Maryland ARMS Collectors Show

Originally published May-June 2024 · pp. 52–55

Maryland ARMS Collectors Show TIMONIUM, MD—The 68th Annual Maryland Arms Collectors Association Show rocked the Timonium Fairgrounds on March 16-17, 2024, and it was nothing short of spectacular! With picture-perfect weather gracing the event, enthusiasts and collectors alike flocked to indulge in a jaw-dropping array of over 700 sales and display tables showcasing antique and historic arms, as well as an impressive assortment of arms-related memorabilia. This year, the Association amped up the excitement with the introduction of online ticket sales, and boy, did it hit the bullseye! Over 200 savvy participants embraced this new feature, bypassing the lengthy queues and striding straight to the entrance with ease. Talk about a game-changer! Saturday saw the show hall bursting at the seams with an enthusiastic crowd, igniting an electric atmosphere that crackled with anticipation. Vendors couldn’t contain their excitement, with many proclaiming it to be their best show ever! The buzz of excitement was palpable as attendees explored the treasure trove of offerings. But the excitement didn’t stop there! With an impressive lineup of displays vying for top honors, the judges faced the daunting task of selecting the crème de la crème. After much deliberation, the coveted Best of Show title was awarded to Chris Grazzini for his captivating presentation, “Maryland Officer Swords from the War of 1812.” It was a truly aweinspiring sight to behold, showcasing the rich history and

heritage of Maryland’s military past. As the curtains closed on another phenomenal event, anticipation soared for next year’s show, already earmarked for March 22-23, 2025, back at the Timonium Fairgrounds. Mark your calendars and get ready for another adrenalinefueled weekend of camaraderie, discovery, and all things arms-related. Until then, let the countdown begin!

Best of Show:

Chris Grazzini – “Maryland Officer Swords from the War of 1812”

Best Single Weapon:

Ken Baumann – “Ellsworth Cannon & Limber”

First Place-Educational:

Kevin Doring – “Colt’s Presentation Sidehammer Revolvers”

Second Place Educational:

Sammy Higginbotham – “My Great Grandfather’s Watch”

Third Place Educational:

Lou Southard – “Pistols – Land, Lake & Sea War of 1812”

Judges Choice:

Craig Bell – “John Mills Virginia Contract”

Judges Choice:

Tyler Argubright – “Baltimore Police”

Judges Choice:

Gerald Roxbury – “U.S. Naval Swords, 1812–1861”

Judges Choice:

Alan Boyd – “Midshipman Charles Williamson’s Congressional Presentation Sword for the Battle of Lake Champlain”

Best of Show Award to Chris Grazzini. Best of Show Display “Maryland Officer Swords from the War of 1812.”

Help Preserve Land at the Heart of the Franklin Battlefield

In March, the Trust launched a campaign to preserve more than half an acre of hallowed ground in Franklin, Tennessee. The battle, known as “Bloody Franklin,” took place on November 30, 1864, and saw some of the most brutal fighting of the whole Civil War, with opposing soldiers often separated only by a few feet of earthworks. Battle accounts describe men holding their guns over the tops of the breastworks to fire at their enemies. Today, thanks to determined preservationists, the Franklin Battlefield has come back into existence. However, the targeted property stands as a key missing piece in the heart of the battlefield. Altogether, its cost is a staggering $5 million, but with local preservation organizations Franklin’s Charge and the Battle of Franklin Trust, and anticipated support from the City of Franklin and the State of Tennessee, along with the generosity of a few dedicated donors, securing this tract is within reach. The Trust has already raised $500,000 of the $600,000 it committed to providing. This leaves $100,000 that must be obtained to complete the critical purchase, thus presenting a match of $50-to-$1! Franklin is a mark of a resounding success in the battlefield preservation movement. In the early 2000s, much of the battlefield was destroyed with mini-malls and mixed-use residential properties. During that same time, the Trust began working with state and local preservation groups to reclaim and

Franklin Battlefield in Franklin, Tenn. Photo by Michael Byerley.

preserve the Franklin Battlefield, little by little. Securing this additional land, a tract that saw the final quarter mile of the Confederate charge against the Union earthworks, would fill a hole in an otherwise already-preserved area. To learn more about this preservation opportunity, visit www. battlefields.org/preserve.

Trust Announces Finalists for Inaugural Book Prize

After announcing the inaugural $50,000 American Battlefield Trust Book Prize for History last fall, the organization recently published its short list of finalists. The annual award seeks to showcase the vital nature of historic battlefields as primary sources in literary works and amplify the pressing need for preservation to readers interested in American history. The award recognizes an outstanding published work focused on military history or a biography central to the nation’s formative conflicts, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Eleven finalists were selected out of nearly 100 nominees from 24 different publishers and are now being carefully considered by this year’s expert panel of judges. The winner will be announced this spring, with awards presented in September, during the Trust’s Grand Review weekend in Raleigh, N.C. Smaller prizes will be awarded to two additional finalists in addition to the $50,000 winner Listed alphabetically, the finalists include: Friederike Baer, Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War (Oxford University Press); David S. Hartwig, I Dread the Thought of the Place: The Battle of Antietam and the End of the Maryland Campaign (John’s Hopkins University Press); Ricardo A. Herrera, Feeding Washington’s Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778 (University of North Carolina Press); Mark Edward Lender, Fort Ticonderoga, The Last Campaigns: The War in the North, 1777–1783 (Westholme Publishing); George Rable, Conflict of Command: George

McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and the Politics Louie Palu and Trust chief historian Garry Adelman use their 3D glasses at of War (Louisiana State the Rose Farm in the exact location where Alexander Gardner University Press); Timothy took his famed images after the Battle of Gettysburg. B. Smith, Early Struggles for Photo by Buddy Secor. Vicksburg: The Mississippi Central Campaign and Chickasaw Bayou, October 25-December 31, 1862 (University of Kansas Press); Elizabeth Varon, Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South (Simon & Schuster); Victor Vignola, Contrasts in Command: The Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31 – June 1, 1862 (Savas Beatie); Jack Warren, Freedom: The Enduring Importance of the American Revolution (Lyons Press); Jeffry D. Wert, The Heart of Hell: The Soldiers’ Struggle for Spotsylvania’s Bloody Angle (University of North Other videos include “Civil War 1864: A Virtual Reality Carolina Press); Ronald C. White, On Great Fields: The Life Experience,” which remains the Trust’s most popular video and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain with a staggering 39 million views, and the “America’s Wars” (Random House). animated battle map, which was uploaded in September 2023 This award was endowed by a generous donor and diverts and captured nearly 1.3 million views in only six months. no funds from the Trust’s critical mission. Check out these and other exciting history videos on the Trust’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/AmericanBattlefieldTrust.

Celebrating 100 Million Views on the Trust’s YouTube Channel

Take Part in Stopping Insensible Development

Last fall, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors in A sign of vast growth in very little time, the Trust’s YouTube Northern Virginia rezoned more than 1,750 acres of land. The channel has crested the 100 million views mark. Launched controversial decision will allow construction of what would in 2009, the popular video channel boasts nearly 350,000 be the world’s largest data center campus immediately adjacent subscribers and hosts more than 1,200 original videos. to the Manassas National Battlefield Park. “As preservationists and educators, we believe it’s critical Despite overwhelming local opposition, objections from to use digital venues such as YouTube to expand access to the National Park Service, and the recommendation of both our educational materials and engage the public with our mission to preserve these hallowed grounds,” said Trust President David Duncan. “It’s especially gratifying January 12, 2024, press conference at to note this milestone as an indicator Manassas National Battlefield to that audiences are interested in the announce the lawsuit. important work we do and the history of this nation.” The Trust’s YouTube video offerings include, among others, battlefield driving tours, virtual field trips, animated battle maps, Untold History videos, and the Step into History: “Then and Now” series, which was recently named a Bronze Winner in Digital & Innovative Experience, Education, Art & Culture in the 3rd Annual Anthem Photo by Melissa A. Winn. Awards.

County staff and the C o u n t y ’s Planning The Prince William Digital Gateway would be adjacent Commission, the Prince to the Manassas Battlefield. Photo by Buddy Secor. William County’s board of supervisors’ final vote was 4-3 with one abstention, opening the door for the likelihood of this proposed complex. Following the decision, the Trust, on January 12, joined with nine local residents in taking legal action to overturn the rezonings, block construction and protect the Manassas Battlefield. The enormous complex, deemed the “Prince William Digital Gateway,” would be located at the Park’s western border, along the historic Pageland Lane, in a narrow corridor between the battlefield and a nearby state forest. The rezoning directly impacts 170 adjacent acres of previously preserved Trust land. Unfortunately, the battles against data centers and inappropriate development near historic battlefields have only increased in frequency over the past few years. As a We Buy and Collect Rare Confederate and result of favorable geography, state legislation, and local Southern Obsolete Currency. zoning decisions, Virginia has become the data center Since 1978, we have collected or handled over 80 of the capital of the world. A few years ago, these centers were “Big Six” Confederate Notes to include nearly 10% of all concentrated in nearby Loudoun County, but have quickly known surviving Montgomery Notes. expanded their footprint across Northern Virginia. Since 2022, the Trust has engaged with proposals to restrict data centers on or adjacent to significant Virginia battlefields, including Brandy Station, Deep Bottom, Glendale, Manassas, North Anna, and the Wilderness. At the Wilderness, the Trust is also involved in another data center lawsuit against the Wilderness Crossing Development. There, a 2,600-acre project, located on part of the Wilderness Battlefield and adjacent to a formerly proposed Walmart site preserved by the Trust, would have devastating impacts on both the Wilderness and Chancellorsville battlefields. In addition, because the Orange County Board of Supervisors rejected a limitation of five million square feet on data centers, the developer has permission to force as much data center construction on the site as possible. Similar to Prince William County, the Wilderness Crossing project was passed in haste against the recommendations of county staff and despite local opposition to the development. 901-487-5944 • gton1@aol.com • Franklin, TN To learn more or make a gift to support this advocacy, please visit www.battlefields.org/fightingdatacenters.

Greg Ton

GregTonCurrency.com