Lend Your Voice to Stop Massive Data Centers near Antietam Battlefield

The battlefield of Manassas is no stranger to development threats. From highways to shopping centers and theme parks, over the decades, it has seen more than its fair share of ill-considered proposals that the preservation community has rallied to oppose and derail. But today, it faces a threat like nothing we have seen before: a uniquely 21st-century scourge in the form of enormous data center warehouses – hulking, windowless monstrosities the size of a shopping mall that consume enormous amounts of electricity and water for operations and climate control, while utilizing technology that will be obsolete within a decade.

The Prince William County Board of Supervisors is currently considering a plan to allow massive data center development along the narrow corridor between Manassas National Battlefield Park and Conway Robinson State Forest. In fact, the footprint being considered in this proposal includes land owned and preserved by the American Battlefield Trust! Of course, we will protect that land forever, regardless of the county’s actions, but this further demonstrates the historic significance of the area under threat.

The Trust, alongside many allied organizations and a chorus of local residents, has been vocal in its opposition to this project since it arose more than 18 months ago. But as the county’s moment of decision nears, we need YOU to speak out to protect the battlefields of Manassas.

Please visit our website to learn more about this proposal and sign a letter of opposition that we can provide to elected officials – and share this opportunity with your friends. We need to send a message that while modern infrastructure is necessary, we need not sacrifice our history in the process.

Local voices are especially important, as constituent opinion carries tremendous weight with elected officials. In addition to writing local officials, please consider attending a rally against the proposal on Saturday, October 29 (RSVP here please), just a few days prior to the Board of Supervisors hearing on November 1. If you live nearby, please consider attending one or both of these events.

Jim Campi

Chief Policy and Communications Officer

American Battlefield Trust

Preserve Acres at Antietam and Shepherdstown

For more than 30 years, we have watched while land around the Antietam Battlefield in Washington County, Maryland, and Shepherdstown, West Virginia, was sold off to developers and we have pursued opportunities to get in there and get the land before they could. 

And we have been successful, in large part, thanks to you. As of 2022, we’ve purchased and saved 464 acres at the Antietam Battlefield site and 622 acres at the Shepherdstown Battlefield.

Now, what’s at stake? Pivotal parcels of land at Antietam Battlefield and Shepherdstown — two battles of the Maryland Campaign that dramatically changed the course of the war and shaped the destiny of America.

Your gift today will ensure that this land at Antietam and Shepherdstown is preserved forever. Every $1 you contribute is worth $8.

Please, let me explain. In the midmorning of September 17, 1862, the Union armies were gaining ground at Antietam as a large, Northern force entered the West Woods, near the parcel we are trying to preserve. But a powerful counterattack of some 7,000 Confederates fell upon the Union front, flank, and rear, sending them reeling. And the thousands of casualties suffered here comprised just one hour of that long, terrible day that claimed more than 22,000 soldiers, killed, wounded, captured and missing — making it America’s bloodiest day.

Six Acres of Historic Importance to Us All

If we can purchase this parcel, we can unite a significant portion of the Antietam battlefield we’ve already saved. A 70s style brick home, a garage, and a barn that sully the site will be removed to restore an unobstructed view into the past!

With contributions from federal and state agencies, local organizations, and major donors, we only need to raise $343,837 to secure this land.

After the battle, the soldiers stayed on the field for a day before Confederate forces moved back across the Potomac and into Virginia at Shepherdstown. Part of the Union army pursued and attacked the Confederate rearguard, capturing four guns. The next day, Union forces crossed the Potomac and established a bridgehead as well.

General Lee dispatched General A.P. Hill’s division to counterattack on the very land we hope to save. With fewer casualties than days before, Confederates were able to hold off the Federals and discourage them from further pursuit. Lincoln was so frustrated with General George B. McClellan’s lack of initiative that in November he relieved him of duty and named General Ambrose Burnside the commander of the Army of the Potomac.

Pristine Civil-War Era Land Can Be Saved

Almost miraculously, the 122 acres we hope to purchase at Shepherdstown appears mostly as it did in the battle. It is well-preserved but under constant threat from developers, who are seeking to build a subdivision of McMansions. Digging up and paving over history forever.

While historians and enthusiasts argue to this day about who won the Battle of Antietam or the subsequent fighting at Shepherdstown, Lincoln claimed a strategic victory. On September 22, the President announced the Emancipation Proclamation, and thus changed the course of the war forever and seared the importance of the Maryland Campaign into the American consciousness. 

The Long Game

If you have ever wondered how serious we are in our fight to save, protect, and preserve hallowed ground where battles were fought to establish a nation and, later, to preserve it for posterity, now you know. We have played a long game and will unite as much land where the battles of Antietam and Shepherdstown occurred as we can.

Today, we need your support to pull together the $343,837 necessary to secure these vital 128 acres. Each $1 gift you make will be worth $8 toward the purchase price. 

Will you please help save 128 sacred acres at Antietam and Shepherdstown?

Yours, ‘til the battle is won,

David N. Duncan

President

American Battlefield Trust

Vicksburg Needs Your Voice

The unique landscape around Vicksburg, Miss., is an inextricable part of its Civil War story: sharp bluffs rising up from the Mississippi River made it the Gibraltar of the Confederacy; dramatic topography shaped the siege lines; sandy caves scratched out of hillsides sheltered frightened civilians.

For decades, National Park Service officials have worked to manage geological challenges posed by the loess soil type found in abundance at Vicksburg which is particularly vulnerable to erosion. The same forces that shaped the battlefield’s familiar landscapes can, with time, render them unstable and present issues for visitor safety. Given this prolonged process, much effort has gone into combating erosion, stretching back to the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

Then, in early 2020, catastrophe struck. Spurred by some of the heaviest rainfall the region had seen in decades, erosion washed away hillsides, buckled and shifted roads. Perhaps most tragically, the remains of several Union soldiers in Vicksburg National Cemetery were left exposed. The footage captured in this video demonstrates the scale of this cataclysmic damage.

Unsafe and inaccessible, a full third of the park has been closed to visitors ever since. Not only does this detract from the experience of those looking to explore the historic landscape, but it hamstrings the region’s heritage tourism-based economy, the park being Mississippi’s single most visited attraction.

