Deep in the heart of the Chickamauga Battlefield, the forest appears as it most likely did during the Civil War/American Battlefield Trust
Battlefields in Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia are protecting a combined 238 acres through the National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program.
Grants totaling $2.2 million are being used to purchase the acreage in the states, according to a Park Service release.
State and local governments spearhead projects funded by ABPP grants to protect significant battlefield landscapes that are vital to the shared history of their communities and the nation. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to help strengthen conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation, makes these awards possible.
During the Civil War, the mountainous terrain of southern Tennessee and northern Georgia was a landscape of concern for both armies of the North and the South as they competed for access to supplies, reliable communication, as well as control of the rail hub and iron works of Chattanooga. Nestled in the mountains of Georgia, Chickamauga Battlefield’s legacy is one of bravery and courage. Farmers, merchants and other regular folk comprised the troops that fought valiantly in the name of patriotism. Nearly 160 years later, the preservation of these lands honors their lives and sacrifice. The property preserved today remains wooded as it was during the Civil War. The conservation easement will ensure the land will remain hallowed and honored by the bravery and commitment to patriotism shown by those who fought.
The awards are to:
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, $172,133.16 for preservation of 4.08 acres at Chickamauga Battlefield in Catoosa County, Georgia.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, $367,926.00 for preservation of 94.5 acres at Brice’s Cross Roads Battlefield in Prentiss County, Mississippi.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, $231,805.00 for preservation of 1.5 acres at Chickasaw Bayou Battlefield in Warren County, Mississippi.
North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, $257,605.00 for preservation of 86.36 acres at Wyse Fork Battlefield in Jones and Lenoir Counties, North Carolina.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, $429,372.50 for preservation of 7.36 acres at Cedar Mountain Battlefield in Culpeper County, Virginia.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, $605,750 for preservation of 41 acres at Malvern Hill Battlefield in Henrico County, Virginia.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, $153,464.87 for preservation of 3 acres at Reams Station Battlefield in Dinwiddie County, Virginia.
