Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Cedar Creek Historical Commission to Meet

The next meeting of the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical
Park Advisory Commission will be held on Thursday December 17, 2009 at the
Warren Government Center, 220 North Commerce Avenue, Front Royal, Virginia. The meeting will begin at 8:30 am and is open to the public.

The draft General Management Plan and its implementation will be the main
subject of the meeting.

Individuals who are interested in the national park system or the business
of the Park Advisory Commission are encouraged to attend the December 17,
2009 meeting. Questions may be directed to Diann Jacox, Park
Superintendent, (540) 868-9176.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Upcoming Holiday Concert!

The Prince William County Historic Preservation Division will host Holiday Concerts on Saturday, December 12, 2009. Two concerts featuring songs of the season will be held at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, 12229 Bristow Road, Bristow, VA 20136.

The 5 p.m. concert will be performed by the Brentsville District High School Women’s Treble Ensemble and the 6 p.m. concert will be a performance by the Brentsville District Mixed Vocal Ensemble. The concerts will take place in the historic ca. 1870 Union Church. The public will also have a chance to enjoy refreshments by a bonfire. This event is free to the public.

Brentsville served as the county seat of Prince William County from 1822-1893, it was the political and social center of the county. The Historic Centre consists of five historic structures on 24 acres of parkland. The site interprets the history of Brentsville and its role in local history. Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre is located at 12229 Bristow Rd., Bristow, VA 20136.

For more information, please contact Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre at (703) 365-7895 or www.pwcgov.org/brentsville.

Friday, November 20, 2009

7th Annual Remembrance Illumination at Gettysburg

The Gettysburg Foundation will present the 7th annual Remembrance Illumination this Saturday, Nov. 21, from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Sponsored by the Gettysburg Foundation, this popular event drew an estimated 2,500 visitors last year.

At Soliders’ National Cemetery, more than 3,500 luminary candles will be lit on the graves of Civil War soldiers, “Taps” will be played every half hour and the names of the Civil War soldiers buried in the Cemetery will be continuously read during the event. Representatives of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) Honor Guard will participate in the Remembrance Illumination.

At 5:30 p.m., Capt. Patrick Shea of the USS Gettysburg, homeported in Mayport, Fla., will light five candles—one for each branch of our armed forces. Capt. Shea will be welcomed by Rear Adm. Richard A. Buchanan (US Navy, ret.), Gettysburg Foundation president. Shea will be lighting candles in the Pennsylvania section of the Cemetery. (Buchanan is a retired rear admiral in the Navy.)

The event is free and open to the public.

WHO: Gettysburg Foundation

WHAT: 7th Annual Remembrance Illumination

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 21, 5:30-9:30 p.m.
NOTE: PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: 5:30 p.m.: USS Gettysburg Captain Patrick Shea will light candles in the Pennsylvania section of the Cemetery and will be welcomed by Gettysburg Foundation President Richard A. Buchanan.

WHERE: Soldiers’ National Cemetery, Gettysburg

INCLEMENT WEATHER STATEMENT: Please note that the Remembrance Illumination is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Nov. 21 UNLESS torrential rain or high winds occur. In the event of inclement weather, cancellation announcements will be posted on the Web site www.gettysburgfoundation.org under “Latest News.” There is no rain date for the event.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Carol Reardon Gives Tour for Longstreet Society

One of the tours given during the recent Longstreet Society conference in Gettysburg was about Pickett's Charge. Dr. Reardon is an expert on the subject after writing a book about Pickett's Charge a few years back. Despite the gloomy weather, the attendees were excited about crossing the field that Pickett and his men did back in 1863. The tour was enlightening to say the least!

Dr. Reardon's soldiers coming over the swale--almost to the copse of trees!

More conference photos coming soon!
Battlefield Journal

Monday, November 16, 2009

Longstreet Society Battlefield Project


12 or so members of the esteemed Longstreet Society met in Gettysburg this past weekend for their annual conference! As part of the event, they work on a battlefield initative. This year, they painted the benches at the Ampitheater by the Longstreet Memorial. The Park Rangers gave them a goal of one coat within two hours. As there are 40 or so benches, it was a JOB! But they rose to the task and completed all of them within the allotted time!