If urgent action is not taken now to stabilize the landscape, reengineer the roads and reopen key parts of the park, this entire battlefield could be irreparably damaged. As this video demonstrates, rather than simply reapplying asphalt, a systemic approach is required to address the underlying issues and ensure the park’s integrity for generations to come.

Please join the Trust, the National Parks Conservation Association and Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park as we call upon legislators to take the necessary steps to supply the funding needed to complete required studies and begin the daunting task of stabilizing the landscape, reinterring the displaced remains and rehabilitating the landscape.

Vicksburg National Battlefield needs our help to ensure it remains a national treasure for our children and grandchildren to learn from and explore.

Sincerely,

Jim Campi

Chief Policy and Communications Officer

American Battlefield Trust

Let’s keep the Antietam Battlefield intact for future generations.

American Battlefield Trust writes:

For more than 30 years, we have watched while land around the Antietam Battlefield in Washington County, Maryland, and Shepherdstown, West Virginia, was sold off to developers and we have pursued opportunities to get in there and get the land before they could. 

And we have been successful, in large part, thanks to you. As of 2022, we’ve purchased and saved 464 acres at the Antietam Battlefield site and 622 acres at the Shepherdstown Battlefield.

Now, what’s at stake? Pivotal parcels of land at Antietam Battlefield and Shepherdstown — two battles of the Maryland Campaign that dramatically changed the course of the war and shaped the destiny of America.

Your gift today will ensure that this land at Antietam and Shepherdstown is preserved forever. Every $1 you contribute is worth $8.

Please, let me explain. In the midmorning of September 17, 1862, the Union armies were gaining ground at Antietam as a large, Northern force entered the West Woods, near the parcel we are trying to preserve. But a powerful counterattack of some 7,000 Confederates fell upon the Union front, flank, and rear, sending them reeling. And the thousands of casualties suffered here comprised just one hour of that long, terrible day that claimed more than 22,000 soldiers, killed, wounded, captured and missing — making it America’s bloodiest day.

Six Acres of Historic Importance to Us All

If we can purchase this parcel, we can unite a significant portion of the Antietam battlefield we’ve already saved. A 70s style brick home, a garage, and a barn that sully the site will be removed to restore an unobstructed view into the past!

With contributions from federal and state agencies, local organizations, and major donors, we only need to raise $343,837 to secure this land.

After the battle, the soldiers stayed on the field for a day before Confederate forces moved back across the Potomac and into Virginia at Shepherdstown. Part of the Union army pursued and attacked the Confederate rearguard, capturing four guns. The next day, Union forces crossed the Potomac and established a bridgehead as well.

General Lee dispatched General A.P. Hill’s division to counterattack on the very land we hope to save. With fewer casualties than days before, Confederates were able to hold off the Federals and discourage them from further pursuit. Lincoln was so frustrated with General George B. McClellan’s lack of initiative that in November he relieved him of duty and named General Ambrose Burnside the commander of the Army of the Potomac.

Pristine Civil-War Era Land Can Be Saved

Almost miraculously, the 122 acres we hope to purchase at Shepherdstown appears mostly as it did in the battle. It is well-preserved but under constant threat from developers, who are seeking to build a subdivision of McMansions. Digging up and paving over history forever.

While historians and enthusiasts argue to this day about who won the Battle of Antietam or the subsequent fighting at Shepherdstown, Lincoln claimed a strategic victory. On September 22, the President announced the Emancipation Proclamation, and thus changed the course of the war forever and seared the importance of the Maryland Campaign into the American consciousness. 

The Long Game

If you have ever wondered how serious we are in our fight to save, protect, and preserve hallowed ground where battles were fought to establish a nation and, later, to preserve it for posterity, now you know. We have played a long game and will unite as much land where the battles of Antietam and Shepherdstown occurred as we can.

Today, we need your support to pull together the $343,837 necessary to secure these vital 128 acres. Each $1 gift you make will be worth $8 toward the purchase price. 

Will you please help save 128 sacred acres at Antietam and Shepherdstown?

Yours, ‘til the battle is won,
David N. Duncan, President
American Battlefield Trust

137 Acres Saved at Todd's Tavern!

Today I encourage you to raise a glass and join our toast to the preservation of 137 acres at the site of Todd’s Tavern, which sat at the intersection of the Brock and Catharpin Roads — an important road junction connecting the Wilderness to Spotsylvania Court House. You may be asking: Why a toast? Well, it is National Drink Beer Day, and you can bet the establishment that lent its name to the May 15, 1864, battle served its fair share of the malty elixir!

The Trust recognizes that this celebratory news wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the support of the American Battlefield Protection Program, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund and our friends at the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust. Working hand-in-hand with these entities has saved not only this versatile site — but numerous hallowed acres across Virginia.

But it’s all due to YOUR generosity — with you on the side of battlefield preservation, we can charge forward with confidence that significant places like Todd’s Tavern remain a reminder of our country’s powerful, multifaceted past.

General Lafayette, and General Cornwallis too! 

After the 1781 Battle of Guilford Courthouse, British General Charles Cornwallis marched his army to Virginia but was trailed and taunted by a Continental force under General Lafayette. On the way to shield the vital logistical center of Fredericksburg from the British, Lafayette brought his command along the Brock and Catharpin Roads, on the southern and the eastern portion of the property the Trust successfully saved. It was this maneuvering of Lafayette and Cornwallis that ultimately led to Yorktown, where the British famously surrendered. 

Troops at Todd’s Tavern

Following in the footsteps of the legendary Lafayette, Union Generals Ulysses S. Grant and George Gordon Meade rode south along Brock Road on the night of May 7, 1864, skirting the 137-acre tract and stopping briefly at the one-and-a-half story inn known as Todd’s Tavern. A few days later, on May 14, Confederate General Thomas Rosser’s cavalry brigade spent the night at the tavern. The following day, Rosser marched east on Catharpin Road and engaged the 2nd Ohio Cavalry and 23rd USCT. Within this encounter, Union General Philip Sheridan and Confederate General Fitzhugh “Fitz” Lee waged one of the most intense and important cavalry battles of the Overland Campaign. 

While this tavern — a combination residence, tavern, post office and store — was destroyed sometime before 1884, the land alone speaks volumes to its place in American history. Without your help, this pristine acreage could have been lost to a residential subdivision or utility-scale solar farm. I thank you again for making this preservation dream into a reality. 

