Augusta 2011: A Year of Milestones

/PRNewswire/ - History, golf, Southern hospitality, and James Brown are center stage in 2011 - a year of milestones for Augusta, GA with the 75th Masters Tournament, the Civil War Sesquicentennial, the fifth anniversary of James Brown's passing, and the 150th anniversary of the historic Summerville neighborhood. www.augustaga.org

Although the Masters Tournament celebrated its 75th tournament in April, visitors to the city can continue to experience the golf connection. At the Augusta Museum of History, "Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf," explores how golf has evolved over the centuries and features memorabilia and famous personalities www.augustamuseum.org Golfers who want to walk in the legends' footsteps can play on affordable courses - Forest Hills Golf Club, The Club at Jones Creek and The River Course.

2011 begins the nation's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and many of Augusta's landmarks have close ties to the era. The Confederate Powderworks Chimney, the last remaining piece of the only factory built by the Confederate Army, is a part of The Augusta Canal National Heritage Area which offers guided tours on replica Petersburg boats. www.augustacanal.com The Augusta Museum of History also features Civil War relics such as the CSA Second National Flag and a 12-pound bronze Napoleon Cannon tube manufactured at the Augusta foundry. The Boyhood Home of Woodrow Wilson focuses on the life of the 28th President, who witnessed the destruction that war caused as his father's church across the street was turned into a hospital. Today, the national historic landmark and museum offers a glimpse of Wilson's life during that time. www.wilsonboyhoodhome.org

James Brown called Augusta his home and his presence is still felt. A one-of-a-kind exhibit at the Augusta Museum of History features rare memorabilia and personal artifacts that vividly tell the story of The Godfather of Soul's life. Also, standing in downtown Augusta is a life-size bronze of Brown where visitors can take photos.

Celebrating its150th year, the Summerville neighborhood features Augusta's most architecturally distinctive homes. Every October, the neighborhood opens its homes with the annual Tour of Homes. A tour stop includes The Partridge Inn, which celebrated a centennial in 2010.

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Battle Rages in Georgia as History Goes Live

/PRNewswire/ -- Guns will fire, horses will charge, flags will wave, and men will "die" on May 20 – 22 as fighting ensues in a dramatic reenactment of the 1864 Battle of Resaca in Gordon County, GA. Authentically clad soldiers will converge on the original conflict site to commemorate the 147th anniversary of a turning point in the Civil War, the first major battle in General William Sherman's March to the Sea and the eventual burning of Atlanta. The reenactment is one of few to occur on an original battle site. The public is invited to witness history recreated.

The Battle of Resaca Reenactment will occur on the 480-acre Chitwood Farm, which was recently protected as part of the full 650-acre battlefield site. In 2008, when owners of the site had financial difficulties, The Trust for Public Land bought the land. Two months ago, TPL sold to Gordon County an easement, which forever protects the land from development.

There was fierce fighting at the original Battle of Resaca, including the awarding of two Medals of Honor for capturing Confederate guns.

Primary scenes from the original battle will be recreated when the bugler sounds the charge at 2 p.m. each day. Other battle-related activities will take place during the three-day commemoration. Visit http://www.georgiadivision.org/bor_reenactment.html for directions and more information.

TPL's conservation of the Chitwood Farm in time for the 150th Civil War anniversary in 2014, allows for continuation of plans that will include educational activities for area students, Civil War tours about Sherman's March on Atlanta, and the annual Resaca Battle Reenactment.

The Trust for Public Land is a non-profit organization and depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve their land for people mission. For more information, visit www.tpl.org.

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National Archives at Atlanta Presents Day-Long Civil War Program April 16, 2011

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Archives at Atlanta will present The Civil War: America's Long Struggle on April 16, 2011, at its Morrow, GA, facility, located at 5780 Jonesboro Road. The program, which costs $20.00, including lunch, is open to the public, pre-registration required.

This day-long program commemorating the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, features lectures from leading Civil War scholars and archivists, an exhibition of original 19th century newspapers chronicling the African-American experience, and an opportunity for attendees to learn more about their own Civil War heirlooms.

"The symposium will attract Civil War historians, as well as members of the general public whose lives were forever impacted by this great conflict," said Jim McSweeney, Regional Administrator, National Archives at Atlanta.

"It's one thing to hear about the Civil War in a lecture or read about it in books. It's another to dig through your attic and find your family's place in the greater narrative."

Speakers include:

* David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States
* Trevor Plante, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
* Shane Bell, National Archives at Atlanta
* Daniel Stowell, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
* Eric Leonard, Andersonville National Historic Site
* Kenneth Noe, author of Reluctant Rebels and Auburn University professor


Slavery and Freedom in Black and White: The African American Experience in 19th Century Newspapers, an exhibition of original newspapers, features articles on African American history, including editions of Harper's Weekly, The Globe, The Liberator, and Savannah Daily Herald, drawn from the private collection of Christine Mitchell. The exhibit will remain on display through September 2011.

One hundred registrants will have the opportunity to display their Civil War artifacts and heirlooms and learn more about the significance of the objects from experts in an afternoon program entitled "Civil War Treasures in Your Nation's Attic." Georgia Public Broadcasting will film some of these objects for a program by the same name to air on a future date. This portion of the program is sponsored by the Foundation for the National Archives, Scott Antique Markets, the National Archives at Atlanta, and Georgia Public Broadcasting. Objects must be pre-approved. See the registration form for more details.

Registration begins today and is $20 per person, which includes a catered lunch. For more program information and to register, go to www.archives.gov/southeast.

