CWPT Names Endangered Civil War Battlefields
By Deborah Fitts
April 2004 WASHINGTON, D.C.

Morris Island near Fort Sumter, where the black 54th Massachusetts charged to glory, the picturesque slopes of South Mountain, Maryland, and the "Hell Hole" in Georgia were among the top 10 most endangered Civil War sites in the nation named Feb. 24 by the Civil War Preservation Trust.

"Our Civil War battlefields are vanishing at an alarming rate," said Trust President James Lighthizer. "Once lost, these fragile links to America's past can never be replicated or replaced."

This was the fourth year that the country's top battlefield-preservation organization has highlighted threatened battlefields with a top-10 list. Trust spokesman Jim Campi said the annual list, along with the publicity surrounding its release, "has been very helpful in generating public awareness about the plight of Civil War battlefields," and particularly in bringing to the attention of local governments the value of the sites for heritage tourism.

The places chosen "range from the famous to the nearly forgotten," Campi said, "but each one, or part of one, is in danger of being lost forever." The battlefields were picked based on geographic location, military significance, and the immediacy of the threat.

The Trust also named 15 "at risk" sites.

Following are the top 10, listed alphabetically:

* Chancellorsville, Virginia - This battle, April 30 to May 6, 1863, is widely regarded as Robert E. Lee's greatest victory. This is the third year of top-10 listing for Chancellorsville, which Campi called "the scene of one of the most high-profile battlefield preservation fights in history."

Last year a sustained grassroots effort defeated plans for 2,000 homes and major commercial development on the 790-acre Mullins Farm, and in January a proposal for a bypass across the property was dropped. But now another developer may be in the wings (see related story).

* Fort Donelson, Tennessee - U.S. Grant's victory here, Feb. 11-16, 1862, tore apart the Confederate defensive line in the West. Only 760 acres of the battlefield - less than a quarter - are preserved, including 210 acres recently acquired by the Trust.

Most of the battlefield east and west of the national park remains in private hands, including nearly the entire Union siege line where most of the Federal casualties occurred.

* Franklin, Tennessee - The battle here Nov. 30, 1864, was one of the most painful defeats of the Confederacy. The Trust called what's occurring today at Franklin "a prime example of what can happen when a community fails to appreciate the historic resources in its midst." Attempts in recent years to save portions of the battlefield were rejected by local government.

* Glendale, Virginia - Of more than 60,000 engaged here, nearly 6,500 were casualties by the end of fighting June 30, 1862. Only a fraction of the 7,800-acre battlefield is preserved as part of Richmond National Battlefield Park. Groundbreaking has begun on a 107-acre development north and east of Glendale National Cemetery, the centerpiece of the battlefield.

* The "Hell Hole," Georgia - These battles - Pickett's Mill, New Hope Church and Dallas - cost the two armies nearly 5,000 casualties May 25-June 1, 1864. Today they are located in one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation. Sprawl has obliterated trenches near Pickett's Mill and is generating commercial development at New Hope Church and residential development near Dallas.

* Mansfield, Louisiana - This battle, April 8, 1864, was one of the major engagements for control of the strategic Red River Valley. Only 177 acres, or 12 percent of the battlefield, is protected as a state park, including 134 acres saved by the Trust.

The most severe threat is a lignite mining operation that has already destroyed large portions of the battlefield. Utility giant AEP-SWEPCO "has been unwilling to negotiate with preservationists," according to the Trust.

* Morris Island, South Carolina - Here was the scene of some of the most intense fighting during the siege of Charleston, July to September 1863, including a valiant assault by the 54th Massachusetts against Fort Wagner, made famous in the 1989 movie "Glory." In February, plans to build 20 luxury homes on 62 acres threatened what remains of the fort.

* New Bern, North Carolina - One of the most important battles fought in North Carolina occurred here, when Union troops struck and captured a strategic port and rail city on March 14, 1862. Only 27 acres (including 24 rescued by the Trust) are preserved, while the battlefield succumbs to sprawl and commercial development.

* South Mountain, Maryland - On Sept. 14, 1862, the eve of Antietam, Confederates delayed Federal advances at Crampton's, Fox's and Turner's gaps to allow Lee to consolidate his forces. While South Mountain remains largely unchanged, with 6,000 acres preserved (including 183 acres acquired with the help of the Trust), the eastern side of the mountain is vulnerable to development by commuters from the Washington area.

* Wilson's Creek, Missouri - The first major battle fought west of the Mississippi River, Aug. 10, 1861, claimed the life of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in the war. Nearly 75 percent of the battlefield is protected as Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. A plan to build 1,500 homes on 2,333 acres adjacent to the park was called off by developers a week after the top-10 list was published, then a week after that was increased to 2,400 units.

The Trust also named an additional 15 "at-risk" sites. Included were Appomattox, Va., where a 139-home subdivision is proposed for 200 acres east of the restored courthouse area; Brown's Mill, Ga., where 168 acres are slated for housing; Champion Hill, Miss., where a subdivision is under construction near the Tilghman monument site; Day's Gap, Ala., where no land is preserved; and Gaines' Mill and Cold Harbor, Va., where three housing developments crowd the perimeter of Gaines' Mill and the upper half of Cold Harbor is lost.

Also, Gettysburg, Pa., where a new national park visitor center could attract commercial development to the Baltimore Pike corridor; Glorieta, N.M., where state traffic engineers have called for widening Route 50 through the battlefield; Harpers Ferry, W. Va., where portions of the battlefield are vulnerable to development; Helena, Ark., where most of the battlefield has been engulfed by a growing community; and Manassas, Va., where a proposed bypass could aggravate intense development.

And, Munfordville, Ky., where more than 100 acres of pristine battlefield are unprotected and an easement at historic Fort Craig is not being enforced; Port Republic, Va., where the battlefield is considered prime for quarrying; Reed's Bridge, Ark., where sprawl from Jacksonville and Little Rock threatens the battlefield; Spotsylvania Court House, Va., where the national battlefield park protects 1,336 acres but planned residential development threatens additional ground; and Wyse Fork, N.C., where plans for a bypass and an industrial park could destroy key portions of this unprotected site.

The Trust, with 50,000 members, is the largest nonprofit battlefield-preservation organization in the U.S. It works to preserve endangered Civil War battlefields and promote appreciation of their significance.