Sincerely, 

David N. Duncan, President

American Battlefield Trust

P.S. Did you know that there are a handful of beers that carry names inspired by the Civil War? For a background on beer’s presence during the conflict, take a look at this article!

Help Save “Absolutely incomparable” Hallowed Ground

Gaines’ Mill, fought north to south, and Cold Harbor, fought east to west, are among two of General Robert E. Lee’s great victories of the Civil War.

“Absolutely incomparable. No unpreserved battlefield property in North America resonates with higher historical value than this land.” Historian Robert K. Krick  

Now, we’re launching Phase Three of Gaines’ Mill-Cold Harbor Saved Forever Campaign to save 45 acres that we’re calling “The Juncture at Griffin’s Woods” along with 12 additional acres associated with the battles of Glendale, First Deep Bottom, and Malvern Hill. 

This Saved Forever Campaign is one of the largest transactions we have ever taken on, and we have about two years left to raise all the funds we need to complete the Campaign. We are obligated to make timely payments each year or risk defaulting on our agreement. 

At this phase, we’re fighting for TWO tracts of land that span FIVE Civil War battles. This is a uniquely historic preservation opportunity! 

45 Acres at Gaines’ Mill-Cold Harbor 

The terrain of the 45-acre target tract encompasses much of the thick woods that marked the center of the Gaines’ Mill battlefield and abuts National Park Service property. 

This key tract of sacred ground serves as that critical juncture between battlefield land we’ve already saved to the east, west, and north, filling in a gap and completing an uninterrupted and fully protected section of this battlefield. 

Griffin’s Woods is completely unchanged from its wartime appearance. The trees among which a dozen brigades ferociously fought are descendants of the forest that so troubled and confused the combatants on June 27, 1862. Both branches of Boatswain’s Creek still meander through the woods as important landmarks. 

12 Acres at Glendale, First Deep Bottom, and Malvern Hill 

At Glendale, the penultimate Seven Days battle which took place on June 30, 1862, initial Confederate attacks led by General James L. Kemper’s Virginia brigade jumped off from this very ground, supported by a single artillery battery. 

The next day at Malvern Hill, Confederates pivoted to pursue and attack the Federals who had taken a strong defensive position. As much as half of Lee’s army marched over or on the roads immediately bordering this property, as they girded for their doomed advance.  

Then, about two years later, at First Deep Bottom, dismounted Federal cavalry established a line in the Long Bridge Road, the northern border of the tract. The troopers, belonging to General David M. Gregg’s division, were attacked by several brigades of Confederate infantry. With the bulk of the fighting swirling just north of the road, the temporarily defeated Union soldiers rallied and regrouped on the land we are working to save. 

Now today, we can preserve this nearly 12-acre tract of land associated with all three of these battles! When it rains, it pours, right? 

We can’t do it without your support in this fight! 

After more than 25 years — we have the remarkable opportunity to preserve this most-important unprotected hallowed ground in America... a challenge we simply must meet! 

For every $1.00 you give today, you will help preserve two historic tracts of land associated with FIVE Civil War battles! 

It’s so very important that we protect this and other battlefields across our nation before they are lost forever to development. Thank you for your support. 

 ‘Til the battle is won,

David N. Duncan, President
American Battlefield Trust

Gettysburg Day One Battlefield Threatened

Few places are as uniquely American as the Gettysburg Battlefield, where Lincoln’s iconic address proclaimed the nation’s new birth of freedom. But for such treasured landscapes to endure, concerned citizens such as yourself must advocate for their protection.

No community is frozen in time and modern society requires 21st century infrastructure for towns and cities to grow and thrive. The American Battlefield Trust has never been anti-development – but we do encourage thoughtful development that balances respect for the past with plans for the future. Unfortunately, a proposal currently under consideration near Gettysburg would undermine decades of preservation and restoration work.

This September, Cumberland Township officials will rule on a plan to build a 112-unit, multi-story apartment rental complex off Country Club Lane, adjacent to land that the American Battlefield Trust helped protect in 2011. This property saw combat as soldiers fought over control of Willoughby Run and McPherson’s Ridge. Further, the project’s impact in the form of increased traffic, sound and light pollution would spill across many other areas of the July 1 battlefield – the Railroad Cut, McPherson’s Woods, Seminary Ridge and Lee’s Headquarters.

We ask that you consider weighing in on this proposal – regardless of whether you are a local resident, a frequent visitor to Gettysburg, or just care deeply about our history. As we saw just last month, when overwhelming opposition defeated a plan that would have altered height restrictions around the battlefield, your voice matters.

Please take a moment to SPEAK OUT by signing the appropriate letter on our website, urging Township officials to reject this proposal. Together, we can make a difference and prevent hallowed ground from being irreparably lost.

Sincerely,

Jim Campi

Chief Policy and Communications Officer

American Battlefield Trust

If we hesitate, it will be too late

A note from the president of the American battlefield trust

When it comes to saving the hallowed ground that must be saved, like this new battlefield preservation opportunity, we are facing threats we have not seen in a generation or more. We are competing with some of the most well-funded companies in the world, who have a far greater ability to pay than we do.

Construction of data centers, warehouse distribution facilities, and utility-scale solar farms are exploding almost everywhere we work. New high-demand residential subdivisions, apartments and condos are seemingly popping up everywhere — as people flee the cities and seek to work remotely. 

If many of these places are to be saved, it is up to the Trust and supporters like you to do it; if we hesitate, and believe we can wait until the next generations coming up behind us are ready take on this vital work, it will be too late.

That’s why I'm emailing you today, for your help in saving pieces of three battlefields at three separate sites: Chancellorsville in Virginia, Gilgal Church in Georgia, and Corinth in Mississippi.

These three tracts total 52 acres in size and have a combined transaction value of more than $1.6 million — a sizeable amount because they are highly sought-after sites for new development.

The good news is that, thanks to landowner donations plus expected government grants, we need to raise less than 10% of that amount — $160,680 — which means that for every dollar you give today, we will turn it into $10.30 of saved hallowed ground!

Learn more about these threatened 52 acres in Virginia, Georgia and Mississippi and give what you can to help us protect them before it's too late.

With warmest regards,

David N. Duncan, President

American Battlefield Trust

245 Years after Battle, State Historic Site at Bennington Grows by 23 Acres!

The American Battlefield Trust’s most recent success story speaks volumes about the process that goes on behind the scenes in the preservation process. Our acquisition opportunities arise from many places — through long term relationship building with landowners, from tips provided by eagle-eyed members and even out of through encounters Trust staff on their own vacations. In short, that is how the Trust initiated its first-ever project at the Bennington Battlefield — which concluded in the protection of 23 acres of core battlefield land and its successful transfer to New York State.

