FROM THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST:
Today, we have no time to spare. I need your help with saving two important Eastern Theater Civil War battlefields. For one of them, we only have 30 days. Our deadline is May 15th!
We have the urgent opportunity to save 6 acres of hallowed ground at Gettysburg. At the same time, we have the opportunity to save 22 critical acres at Bristoe Station.
Both of these battlefields face the imminent threat of residential and commercial development — unfortunately, pieces of each have already been lost.
6 Acres at Gettysburg Near Culp’s Hill
This 6-acre parcel served as a key Union position near Culp’s Hill. Preserving this tract will not only add to our success along the Baltimore Pike but also fill in most of a key “hole in the donut” of preserved land between the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center complex with National Park Service land around Culp’s Hill.
If we are able to save this land in the next 30 days, we will have the chance to present new opportunities for interpretation and to helpfully provide easier access to this key part of the battlefield. Learn more about this tract »
22 Acres at Bristoe Station
This 22-acre parcel marked the position of Union troops led by General Joshua Owen, who acted as the main force to repel the Confederate attack.
It’s also worth mentioning that these same 22 acres had seen action about a year earlier in the Battle of Kettle Run, a part of the Second Manassas Campaign, making this land twice hallowed.
Encroachment is continually threatening this otherwise pristine battlefield, which means that it’s up to us to intervene. If we protect these acres now, we can preserve a crucial piece of the story of Bristoe Station. Learn more about this tract »
Combined, these properties are worth more than $1.3 million.
However, thanks to a generous contribution from the Gettysburg Foundation and anticipated funding from the federal American Battlefield Protection Program and other state and local sources, we only need to raise $103,500 to see this land saved forever. Meaning that any gift that you give today will be multiplied with an $12.87-to-$1 match!
As more and more of our nation’s battlefield land faces the threat of destruction from development, I’m reminded of the absolute necessity of acting swiftly to ensure we don’t lose a single hallowed acre more.
Please give today to ensure these 28 critical acres of hallowed ground are saved forever.
‘Til the battle is won,
David N. Duncan
President