LAST WEEK, Congress approved a
The Civil War Preservation Trust, just one of the groups fighting to rescue battlefields threatened by development, says it has saved over 28,000 acres in 20 states. Our own Central Virginia Battlefield Trust has preserved almost 900 acres. Their efforts, and others like them, have saved much more than land--they have preserved history and, in doing so, have honored the sacrifice of all who fought in that terrible struggle.
But much remains to be done. Preservationists assert that 30 acres of battlefield are lost each day. With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War hard upon us, this is the time to focus our efforts (and our dollars) toward keeping important battlefield land from the bulldozers.
Sen. Jim Webb was on the front lines of the effort to get the $9 million commitment in the Interior bill. Now it will be up to state and local governments and preservation groups to find the matching funds. When a battlefield is lost, it's lost for good. We have much to learn from the Civil War, and much yet to contemplate. There's no better place than a grassy field, ground hallowed by the sacrifice of those who fought there, to start that process.