News Release
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News Release Date: April 29, 2019
Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov
WASHINGTON – The National Park Service today announced a $155,675 grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program to help protect 3.8 acres of America’s battlefields in Virginia threatened with damage or destruction by urban and suburban development. This grant will be used to acquire a portion of the Chancellorsville Battlefield, a significant Civil War Battlefield.
“Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants allow for the permanent protection of lands associated with historic battles in our country’s history,” National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith said. “The grants enable communities to partner with public, private, and non-profit organizations to preserve and provide access to meaningful places that connect us to our past.”
On April 30, 1863, Union Commander Major General Joseph Hooker crossed the Rappahannock River, placing most of his Army of the Potomac on Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s vulnerable flank. Lee responded by attacking Hooker while he was still within the thick forest known as the Wilderness. Lee successfully defended four separate attacks on his front, rear, and flank in the face of superior numbers. On May 3, 1863, Confederate forces drove Hooker’s army back to the Rappahannock River where Union forces re-crossed three days later.
The American Battlefield Protection Program’s Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant program provides up to 50% in matching funds for state and local governments to acquire and preserve threatened Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War Battlefield land through the purchase of land in fee simple and permanent, protective interests in land. Eligible battlefields are listed in the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission’s 1993 “Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields” and the 2007 “Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States.”
For more information about program, including these grants, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/2287/index.htm.
|
State |
Grantee |
Amount |
|---|---|---|
|
Virginia |
Virginia Department of Conversation and Recreation |
$155,675.00 |
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube @nationalparkservice. #FindYourPark
Last updated: April 30, 2019