Battlefield Battles

The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) unveiled its annual report on the country’s 10 most threatened Civil War sites in February. Actor Ben Stein, an avid battlefield preservationist, joined CWPT president James Lighthizer to announce the 2006 list. For more information on threats to these sites, see <www.civilwar.org>.

• Gettysburg, Pa.: Developers want to build a gaming facility a mile from East Cavalry Field.

• Shenandoah Valley Of Virginia: The proposed widening of Interstate 81 threatens Cedar Creek, site of a series of skirmishes, as well as 10 other battlefields in this valley.

• Glorieta Pass, NM: State Route 50 runs through the heart of this site, closing much of it to visitors.

• Chattahoochee River Line, Ga.: Suburban development has devastated this chain of Civil War skirmish sites stretching along the northern banks of Georgia’s Chattahoochee River.

• Circle Forts, Washington, DC: CWPT wants better protection for this ring of forts built to defend the Union capital.

• Fort Morgan, Ala.: This Confederate fort, which once withstood 18 days of Union bombardment, has fallen into disrepair

• Glendale, Va.: Housing developments threaten all but 262 acres of this 7,888-acre battlefield (also known as Frayser’s Farm).

• New Orleans Forts, La.: Last year, Hurricane Katrina severely damaged these two Confederate forts that once guarded Southern trade routes.

• Raymond, Miss.: Only 65 acres of this thousand-acre battlefield, situated near Jackson, are protected against development along State Highway 18.

• Wilderness, Va.: This once-rural area is suburbanizing itself, threatening unprotected parts of the battlefield.

From the June 2006 issue of Family Tree Magazine.