For Immediate Release
February 24, 2005

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY BATTLEFIELDS IDENTIFIED AS MOST ENDANGERED IN THE NATION

Country Music Star Darryl Worley Joins Civil War Preservation Trust to Issue Annual Report on America's Most Endangered Battlefields

(Washington, D.C.) - The Commonwealth of Virginia has the unfortunate distinction of claiming three spots in a report on America's most endangered battlefields. Battlefields in Manassas, Spotsylvania County and Bermuda Hundred topped an annual list which was announced today in Washington by the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), the nation's largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization.

CWPT President James Lighthizer presented the report that identifies the most threatened Civil War sites in the United States and what can be done to rescue them. In his announcement, Lighthizer warned that America's Civil War history is under siege. Lighthizer also noted:

"Nearly 20 percent of America's Civil War battlefields have already been destroyed - denied forever to future generations. Across the country, hallowed ground, where more than 600,000 Americans gave their lives, is being paved over for shopping malls and housing tracts. Without swift and decisive action, many of the sites listed in this year's report will soon be little more than a memory."

Joining Lighthizer at the news conference was DreamWorks recording artist and historic preservationist Darryl Worley, nominated top new male vocalist in 2002 by the Academy of Country Music. The debut single, "Awful, Beautiful Life," from Worley's self-titled album recently held the #1 spot for two weeks on Billboard's Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart. In his remarks, Worley echoed Lighthizer's concerns.

"As a young child growing up near Shiloh, I was always fascinated to learn more about the history that took place virtually in my own backyard," said Worley. "Our country's Civil War history is so rich and so vital, and we owe it to our children to do everything in our power to safeguard that legacy."

The report, entitled History Under Siege: A Guide to America's Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields, is comprised of two parts: The first section cites the 10 most endangered battlefields in the nation, with a brief description of their history and preservation status; the second section lists 15 additional "at risk" sites that round out the top 25 endangered battlefields in the country.

The sites mentioned in the report range from the famous to the nearly forgotten. However, all have a critical feature in common - each one or part of each one is in danger of being lost forever. The battlefields were chosen based on geographic location, military significance, and the immediacy of current threats. The Virginia sites are as follows:

Bermuda Hundred. Bermuda Hundred was never intended to be a battlefield. Instead, this peninsula jutting into the James River was expected to be the starting point for a victorious Union attack on the Confederate capital at Richmond. Unfortunately for the Union cause, the campaign was reduced to a series of bloody and inconclusive battles, waged from May 6, 1864 until the final weeks of the war. Today, most of the Bermuda Hundred siege lines and battlefields have already succumbed to sprawl. Ware Bottom Church, the site of fighting on May 20, 1864, is considered the most threatened. Commercial development along Route 10 is also having an adverse effect on the remaining Bermuda Hundred battlefields.

Manassas. Manassas was the site of two crucial battles fought just 30 miles west of the Union capital during the summers of 1861 and 1862. The First Battle of Manassas was a battle of glory-seeking amateurs experiencing war for the first time. The Second Battle of Manassas was a far larger and costlier affair, fought by men who had become hardened to the horrors of 19th-century warfare. Today, the battlefield's environs are being lost in a piecemeal fashion. The battlefield is rapidly becoming a green island in a sea of sprawl. As a result, commuter traffic within the park has become a major concern.

Spotsylvania County. Situated almost midway between the opposing capitals of Washington and Richmond, the occupation of Spotsylvania County was key to any successful Union advance on the Confederate capital. As a result, four of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War were fought in and around Spotsylvania County from December 11, 1862 - May 21, 1864. Today, the county is ground zero in the fight to save America's remaining Civil War battlegrounds. With a growth rate that has made the county one of the fastest growing in the nation, its historic battlefields are under constant threat. Thanks to a friendlier political environment, a window of opportunity exists to further protect these sites. But relentless development pressures are conspiring to slam the window shut forever.

In addition to Bermuda Hundred, Manassas and Spotsylvania County, other battlefields identified in History Under Siege are:

Franklin, Tennessee. Fought on November 30, 1864, the Battle of Franklin was one of the most agonizing defeats suffered by the South during the Civil War. After years of neglect, the city of Franklin has pledged a $2.5 million challenge grant toward preservation of a critical section of the battlefield.

Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia. Union General William T. Sherman suffered one of his few defeats at Kennesaw Mountain in June 1864. Today, picturesque Kennesaw Mountain is surrounded by sprawl. The park service estimates than an astounding 160,000 vehicles travel through the battlefield each day and there is pressure to widen the road through the park.

Knoxville, Tennessee. Fought during November and early December of 1863, the battles for Knoxville were among the most brutal of the Civil War. Little remains of the fortifications that once surrounded the city. Local preservationists are trying to save Fort Higley, one of the two remaining forts, from being bulldozed to make way for a 250-condominium project.

Mansfield, Louisiana. The battle of Mansfield was one of the bloodiest battles fought west of the Mississippi River. Today, only 237 acres of battlefield are protected from development. A lignite mining operation has already destroyed part of the battlefield, and threatens to devour even more.

Morris Island, South Carolina. Morris Island is best remembered for the charge of the 54th Massachusetts, the famous African-American regiment, against Fort Wagner - a story immortalized in the 1990 film Glory. Last year, a developer applied for a permit to build 20 homes on Morris Island - ten times the density allowed under current zoning.

Raymond, Mississippi. Raymond was a major turning point in Union General Ulysses S. Grant's brilliant Vicksburg Campaign. Today, only 65 acres of the 1,000-acre battlefield are protected. Development pressure along state highway 18 remains the principal threat.

Wilson's Creek, Missouri. The rolling hills of Wilson's Creek provided the backdrop for the first major battle of the Civil War fought west of the Mississippi River. Today, a proposed 1,500-house development threatens to destroy key parcels west of the battlefield and become a magnet for irreversible sprawl.

Also participating in the news conference was Libby O'Connell, Ph.D., Historian-in-Residence of The History Channel. O'Connell, who developed and oversees Save Our History, The History Channel's campaign for historic preservation and history education, is also a trustee of CWPT.

Lighthizer concluded the announcement with a final urgent call to action: "These endangered Civil War battlefields are the last tangible reminders of the valor of those who donned the blue and gray. They must be preserved."

With 70,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds.

The Coalition to Save Chancellorsville Battlefield is an informal group of 12 national and local preservation, conservation and civic groups representing more than 600,000 members nationwide. The coalition is dedicated to preserving and protecting Chancellorsville battlefield. Its website is located at www.chancellorsville.org.

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Contact: Jim Campi (Civil War Preservation Trust) at 202-367-1861.