In 2017, the Trust was truly starting to fire up its efforts to save Revolutionary War battlefields and Kathy Robertson, our director of project management, had her eyes set on the possibilities afoot in New York. So, while vacationing that summer, she arranged to visit the Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site and introduce herself to those charged with operating it. That’s when Robertson met David Pitlyk, historic site assistant at Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site, and Alane Ball Chinian, director of the Saratoga-Capital Region for New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. From that point on, Pitlyk and Chinian knew they could call on Robertson if there was ever a chance for the Trust to lend support at Bennington.

That call came in January 2019, after Pitlyk learned that a 23-acre property within the battlefield’s core had been sold through a tax sale.

The property was unquestionably significant. On August 16, 1777, during the first engagement of the Battle of Bennington, this was part of the area where Crown forces retreated to and surrendered, evidenced by artifacts found on adjacent, state-owned battlefield land. The defeat of General John Burgoyne’s forces here was only the precursor for his disastrous loss at Saratoga two months later, which signaled the growing strength of the American cause.

With a notable impact on the trajectory of the war, Bennington is defined as a “Class A” battlefield in the Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the U.S.

The Trust recognized the historic weight this property carries and the potential that New York State saw in the land. While the owner was at first reluctant to selling, he soon learned the history of the land. Upon an appraisal and following a few offers, a deal was struck in late 2019 — with the promise that the owner would remove the single-family structure on the property.

The Trust officially closed in June of 2020, and although the bulk of the modern buildings were gone, further clean-up remained for the Trust to complete before the land was state-park ready. In June of 2022, the process was completed with the 23-acre tract’s transfer to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, expanding the Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site and opening the door to a world of recreational opportunities.

Protect the Site of the Second Largest Battle Fought in North Carolina

When Union Gen. John M. Schofield ordered Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox to move his XXIII Corps to Goldsboro in February 1865, he was blocked by Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg just east of Kinston, North Carolina. Despite an initial Confederate success, Union reinforcements — arriving March 9 — were able to repulse Confederate troops forcing Bragg to withdraw. The four-day long struggle is the second-largest battle ever fought in North Carolina and engaged over 20,500 troops.

Now, hallowed ground at the Wyse Fork Battlefield — just outside the city of Kinston — is facing a threat that would perpetually destroy the site. The proposed highway interchange would sit at the heart of the battlefield, causing significant and irreparable damage to the historic site, hindering interpretation efforts, and impeding future preservation attempts.

A map of the proposed highway interchange at Wyse Fork Battlefield. Click to enlarge. 

Join us in signing our letter of opposition against this horrendous threat to one of our nation’s most important Civil War conflicts.

Sincerely,
Jim Campi
Chief Policy and Communications Officer
American Battlefield Trust

P.S. Signing this letter to protect Wyse Fork Battlefield may seem like a small action on your part, but we know that it has an impact. Last month, after thousands of preservationists spoke out through the Trust and its partners, local officials near Gettysburg UNANIMOUSLY rejected a proposed zoning amendment with long-term consequences for the battlefield. Your voice matters!

No. Not now ... not ever ... not for any amount of money. Period.

From the American Battlefield Trust:

Many of our nation’s still-unprotected hallowed grounds are facing an alarming new generation of aggressive threats. Big-tech companies with billions to spend are racing to build huge warehouse-style data centers and distribution facilities in places where young men fought and died for country and for freedom.

We receive solicitations asking if we’ll sell the lands we’ve purchased and protected! Can you believe their gall?

My response to any developer who might write to me to try to convince me that I should give up and let them destroy our history:

No. Not now ... not ever ... not for any amount of money ... and I’m backed up by an army of nearly 45,000 Americans who stand with me and will do whatever it takes to preserve irreplaceable history!

Click here to see the solicitations that come across my desk.

But I can’t promise other landowners will do the same. Not with all-cash offers — many coming in well above appraised value — pouring in almost every day! If we want to protect battlefield lands from unrelenting developers, we must act immediately ... and I need your help!

Right now, we have the opportunity to purchase and permanently protect 52 acres of prime Virginia Civil War battlefield land: in Manassas, Reams Station, and Cumberland Church (Farmville). 

The total transaction value is just over a million dollars, but if we can raise just $145,000 in the next 30 days, we can multiply your impact by $7- to-$1. With your help, we’ll purchase all three parcels, and keep them out of the hands of developers forever!

We cannot let the opportunity to preserve these 52 acres of prime Virginia Civil War battlefield land pass us by. Please join us in helping to preserve battlefield land at Manassas, Reams Station and Cumberland Church by making a gift today.

Thank you for everything you do to support battlefield preservation.

'Til the battle is won,
David Duncan, President
American Battlefield Trust

29 Acres Saved at Cold Harbor Tavern!

We all know of Independence Hall or the U.S. Capitol building as structures with a defining role in our American story. The emotions and actions tied to these landmarks cement their place in our minds. But we also often apply this way of thinking to the battlefields we seek to preserve! On these lands, we remember the daring charges made, the striking way in which artillery was positioned, the flank attacks launched, the heartbreaking losses experienced, the deeds that went above and beyond the call of duty and so much more.

Chances are, most Americans haven’t heard of the “Old Cold Harbor Tavern” — a building that, despite burning down in the early 1900s, maintained a myriad of Civil War memories due to its position in the southeastern corner of the intersection of the Gaines’ Mill and Cold Harbor Battlefields. It was such a prominent local landmark that it even gave its name to the 1864 battle that unfolded on the surrounding landscape!  

Now, thanks to your enduring passion for protecting the past, the American Battlefield Trust is proud to announce a preservation victory on the 29-acre property that once housed this bustling tavern. But Trust donors were not alone in recognizing the historic significance of the site and entities including the HTR Foundation, the National Park Service and the Commonwealth of Virginia all stepped forward to support our efforts to preserve these crucial acres, right next to 50 acres you saved from becoming a sportsplex in 2019!

Here’s a quick overview of what the Cold Harbor Tavern witnessed: 

• In late May 1862, Union Gen. George McClellan made his headquarters at the tavern, likely working from tents set up within the tavern yards.
  