Peter Bridson from Liverpool in foreground with Basil Larkin (another UK member) in the background

Society President Richard Pilcher (in red jacket) with Treasurer Joe Whitaker, talking with Park Ranger Angel DeJesus.

Stay tuned for more blog posts from this great event in honor of Old Pete!
Battlefield Journal








Saturday, October 31, 2009

It's not too late!!


There are still a few tickets available! Come to the Longstreet Symposium the weekend of November 14th! For more information, visit the 2009 Seminar Page.

See you there!

Battlefield Journal

Congress Allocates $9M for Civil War Battlefields

The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) today applauded members of the U.S. House and Senate for including the largest ever single-year allocation for the federal Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Interior Appropriations Act Conference Report (H Rept 111-316).

The conference report, scheduled for a final vote in both chambers later this week, includes $9 million for the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, a mechanism that utilizes government matching grants and private funds to permanently protect historic Civil War battlefields throughout the nation.

"This is tremendous news that could not come at a more critical time," said CWPT President James Lighthizer. Each day 30 acres of hallowed Civil War battlefield ground are paved over and lost forever. This money will allow us to preserve historic land that would otherwise be lost to development and urban sprawl."

The Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program targets priority unprotected Civil War sites outside National Park Service boundaries. The program's matching grants formula encourages state and private sector investment in historic land preservation. For example, in 2008 the Virginia General Assembly set aside $5.2 million to match federal Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program monies. Grants from the program are competitively awarded by the American Battlefield Protection Program, an arm of the National Park Service.

Since its creation in 1999, the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program has been used to protect more than 15,000 acres of hallowed ground at 60 battlefields in 14 states. Among the sites saved as a result of this program are historic properties at Antietam and South Mountain, Md.; Champion Hill, Miss.; Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and Manassas, Va.; Chattanooga and Fort Donelson, Tenn.; and Harpers Ferry, W.Va. The program is funded through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Although numerous members of the House and Senate have played important roles in ensuring the program's continued success, the following individuals were pivotal in securing this year's unprecedented federal commitment to battlefield preservation: Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Norm Dicks (D-WA); Senators Jim Webb (D-VA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Jeff Sessions (R-AL); and Congressmen, Bart Gordon (D-TN), Steve Israel (D-NY), Gary Miller (R-CA) and C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-MD). In addition, 16 Senators and 29 Member of Congress signed letters of support for the program earlier this year.

"It is welcome news that our $9 million funding request for battlefield preservation was accepted in the Interior Appropriations bill," said Senator Webb. "As America prepares for the 150th anniversary commemoration of the Civil War, it is more important than ever that we preserve these landmarks for future generations to learn about the history of our nation."

Senator Alexander concurred, saying, "The Civil War was a heartbreaking time in our history that we should never forget. Protecting our Civil War battlefields and historic sites is important both to honor the thousands who fought and to allow future generations to learn their heritage by visiting sites like Shiloh, Lookout Mountain, Fort Donelson and Parker's Crossroads. I'm glad to see that this funding was included to support this important program."

"America's Civil War battlefields are part of our nation's rich heritage, but sadly thousands of acres of battlefields are being lost every year. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to visit these sacred grounds and experience part of history," remarked Congressman Ruppersberger.

This vision was also shared by Congressman Miller, who first introduced legislation authorizing the program in 2002. Miller noted, "I have been a long time advocate for preservation of our nation's historic battlefields. These battlefields offer a porthole to the past. The vivid imagery of an epic conflict can remind visitors of the struggles our country has gone through to preserve the banner of liberty and justice for all."

Like Senator Webb, Lighthizer also stressed that the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Civil War presents an ideal time to redouble efforts to protect this hallowed ground. "I can think of no more fitting - and lasting - tribute during this sesquicentennial commemoration than to preserve the places where these brave soldiers fought and bled."

The Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program was reauthorized in March 2009 as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (PL 111-11). The legislation, introduced in the Senate by Senators Webb and Sessions and in the House by Congressmen Miller, Israel and Gordon, reauthorized the program for $10 million a year for five years. The popular bill enjoyed considerable bipartisan support, earning 33 cosponsors in the Senate and 108 cosponsors in the House.

With 55,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation's remaining Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism. The CWPT website is located at www.civilwar.org.