Proposed development near the gateway to the Wilderness Battlefield would disrupt the natural scenic vistas of nearby battlefield land not far from the congressionally designated boundary of the Military Park.
and commercial development, the largest in the history of Orange County, Virginia, have preservationists up in arms. Proposed development near the gateway to the Wilder-
ness Battlefield would disrupt the natural scenic vistas of nearby battlefield land not far from the congressionally designated boundary of the Military Park. Among the planned developments that have triggered
a lawsuit: 5,000 residential units, 200,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial development, and 732 acres of dis- tribution warehouses and data centers. Preservationists are working tirelessly to block the development. Antietam, Maryland — The American Battlefield Trust
recently completed arrangements to purchase and preserve 11 acres of privately owned land fully contained within the Antietam Battlefield Park. It reports the land was “at the center of the surging
attacks and counterattacks that defined the deadliest day in American history” — over 22,700 were killed or wounded. The land was privately held ever since, and the trust plans to trans- fer its ownership to the National Park Service. “Because it’s pri-
Little Round Top
vate ownership,” Dun- can said, “the owner
The tide of the war
assault catches the Confederate masses by surprise. Chamberlain’s men execute a perfect wheel maneuver and rout the stunned enemy.
has turned and within 48 hours, Lee and his decimated forces begin their long march back South, ultimately sealing their fate. A few months later,
President Abraham Lincoln will visit the battlefield to deliver his Gettysburg Address, vowing: “that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation,
could have sold that land if zoning allowed someone who wanted to come in and build what we affectionately call ‘McMansions.’” In September 2023, the trust also announced that a fun-
draising campaign had enabled it to purchase another 150 acres of Maryland land, including a farm where Confeder- ate soldiers were known to have been buried following the Antietam engagement, which drove them back across the Potomac River into Virginia. So, who will ultimately win the battle to preserve the
hallowed ground of America’s pivotal battlefields? Duncan suggests that’s ultimately up to “we the people.” “Our larger purpose is to inspire appreciation for Amer-
ica’s history and the promise of liberty that was secured for all of us on these battlefields where our country was created and defined,” he says. “If you believe as I do,” he adds, “that this country is
the greatest country that has ever existed, that it’s been the greatest force for good for the greatest number of people in the history of the world, then you probably want to know how that happened. “In large measure, it happened because of what occurred
on these battlefields. If you care about our country’s his- tory, if you care about your children and grandchildren knowing how we became the country that we are, then boy, we sure could use your help to save some of these places!”
under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, for the people, by the people shall not perish from the earth.” Chamberlain would
receive the Medal of Honor and become the Republican governor of his home state of Maine.
When oficials initially
discovered the etchings in Little Round Tops boulders, they feared the
damage was irreparable. Through painstaking effort, preservationists were able to ultimately return the hallowed site to its original condition, and a suspect was arrested. Still, the vandalism at Little
Round Top served as a grim reminder that U.S. monuments nationwide are vulnerable not only to developers, but also to vandals who hate what they represent. — D.P.
DECEMBER 2024 | NEWSMAX 41
LITTLE ROUND TOP/NPS PHOTO / REENACTORS/STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES / MAP COURTESY PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL
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