I first became interested in Civil War battlefield preservation when I met Clark B. “Bud” Hall in 1989 when he came to speak to our local Civil War Roundtable here in Columbus, Ohio. In the early 1990’s, I began working on researching the life and career of Brig. Gen. John Buford, the gifted Union cavalry commander. In 1994, I made my first visit to the Brandy Station battlefield in Culpeper County, Va., with Bud as our guide. In those days, the battlefield was still completely in private hands, but it remained in jeopardy of being developed. By the end of that visit, I was committed to doing what I could to promote the preservation of Civil War battlefields. At that time, I had no idea that Bud had been one of the three founders of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, (“APCWS”) that has morphed into the American Battlefield Trust over the years. Bud became, and remains, not just a great friend, but a mentor.
My other mentor, the late Brian C. Pohanka, was the second of three founders of the APCWS. Brian left us too soon, but we often discussed battlefield preservation. Brian was the first one to mention the Central Virginia
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Battlefields Trust (“CVBT”) to me. He told me about the newly formed local advocacy group based in Spotsylvania County, that was dedicated to preserving battlefield land located in the central part of Virginia. He told me about the work being done by Dr. Mike Stevens of Fredericksburg, who was leading the charge.
Along the way, I became deeply involved in the preservation and interpretation of the great cavalry battlefield at Trevilian Station in Louisa County, Va. I knew about the local preservation advocacy group, the Trevilian Station Battlefield Foundation, that was working with the Civil War Preservation Trust, how the APCWS became known once it merged with the Civil War Trust, to preserve about 2,000 acres at Trevilian Station. This was core first day’s battle land on the battlefield owned by a logging company. It had been logged and replanted with pine trees, but it remained largely undisturbed. The local group had little in the way of resources, but with the help of the CWPT, it found a way to do the deal.
Since that time, I’ve been heavily involved in identifying additional parcels to purchase at Trevilian Station, and in helping raise money for doing so. I’ve also worked on the preservation of the Brandy Station battlefield, and with the miserably unsuccessful fight to try to preserve the Buffington Island battlefield here in Ohio. There was no interest in saving the battlefield among the ranks of the Ohio state government here. I recall one meeting with the policy advisor for then governor-elect Bob Taft, who told me that jobs were much more important than preserving the battlefield and that Taft would not help. We lost that fight, and the heart of the battlefield was turned into a hideous sand and gravel mine, forever destroyed. That was a cautionary tale, and it led to my becoming completely committed to the cause of battlefield preservation.
I am a native Pennsylvanian, and I went to college in Carlisle, roughly thirty miles from Gettysburg. As a result, Gettysburg has always been my first love when it comes to the Civil War. However, in the mid- 1990’s, I began developing an interest in the Chancellorsville Campaign. Before long, it became my second-favorite battlefield, and I began studying it in detail. Along the way, I decided to tackle a book project on the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps during the first six months of 1863, a critical period in its development. Beside the infamous Stoneman Raid of May 1863, it includes detailed tactical studies of some actions that occurred at Chancellorsville itself, including the charge of the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry late in the afternoon of May 2, 1863. I also have done a fair amount of work on cavalry actions that opened the Battle of the Wilderness and the brutal slugging match at Todd’s Tavern on May 7, 1864.
All these things made me keenly aware of the work of the CVBT in preserving the battlefields in and around Spotsylvania County. There is no other location with more significant battlefield land than Spotsylvania County, Virginia: the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House all occurred there, along with other lesser known actions that are nevertheless significant. When he passed away, my friend Brian Pohanka made a gift to the CVBT of $1 million. The CVBT purchased a significant portion of the at Chancellorsville battlefield known as the McLaws Quarter that was jeopardized. It purchased the location of Grant’s headquarters at the Wilderness. All these sites fall within the aegis of the CVBT, which has evolved into one of the premier local preservation advocacy groups. It is worthy of support.
In 2018, I was invited to lead a tour of the Trevilian Station battlefield for the annual conference of the CVBT. As I worked with CVBT staff to develop and plan the tour, the more I realized that here was an opportunity for me to make an impact. The board of the CVBT primarily consisted of dedicated local volunteers and Robert Lee Hodge, who lives in Nashville, but is committed to the work of the CVBT. I saw an opportunity to lend my historian’s name and expertise and make a difference in these local preservation efforts, so I volunteered to join the CVBT board. The board, led by President Tom Van Winkle, accepted my offer, and I joined in May 2018.
