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Feature-length DVD project will tell Fredericksburg's Civil War history, guide visitors to area, raise money to preserve battlefields
By CLINT SCHEMMER Local videographers are about to wrap up an ambitious documentary about the event for which this area is arguably best known--the Battle of Fredericksburg. A six-man team of Fredericksburg-area residents will unveil their 21/2-hour, two-DVD set, the result of more than a year's intensive labor, this fall at the University of Mary Washington's Jepson Alumni Center. But those who've seen the edited footage are impressed by the accuracy, professionalism and narrative power of the "Civil War Fredericksburg--Then and Now" production. "This video is a wonderful--and unusual--expression of grass-roots support for preservation," John Hennessy, chief historian of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, said yesterday. "Most people write letters, yell loudly or wave their arms, but the Fredericksburg Civil War Round Table has elevated public advocacy for preservation to a cinematic art." The DVD is a joint undertaking of the Fredericksburg CWRT, one of America's oldest round tables, and the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust. Proceeds from it will go directly toward preserving battlefield land in the area; CVBT has helped save more than 800 acres to date. "With all the loss of hallowed ground in our area, CVBT hopes this video sparks awareness of the importance of acting act now to save our history," trust spokesman Thomas Van Winkle said. A second portion of the proceeds will be donated to UMW's Department of Historic Preservation. "The Round Table's project is well-conceived and very nicely executed," Fredericksburg tourism director Karen Hedelt said yesterday. "I like that it presents information in a less-traditional format, and that we'll have it ready to go as we approach the Civil War sesquicentennial." The documentary, with five half-hour segments, is designed to be used by educators, visitors to the area, and the nation's Civil War round tables--private discussion groups that hold regular programs on leaders, battles and issues of America's bloodiest conflict. Each segment would make an ideal program or the basis for a classroom lesson, one building upon the next, said associate producer Bill Huber.
Date published: 6/20/2009
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