• A month later, in late June 1862, Confederate forces had taken control of the crossroads. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson also made camp at the tavern and remained in the vicinity for the duration of the fighting that took place in the area. On the night of June 27, 1862 — following Confederate victory at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill — Jackson and Confederate cavalry chief Gen. J.E.B. Stuart reportedly slept beneath a tree in the tavern’s yard.
  

• From May 31–June 12, 1864, combat raged across the tavern’s surrounding acres in the Battle of Cold Harbor, with the climax of battle sweeping over this exact 29-acre tract! Gen. James B. Ricketts, who earned a medal for meritorious service during Cold Harbor, also made the tavern his headquarters at least once over the course of the battle.
  

• In the days following the Union defeat at Cold Harbor, Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock oversaw the progress of the 2nd Corps from a spot near the tavern, a 6th Corps physician set up a field hospital “among the trees in the yard” and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant himself stopped at the site on June 3 while surveying the state of his troops.

But you don’t need to imagine what this area would have looked like as these events unfolded. Thanks to this virtual animation full of details vetted by our expert historians, you can see the Cold Harbor Tavern “brought back to life”! OR place the tavern in your own environment with augmented reality filters available on Instagram or Snapchat. 

And while this announcement is a long time coming, we deliver it with more good news: we’ve torn down the dilapidated, semi-modern structure that blemished this acreage. I’m happy to share that I got the first swing at it!

This is a reminder that “victory” doesn’t always mean our work is done! At times, it’s just the beginning of enacting a new vision for a property. 

I continue to be amazed by the dedication you deliver to this cause time and time again, allowing us to make a tangible impact on these hallowed grounds. Thus, my gratitude will never cease!  

‘Til the Battle Is Won,
David N. Duncan
President
American Battlefield Trust

Celebrating 35 Years of Preservation at ABT

On the evening of July 18, 1987, about 30 people gathered in the banquet room of Arbuckle’s Restaurant on Sophia Street in downtown Fredericksburg, Va. They came together through a shared interest in the plight of Civil War battlefields in the face of expanding urban development and the near-complete loss of battlefields like Salem Church and Chantilly. They felt it was important to take concrete steps to save those sites that remained, and to do so they believed the time had come to establish a nonprofit organization that would actively pursue these goals through the outright purchase of those landscapes.

By the time the salad, stuffed chicken and rice pilaf, dessert and drinks (cost of the dinner: $10 per person, including tax and tip) was cleared away, they had, by unanimous consent, named themselves the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites.  In that first membership meeting, the very nature of battlefield preservation changed forever. Today, exactly 35 years later, we should all be proud to be a part of that continuing legacy.

From the meeting minutes, we know that from Day 1, this organization had five main goals — all of which we continue to live by today.

1. Become a recognized force for preservation of Civil War sites. 

A goal we clearly exceeded, responding to a clear need and the urging of the National Park Service to expand our scope into other conflicts and evolve into today’s American Battlefield Trust. Our current footprint would have been unimaginable to that early group – 350,000 members and supporters, 11 million website visitors and 22 million video views annually.

2. Raise money to achieve the organization’s ends. 

Not only do generous members donate directly to our work, but we have mastered mechanisms to unlock matching grant funds that multiply their gifts manifold. The fair market value of the 1,273 acres we protected in 2021 topped $33 million, but we were able to create a 20.6-to-1 leverage factor on private donations.

3. Buy or otherwise protect military sites associated with the Civil War. 

In 35 years, we have permanently protected more than 55,000 acres of hallowed ground at 150 separate sites across three wars and are on the verge of completing work in our 25th state. Nobody at that first meeting dared dream so big!

4. Establish solid liaison with other historical groups to further the organization’s goals. 

Working in partnership with a variety of national, regional and local preservation groups (some of whom we helped establish) has become a hallmark of our success.  In addition to being our partners, these organizations facilitate our advocacy efforts and even participate in fundraising projects. 

5. Eventually support a small professional staff.

Our staff has grown as we have expanded our reach and mission to include outstanding and award-winning education initiatives, but the Trust remains incredibly lean. More than 80 percent of the money we raise goes directly toward land acquisition and education programs, a ratio that earns us the highest ratings for efficiency by independent evaluators of nonprofit organizations.  

Today, I hope you’ll join me in thanking everyone who attended that first membership meeting, but particularly the eight men who served on its first Steering Committee: Dennis E. Frye, Gary W. Gallagher, A. Wilson Greene, Robert K. Krick, Donald C. Pfanz and Edward T. Wenzel, who remain part of our community, plus John P. Ackerly III and Brian C. Pohanka, whose memory we honor. Without their vision and — more importantly, their conviction to take positive action — all that we have achieved together would have been impossible.

We are also keenly aware that the threat of lost battlefield land is higher now than ever before. Our founders could have never imagined the futuristic threats of data centers and industrial-scale solar farms, in addition to the growth in residential and commercial development in formerly rural areas. We must remain vigilant and focused on continuing the legacy that was created 35 years ago.

May the future bring our mission an equal measure of success!

David N. Duncan
President
American Battlefield Trust

P.S. You can read more about the origins of the modern battlefield preservation movement on our website. Take a look here.

Antietam, Harpers Ferry, and Fredericksburg—three iconic battlefields need your support!

From the American Battlefield Trust…

A visit to an American battlefield is a sacred one. You approach it with the respect, honor, and reverence it deserves because you know that lives were lost here and a nation forever changed on this hallowed ground. 

Imagine then, emerging from a stand of trees or looking into the distance, and seeing an out of place building on the verge of collapse. Is it historic? Integral to the stories of the men who fought there? NO. It is a reminder that if American Battlefield Trust, with your support, had not saved this land, it would have been a forgotten page in our history.

With the 160th anniversary of these major battles this year, it’s time to take the next step in our preservation efforts and finish the job we committed to doing and restore three battlefield sites to their authentic war-time appearance. 

Will you join us in these next steps to preserve and protect hallowed ground forever?

When we purchased each of these properties, we promised to restore them within 3-5 years. We now have until the end of the year to accomplish these tasks:

• Battle of Fredericksburg Restoration—we have 5 modern houses to tear down and remove, clearing the way for an unrestricted view of this historic battlefield much like it looked in 1862. Removing the buildings will make it easier to reach the famous Meade Marker—a stone pyramid 23 feet high and 30 feet square marking the location where Union General Meade penetrated Stonewall Jackson’s lines in December 1862. Estimated cost: $125,000.
  