Board meetings are held at the CVBT’s offices in Fredericksburg on weeknights; I live in Columbus, Ohio, so it’s not really possible for me to attend meetings in person. Rob Hodge and I typically attend remotely, and I am able to attend most meetings. I view membership on the board and participating in the work of the CVBT as one of the great honors of my life.
The CVBT is making a real difference. Our preservation work has saved critical parcels of pristine battlefield land, most recently, the Myers Hill parcel on the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield. There is always more land to be saved; it is an endless fight that only succeeds because of the efforts of hard-working volunteers, some dedicated professional staffers, and the generosity of the citizens who open their hearts and their wallets to fund the acquisition of battlefield land. The threats to battlefield land never seem to end.
The problem, of course, is that there are constant pleas for donations for all varieties of non-profit organizations, including the American Battlefield Trust, the CVBT’s frequent partner in completing land acquisitions. We understand that most people have limited resources available for making donations and that there are other worthy causes out there chasing the same donation dollars. We appreciate all the support that we receive, and we hope that you will continue to support our efforts to preserve battlefield land.
160 pages of the best selection of historical reenactment items from Medieval era to Civil War era. Includes over 60 pages on our famous tents and a 4-color section.
Sixty Civil War-era reenactors brought Old Bedford Village, in south-central Pennsylvania, to life on the weekend of August 30-Sept. 1, 2019, in an effort to raise money for the living history museum.
Old Bedford Village was created in 1974 to create job opportunities in an area, suffering from unemployment of up to 20% at the time. It was hoped that the museum would highlight, and preserve, Bedford’s rich history by bringing together many historic structures built during the 1700–1899 time period. The first such structure moved onto the site (a largely-abandoned farming area once occupied by a Monongahela village) was the 1844 Claycomb Covered Bridge. The old bridge now serves as the main entrance to the village, and helps visitors get into the time period immediately upon arrival. Today, Old Bedford Village is home “to over 40 authentic and reproduction buildings, including a church, tavern, jail, blacksmith shop, gun shop, general store, post office, bakery, and log houses. These buildings house exhibits and artisans who demonstrate crafts such as spinning, blacksmithing, candle making, tinsmithing, tole painting, and broom making” (Source: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/ loc.afc.afc-legacies.200002937/).
Financing issues face Old Bedford Village with increasing urgency, as is the case with most historic sites throughout the country. The museum runs entirely on admission fees and receives no government support. An additional financial burden was caused by a fire that destroyed the Gardner Memorial Theater in 2018. The theater had been the home of the Bedford County Players; their performances had been a source of funds for the museum.
The museum hosts several reenactments each year, including a Civil War reenactment and a Wild West weekend event. However, the museum still struggles to make ends meet. Learning of this, several reenactors stepped forward to create an event with the express purpose of raising funds for the village. This was the impetus that led to the increasingly successful Labor Day weekend Civil War-era event in Old Bedford Village each year.
All the staff who helped out with logistics and organization was unpaid volunteers. There were 60 participants, all of whom paid a registration fee to cover the cost of running the event, with the excess funds donated to the museum. Spectator attendance this year was 350, compared with an average attendance of about 150 on previous Labor Day weekends that did not feature this event. In addition to peopling the village, reenactors included two groups of musicians who brought the sounds of the 1860s to the village. The Camp Chase Fife & Drum Corps, led by Brian Steffey, marched through the village periodically, charming the visitors and participants alike, as well as providing the “soundtrack” for the military contingent on site. The 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Band, led by John Connors, presented an authentic marching brass band experience to the visiting public. All-in-all, the weekend was a resounding success, according to organizer Janet Smith, and plans are already underway for next year’s event. Information about next year’s event can be found at: Brian Steffey, of Pittsburg, Penn., Matthew Nester, of Sewickley, Penn., Daniel Wilson, of Damascus, Md., and Shane Anderton, of Jeannette, Penn.