Tag: The Civil War Trust

Volunteers Sought for Spring Cleanup at 125 Historic Sites

The Civil War Trust is recruiting volunteers for its annual spring cleaning at battlefields and historic sites.

This year’s National Park Day is scheduled for April 2 at 125 historic sites in 29 states. Last year, nearly 8,000 volunteers stepped up to paint, bag trash, rake and build trails.

For their labors, volunteers receive Park Day T-shirts and have the opportunity to hear from local historians.

Besides Civil War battlefields, the trust has expanded the spring clean-up to more Revolutionary War and War of 1812 sites.

Volunteers are being sought for Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland, Petersburg National Battlefield in Virginia and Droop Mountain Battlefield in West Virginia, among 100-plus more sites.

To volunteer or find a battlefield in your state, go to: http://www.civilwar.org/aboutus/events/park-day/

Trust Acquires Section of Shepherdstown Battlefield

The Civil War Trust has acquired another section of a Civil War battlefield in Shepherdstown.

Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association president Edward Dunleavy says the 2.72-acre tract is contiguous to a core area of the battlefield.

Dunleavy tells The Journal that his group contributed $6,500 toward the trust’s $202,000 acquisition.

The National Park Service has said it wants to expand Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland to include about 500 acres of the Shepherdstown battlefield, which is about 5 miles from Antietam.

The Battle of Shepherdstown was fought Sept. 19-20, 1862. It began two days after the Union victory at Antietam, when federal troops crossed the Potomac River to capture Southern artillery pieces.

The Civil War Trust’s website shows the group has preserved more than 300 acres of the battlefield.

Conservation Groups Partner to Preserve Harpers Ferry Land

Two conservation groups are joining forces to preserve battlefield land at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
 

The Civil War Trust and the National Parks Conservation Association said the public-private partnership will protect nearly four acres at the site.
 
     Officials say the land played a significant role in in the September 1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry, which resulted in the largest surrender of Union troops during the Civil War.
 
     The purchase was financed by federal funds, a major gift from an anonymous donor and a number of smaller private donations.
 
     The Bank of Charles Town also agreed to sell much of the land to the Civil War Trust for eventual transfer to the National Park Service.
 
     More than 250,000 visitors travel to Harpers Ferry annually.

Exit mobile version