  

• Battle of Harpers Ferry Restoration—Preserved property located on Bolivar Heights was an important thoroughfare for Union forces and a Confederate military target. An unused real estate office, auto repair shop, and former gas station mar the landscape where Union forces delayed Confederate forces in their attempt to lay claim to the site. These need to be torn down and debris removed. Estimated cost: $90,000
  
  

• The Battle of Antietam Restoration—In full sight of the Antietam Visitor Center is a deteriorating, postwar home and outbuildings. We need to restore the land to its authentic appearance where it was fought over, marched on, and fired over on the bloodiest day in our history. Estimated cost: $25,000

Preservation does not end with the purchase of an historic property. It is just the beginning. When you support American Battlefield Trust, you make a promise to preserve and protect land where battles were fought and ensure that they are restored to their authentic appearance—for all to enjoy. 

These crucial restoration projects are not huge in scope, but we need to complete them by the end of the year. We need $240,000 to do so. 

Your gift today is a promise to not only save historic land from development, but to continue to be a steward of each site and fulfill a promise to protect and preserve it for future generations.

Please donate today so we can begin these projects in earnest.

Thank you. ‘Til the battle is won,

David N. Duncan, President

American Battlefield Trust

P.S. If you want to make a contribution to our Battlefield Restoration Fund online, please do so. The sooner we raise the needed dollars, the sooner we can put them to work, restoring these hallowed landscapes at places like Antietam, Harpers Ferry, and Fredericksburg. Thank you again!

Slaughter Pen Farm is Saved Forever!

From Civil War Trust/American Battlefield Trust:

There are a handful of preservation projects that I would categorize as organization defining, and the $12-million effort to protect the Slaughter Pen Farm at Fredericksburg tops the list. Today, at long last, it is a singular honor to declare victory on this 16-year fundraising campaign! 

No, you’re not dreaming: After 16 long years of asking for your help to pay off the largest and most complex private battlefield preservation effort in the nation’s history, the American Battlefield Trust owns the 208-acre site deemed by historian Frank O’Reilly as “the very heart and soul” of the Fredericksburg Battlefield free and clear. Thanks to your outpouring of support and the generosity of an anonymous major donor, we made the final payment on our loan in May, two years early.

Although the Battle of Fredericksburg is most famous for the doomed Union assault on Marye’s Heights, the fight was won and lost further south, as troops in blue and gray struggled across an undulating farm field and toward the slopes of Prospect Hill. The intense fighting on the south end of the Fredericksburg battlefield produced some 9,000 casualties, many of whom fell on a piece of ground dubbed "the Slaughter Pen" by soldiers and locals alike.

Over the years, the Trust was able to successfully discourage inappropriate development proposals targeting the site until, in early 2006, 208 acres of farmland were put up for sale on the open real estate market, advertised as the “prime light industrial development site in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” They carried an alarming purchase price of $12 million. But with a history as rich as this, we couldn’t let the lofty price tag scare us away, nor could we bow to a seller adverse to preservationists. 

It was time to be bold and get creative. The tale of how we secured and ultimately paid for this land is dramatic and unexpected, involving preservation-friendly housing developers actively working on our behalf, a groundswell of dynamic local activism and bankers willing to offer remarkably generous financing terms. Truly, the story occupies an entire chapter of Fighting the Second Civil War, the book that tells the history of the modern battlefield preservation movement.

Plenty of people thought we were in over our heads! Closing occurred in June 2006, and we proceeded to use all available resources to pay off the loan — from federal matching funds via the American Battlefield Protection Program to a noteworthy contribution from the Commonwealth to the sale of Virginia tax credits to a remarkable $1 million pledge from our friends at the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust. We even took advantage of the ups and downs in the economy to refinance our loan, saving us several percentage points — and tens of thousands of dollars in interest.

But the key to our success has always been you! Nearly half of the $12 million raised for Slaughter Pen Farm was through private funds, with many donors expressing their passion and generosity in the form of recurring gifts that chipped away at the loan. Tens of thousands of individual donors contributed to this project and I am thankful to each and every one.

Manassas National Battlefield Park Considered Threatened By Proposed Data Center

From National Parks Traveler - By Kurt Repanshek - May 11th, 2022

Manassas National Battlefield Park is considered one of Virginia's most endangered historic sites by Preservation Virginia/Kurt Repanshek file

A proposal to build a sprawling digital data center next to Manassas National Battlefield Park has landed the park on the 2022 list of Virginia's "Most Endangered Historic Places."

The listing by Preservation Virgina was spurred by a decision by local county officials to rezone land next to the Civil War battlefield for a "mega data center" complex that would impact the historic landscape just outside the park boundary.

"Locating data centers within technology corridors and away from culturally sensitive areas would convey how local governments value and support the preservation of their irreplaceable historic resources," the organization said in its annual list of endangered sites.

The digital data center planned to go in next to Manassas would cover more than 2,000 acres. Filmmaker Ken Burns has called the proposal the "single greatest threat to Manassas National Battlefield Park in nearly three decades."

The First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) was fought near Manassas, Virginia, on July 21, 1861. The Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas) was fought over nearly the same ground during August 28-30, 1862. 

Back in 2008, Professor Emeritus Robert Janiskee wrote in the National Parks Traveler that concerns were growing over threats development posed to the battlefield.

The two battles commemorated at the 5,100-acre park, both Confederate victories, were fought less than 30 miles southwest of our nation’s capital in an area of northern Virginia that has experienced tremendous economic growth over the past few decades. Fast-growing Prince William and Fairfax counties are now so heavily developed that green space and large trees have become comparatively scarce in many areas. Locals fear that few mature trees will be left unless development is checked and strict tree protection ordinances are enforced. Another concern at Manassas and other Civil War battlefield parks is encroaching development that obscures historic sightlines. ... Some battlefield parks, such as Fredericksburg and & Spotsylvania National Military Park, are almost completely surrounded by development and exist as historic islands in a modern milieu. In such cases, historic sightlines extend only as far as the park boundary.

In reviewing the current proposal, Justin Patton, the Prince William County archaeologist, wrote that the project would "have a high potential to adversely affect cultural resources in the following forms: indirect effects such as Audio, and Visual; and direct effects in the destruction of the resource. Transportation improvements necessary to implement land use and zoning changes, will likely have an indirect and direct effects on our history as well."

