In May 1999, I was fortunate enough to visit several Civil War sites in Virginia for the first time including the Wilderness Battlefield. I had been aware of the urban sprawl and rapid growth was infringing on the ground our ancestors struggled for over 135 years ago, but I did not fathom the impact of the devastation until I saw it first hand. As we passed thru the Fredericksburg area heading towards the Wilderness on a very busy Interstate 95, I noticed a monument out of the corner of my eye. I quickly turned and looked and was able to see that the monument was in honor of a regiment in General John Sedgwick’s 6th Corp in which my Vermont ancestors served. The monument seemed very out of place as it literally sits on a tiny patch of green scant feet away from the interstate on one side and strip malls and parking lots on the other three sides. Before my initial shock subsided, we drove past Salem Church, again a tiny patch of green surrounded by modern "progress". The impact began to hit me as I realized that this hallowed ground is now a sea of concrete and steel.
Later that day I stood beside the busy Brock/Plank intersection where the Vermonters made their desperate stand in the Wilderness. I waited for several minutes to take a photograph with no cars in the intersection. The commuters whizzed by and several looked at me like I was crazy. They seemed to not know or care that the land they drove over was paved with blood from many a boy wearing both blue and gray.
Although the Hallowed ground at Salem Church is destroyed forever much of the land where the battle of the Wilderness was fought has been preserved. There are thousands of acres of land where historic battles were fought that are in danger of being developed. Several preservation groups are fighting to keep these lands from forever being lost, but all of our help is needed.
Later that year, I had the honor of hearing Mr. Dennis Fry, a founding member of the APCWS speak at a fund raising event here in Vermont. In his very moving talk, Mr. Fry spoke of the "connection" one feels to the past when one walks the Hallowed grounds of historic sites, and the importance of honoring our ancestors, and that history teaches us and shapes our future. Please help honor the memory of all of our ancestors and do what you can to help us all keep our "connection" to the past and future.
For more on Battlefield Preservation please Visit one of the sites below
The Civil War Preservation Trust WWW.Civilwar.org
Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield www.fowb.org
Eighteenth Vermont Regiment Inc. Volunteers for Historic Preservation www.18thvt.com
Friends of the National Parks At Gettysburg www.friendsofgettysburg.org/