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History
Under Siege:
America's
Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields
Embargoed
for Release until February 24, 2005 at 10 a.m.
NEW!
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here
Introduction
The Civil War Preservation Trust's (CWPT) annual
report on endangered Civil War battlefields, is more
than just a list of threatened historic sites. It
is also a plan for saving the last remaining links
to a period in our nation's history when uncommon
valor was commonplace.
The good news is that we are making progress. In
the past year, CWPT rescued 3,100 acres of hallowed
ground at legendary battlegrounds like Shiloh, Tennessee
and Chancellorsville, Virginia. Since our creation
more than a decade ago, CWPT has protected 21,300
acres at 93 sites in 19 states.
But the battles continue. And we hope this report
energizes our supporters to continue the fight to
protect and preserve these historic battlefields.
The report itself is composed of two parts: the first
section identifies the 10 most endangered battlefields
in the nation; the second section lists 15 additional
"at risk" sites that round out the 25 battlefields
we believe need our most immediate attention. No attempt
is made to rank the sites within the two tiers - instead,
the battlefields are listed in alphabetical order.
The inclusion process is lengthy and difficult. Sites
are nominated by our membership, with help from historians,
preservationists, and CWPT's board of trustees. The
sites included in the study are selected based on
geographic location, military significance, and preservation
status.
In analyzing each site, CWPT consulted a 1993 study
by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission ()
that prioritized sites according to historical significance
and state of preservation. Whenever possible, CWPT
has used the CWSAC rating system throughout the report.
Battlefields are ranked from Priority I (sites considered
most threatened) to Priority IV (sites considered
lost). CWSAC also ranks battlefields from A (most
historically significant) to D (sites of local importance).
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