In discussing her group's list of endangered historic sites, Preservation Virginia CEO Elizabeth S. Kostelny said the list "reflects the resilience of the Commonwealth's many historic places that have persisted for generations in support of their communities. The dedication of organizations, local governments, and individuals currently working to preserve these places reflects the very nature of the historic preservation movement- the ability to adapt to challenges and retain relevance in an ever-changing world."

The Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Places program has a track record of success. This past year, previously listed sites including Rassawek, historic capital of the Monacan Indian Nation, River Farm, headquarters of the American Horticultural Society, and the Warm Springs Bathhouses, the oldest spa site in the United States, were saved from insensitive development and neglect. Since the program began, more than 50 percent of sites listed have been saved, 10 percent were lost, and the remaining 40 percent are still being monitored.

Help Save 48 acres at Cedar Creek and Cedar Mountain

Combined, these 48 acres of hallowed ground at Cedar Creek and Cedar Mountain in Virginia have a transaction value of $939,153 — nearly $1 million. Thanks to a combination of state and federal grants and major gifts, each $1 you give will be multiplied by a factor of $29!  

The first tract of this preservation opportunity consists of 3 acres at Cedar Creek, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the site of the savage, bloody battle that Confederate and Federal troops both won and lost in the same day. Both sides saw victory and defeat within the same battle. It’s also one of the most threatened battlefields in America.

The second tract is 45 acres at Cedar Mountain, in the Virginia piedmont, where Confederate General Stonewall Jackson rode into the heart of the battle to rally his faltering troops ... and when his rusted saber refused to come out of the scabbard, Jackson wielded it, scabbard and all, to turn the tide of battle.

This land is also targeted by both residential and utility-scale solar developers — just imagine this piece of history lost forever, buried under modern, close-set, single-family houses or baking beneath endless rows of solar panels! 

Please help the American Battlefield Trust do that with your most generous gift right away. Remember, each $1 you give will be matched and will have the impact of an incredible $29 multiplier. 

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Help Preserve 311 Acres Where Four Prominent Generals Fought

Unprotected battlefield land all across America has never been more threatened, it has never been more expensive, and the competition to buy it has never been more intense. We need your help today!

  Already this year, we have tremendous opportunities that simply cannot wait: four tracts of land available for purchase totaling 311 acres with a $13-to-$1 matching gift opportunity. We need to raise $206,207 to secure the land, and we need to do it within the next two months.

  Three of the four tracts will be “first acre” purchases, meaning that neither the Trust nor any other organization has had an opportunity to save hallowed ground on these sites… until now.

  We invite you to support the land preservation where four Civil War generals honed their battlefield experience… suffering victories and losses… returning to battle again and again… and securing their place in Civil War history.

Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle of Belmont (1861)

With just a little more than one acre available for purchase, it will be the first preservation acre saved where the Battle of Belmont was fought. It’s here in Belmont, Missouri, that General Grant got the combat and large-unit command experience that he would use later in the war.

William T. Sherman and the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou (1862)

In the opening engagement of the Vicksburg Campaign, General Sherman disembarked his soldiers at Johnson’s Plantation to oppose Confederate forces. In the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, General Sherman launched repeated attempts to outflank Confederate defenses, only to suffer eight times the losses of the Confederates and fail at the Union’s first attempt to capture Vicksburg.

  We are hoping to save three acres in Mississippi where the battle was fought—the first preservation effort on this property.

John Hunt Morgan and the Battle of Buffington Island (1863)

At the site of one of only two Civil War battles fought in Ohio, we hope to secure a 17-acre tract threatened by large-scale residential development near the battlefield and adjacent state memorial park. Here, Confederate General Morgan hoped to retreat from Ohio but was outgunned by 3,000 Union artillery, infantry, and cavalry, accompanied by U.S. Navy gunboats.

  Securing this property for preservation will be a first, and we hope to acquire the land and transfer it to the Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation.

J.E.B. Stuart and the Battle of Upperville (1863)

The last parcel of land—191 acres of nearly pristine land very much like it was in 1983—was where the Battle of Upperville was fought. This broad open land was ideal for close-action cavalry fighting between Confederal General Stuart and Union General Pleasonton.

  We have the opportunity to save four tracts of sacred ground on four separate battlefields—three of them “first acres” in the preservation battle with developers. Valued at $2,694,207, we can secure this land for just $206,207 — but only with your help!

Will you answer the call to protect and preserve 311 acres of hallowed ground—irreplaceable lands that breathed life into the legends of four great generals?

Til the battle is won,

David N. Duncan
President, American Battlefield Trust

P.S. Your gift today will be worth 13 times its value thanks to the generosity of landowners, our partners, and special friends of the Trust. Help us preserve these 311 acres before it’s too late. Donate today!

Saving Todd's Tavern with Central Virginia Battlefield Trust

Help Us Save 141 Acres of Todd's Tavern

Dear Preservation Partner,

Battlefield preservation usually works best with cooperative endeavors and efforts resulting in win-win situations. Today, I’m writing to you with a special opportunity to join a collaboration to save core battlefield land at Todd’s Tavern.

In early 2021, the owner of the Todd’s Tavern tract reached out about preserving the land. It was important to the family to save the land from being developed, and to remain so in order to help tell the history of our unique American story. For years both the CVBT and ABT have had our eyes on this important property, but the owners were not yet willing to sell, until now. The American Battlefield Trust took the lead and asked us here at the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, if we could work with them to save Todd’s Tavern forever.

A ramshackle tavern sat at the intersection of the Brock and Catharpin Roads, an important road junction connecting the Wilderness to the county seat of Spotsylvania County, Spotsylvania Court House. The tavern carried the name of Charles Todd, who died about 1850. The Todd family had sold the property to Flavius Josephus Ballard about 1845. The tavern was no longer operating as a business in May 1864, and the buildings were deteriorating rapidly. But for the fact that a significant cavalry battle was about to rage there, there was little of interest about this unremarkable place. However, the arrival of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac put this otherwise ordinary tavern on the radar screen of history.

