal transaction and having the full array of funding sources (grants, partner pledges, donor contributions) in hand.
Know a Teen That Loves American History? Youth with a hunger for history and a penchant for preservation are encouraged to apply to the American Battlefield Trust’s Youth Leadership Team for the 2023-2024 school year. This competitively selected group of
high schoolers, aged 15-18, serves as the youth face and voice of the leading battlefield preservation organization, inspiring a love for America’s historic treasures through efforts spanning history education, preservation and visitation. An outstanding leadership opportunity with a historical twist, the program is accepting applications until July 1, 2023. Learn more about the program online at www.battlefields.org/ youth-leadership-team.
Chattanooga Battlefield in Lookout Mountain, Tenn. Photo by Buddy Secor.
Photographs from the Original Article
Captions and credits appear in the article text as originally printed.