The Battle of the Wilderness began on May 4, 1864, when Maj. Gen. George G. Meade’s 122,000-man Army of the Potomac blundered into Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in Saunders Field in the Wilderness adjacent to the Chancellorsville battlefield of a year earlier. The battle, fought primarily on May 5 and 6, was a bloody slugging match that ended largely as a draw. Lee believed that Grant would continue moving toward Richmond and shifted his army southward toward Spotsylvania Court House to block him.

Lee gave his cavalry chief, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, the task of delaying the Union advance. Grant instructed Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, commander of the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps, to cut the route that the Confederates would take to Spotsylvania and to seize and hold the crossroads at Todd’s Tavern. The opposing cavalry forces clashed at Todd’s Tavern at about 4:00 p.m. on May 7 and fought a severe engagement until after dark, when the Confederates retired. The battle resumed the next morning, with heavy losses on both sides and with the Confederate horsemen being slowly shoved back upon Spotsylvania. They were about to abandon the crossroads when the first elements of Lee’s infantry arrived, using a bridge that Sheridan had ordered his cavalry to destroy, ending the battle. The Confederates won the race to Spotsylvania Court House as a result.

The Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, in partnership with the American Battlefield Trust, has a unique opportunity to save nearly the entirety of the Todd’s Tavern battlefield, which remains largely pristine. At stake is a 141-acre tract of land that was the site of the tavern, and which saw the bulk of the cavalry battle. The CVBT has agreed to raise $15,000 and join our resources to the grants and fundraising already in place.

I hope you’ll examine the map that I’ve enclosed, and I’m sure you’ll agree this is a unique opportunity. Let’s make sure the land can be preserved forever to tell the story of the fighting at Todd’s Tavern.

With your generous support, I am confident that Central Virginia Battlefields Trust will quickly rally and raise our portion of the amount to help close on this tract of hallowed ground. We need to raise $15,000 to fulfill this commitment, making the difference between “history saved forever” or land lost to continued development.

Sincerely,

Tom Van Winkle

CVBT President

Help Preserve 245 Acres at Williamsburg

Civil War Trust write of this incredible opportunity…

We have an amazing opportunity to save the 245-acre property that includes the James Custis Farm, part of the 1862 Battle of Williamsburg — making this the second-largest private-sector transaction in the history of the battlefield preservation movement!

Back in 2006, the Trust saved the Slaughter Pen Farm at Fredericksburg for an astounding $12 million — but to do so, we carried millions of dollars in debt for more than a decade, which we’re close to paying off. The difference today is that with Williamsburg, our debt will be $0! 

This is possible thanks to an historic confluence of opportunities: 

1. The American Battlefield Protection Program, our federal partner, awarded the largest-ever grant in its history to the Trust — $4.6 million — because they recognize the significance of this land and the threat of losing it to residential or commercial development;

2. The Department of Defense awarded a grant to the Trust because the land we seek to preserve is adjacent to a Navy base and will help secure a buffer zone of safety around it;

3. The Commonwealth of Virginia awarded two grants to save this property in recognition of both its historical and environmental importance.

All told, these grants and other commitments to the Trust total over $9 million, making this a $163-to-$1 match of your donation dollars and enabling us to secure the largest number of acres ever preserved at the Battle of Williamsburg. Nearly a decade of hard work has gone into bringing this deal together.

The History

The Battle of Williamsburg, the first pitched battle of the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, was fought in almost unceasing rain, turning roads into streams of mud, and rivers and creeks into bottomless swamps.  

Union forces, led by McClellan’s second-in-command, Edwin V. Sumner, and aided by General Winfield Scott Hancock, attacked Confederates as General Joseph E. Johnston withdrew his southern army from their Yorktown defenses to Richmond.  

The opposing forces met near Williamsburg, the old historic Virginia capital and college town, where 14 redoubts (or field forts as they were sometimes called), constructed across the Virginia peninsula bolstered the city’s defenses.  

The James Custis Farm witnessed some of the most desperate fighting during the battle. The farm made up part of the left flank of a three-mile-long Confederate line defined by the 14 redoubts. A significant and important part of the history of this land are the redoubts that were built by African American slaves and their role in fighting for their freedom. 

“This land desperately needs to be preserved because it tells a largely neglected story in American history. Namely, the role that African Americans played in winning their own freedom during the Civil War, even before they were allowed to serve in the United States Army.” - Dr. Glenn Brasher, historian, University of Alabama 

Redoubt 11 and a second similar earthwork, Redoubt 12, were the focus of a bold effort to outflank the Confederate defenses of Williamsburg on May 5, led by General Hancock, and accompanied by none other than Lieutenant George A. Custer, a “volunteer aide” of Hancock’s, who kept notes about the battle. 

The morning before, two enslaved individuals told Hancock that the Confederates left Redoubts 11 and 12 completely unoccupied. Hancock and five regiments moved cautiously, cutting their way through woods, to cross a mill dam and occupy both redoubts. From Redoubt 11, Hancock’s artillery began shelling the Confederate’s flank and rear. 

Hancock knew a sharp attack could turn the Confederate line and capture Fort Magruder. His superiors promised reinforcements for the task but, instead, he received orders to fall back. Dumbstruck, Hancock sent couriers back to confirm this puzzling order. 

Finally, at 5:10 p.m., as he was about to begin his withdrawal, Hancock saw enemy reinforcements arriving. Soon, regiments from Virginia and North Carolina, under the command of Confederate generals Jubal Early and D. H. Hill, launched a ferocious, gallant, and, ultimately, doomed charge against the Union line. 

According to Glenn Tucker, author of the notable biography Hancock The Superb: “Custer observed Hancock as the enemy advanced. He rode along the line saying, ‘Aim low, men. Aim low. Do not be in a hurry to fire until they come nearer.’ … When the action was joined, [Hancock] galloped along the line, his hat off, indifferent to the hail of bullets.” 

In the face of fierce Federal fire, the Confederates’ assault stalled. Sensing this, Hancock ordered a counterattack. 

What began as an organized Confederate retreat turned into a rout. Early’s men suffered some 500 casualties, while Federal losses numbered about 130. The wounded languished in the Custis barns, which served as field hospitals. The dead were buried in the field where they fell meaning that this ground is truly sacred for those who fought there. 

General Hancock’s effort became legendary. His determined stand at the two redoubts, along with his brilliant counterattack, earned him the sobriquet “Hancock the Superb.” In the end, both sides claimed victory with the casualties numbering 1,703 for the South and 2,239 for the North. 

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