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Georgia Tourism Division Launches GACivilWar.org

The Tourism Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) launched the state’s official Civil War website Ocotber 21 in commemoration of the upcoming Sesquicentennial. The event took place at a book signing for Crossroads of Conflict: A Guide to Civil War Sites in Georgia at the Gordon Lee Mansion in Chickamauga.

“We created this site so that it serves as an online portal for communities and Civil War organizations in Georgia to promote their Civil War commemoration activities and events on one comprehensive site,” said Kevin Langston, Deputy Commissioner for Tourism for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “GaCivilWar.org will make it easier for visitors to plan their vacation by having access to all of our Civil War sites, stories and commemoration events.”

GaCivilWar.org is one of the state’s key marketing initiatives encouraging locals and visitors to explore and experience all facets of Georgia’s Civil War history. Features of the site include an interactive map of museums, battlefields, landmarks, historic homes and other significant locations; calendar of events; a timeline of events that took place in Georgia between 1861 and 1865; a news section; links to educational resources and related Civil War sites, and more. The second phase of the site will include Civil War driving trails; stories and written observations from Georgians during the Civil War; a multimedia section for video and images and more.

The state also developed a guide book, Crossroads of Conflict, a driving map and recently introduced an official sesquicentennial logo. The Sesquicentennial anniversary is expected to generate a significant increase in heritage travelers to Georgia. According to the U.S. Travel Association, heritage travelers encompass 78% of all leisure travelers. In 2009, heritage travel had an economic impact of $192.3 billion in the United States.

The Georgia Tourism division is partnering with the Georgia Civil War Commission, Georgia Humanities Council, Georgia Historical Society, the Tri-State Civil War 150th Association, and many other entities in Georgia to maximize exposure and increase the number of heritage travelers during this five-year commemoration and beyond.

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Exhibit of Newly Discovered Civil War Artifacts Now Open at Georgia Southern University Museum

Artifacts uncovered earlier this year at Camp Lawton, the site of the Civil War’s largest prisoner camp, is now on display at the Georgia Southern University Museum.

The artifacts, which include many priceless and unique finds, were discovered by a Georgia Southern University archaeology team excavating at Magnolia Springs State Park in Millen, Ga. The team, led by University anthropology professor Sue Moore, Ph.D. and graduate student Kevin Chapman, was working to locate the stockade wall that surrounded Camp Lawton during the Civil War. In addition to locating parts of the wall, the team uncovered numerous personal artifacts left behind by soldiers who were imprisoned there or were stationed there as part of the Confederate Army.  News of the discovery made headlines around the world when it was announced in August.

The artifacts, which include a tobacco pipe, tourniquet buckle, and photo frame, are very personal in nature. Researchers believe many of the artifacts may have been left behind when Union prisoners of war were awakened in the middle of the night by Confederate soldiers as the camp was evacuated in advance of Sherman’s approaching army during his “March to the Sea.” Researchers were stunned by the numerous finds at the Camp Lawton site, because artifacts from most Civil War prison camps have been lost due to farming, development and looting.

In addition to the artifacts, museum displays will also educate visitors on the harsh realities of life at Camp Lawton, including a display that shows the meager amount of food allotted to each person at the camp.

The exhibit will be on display during regular Georgia Southern University Museum hours until May 1, 2011. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. The museum is closed Monday and on University holidays. Museum admission is $2 per person. Georgia Southern students with a valid I.D., museum members, and children under 3 years of age are admitted free of charge.

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African-American Soldiers Honored By New Historical Marker

Historical Marker Dedication honoring African-American Soldiers in Combat
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 10:30 a.m.  
Fort Hill School, 104 Fort Hill Terrace, downtown Dalton, GA
No Charge

The dedication ceremony will take place outdoors at the marker site, steps away from Fort Hill School building.
 

The Georgia Historical Society, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Battlefields Association, will unveil a new historical marker to recognize African-American soldiers in combat during the Civil War. The dedication ceremony will take place Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. on the grounds of Fort Hill School in downtown Dalton, GA.

The keynote address will be delivered by Ambassador Andrew Young, founder and co-Chairman of GoodWorks International and former U.S. Congressman and mayor of Atlanta.

The event will feature the Blue Ridge Elementary School Chorus and historical interpretation projects by Fort Hill School students. The reception following will be hosted by the Dalton High School Culinary Arts Program.

This event is part of a statewide commemoration of the upcoming Civil War 150 anniversary event in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Battlefields Association. GHS is conducting a program across the state to unveil new and recently replaced historical markers that explore the stories of Georgia's Civil War history as lived and experienced by all of its people during those tumultuous and transformative years. The marker text is as following:
African-American Soldiers in Combat

Near Dalton on August 15, 1864, during the Civil War, the 14th United States Colored Troops (USCT), whose enlisted men were mostly former slaves, helped drive off a Confederate cavalry attack on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, U.S. General William T. Sherman's main supply line during the Atlanta Campaign.  Later, on October 13, 1864, the 44th USCT was in a fort protecting the railroad through Dalton when the garrison commander surrendered to Confederate General John B. Hood.  In accordance with Confederate policy, many of the 600 captured black troops were returned to slavery.  Black troops rarely saw combat in Georgia, though nearly 200,000 African Americans served in the U.S. armed forces during the war. 

Erected for the Civil War 150 commemoration by the Georgia Historical Society, the Georgia Battlefields Association and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.



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Georgia Southern University Archaeology Students Uncover Priceless Civil War Artifacts

Georgia Southern University archaeology students have uncovered numerous priceless and unique Civil War artifacts at the site of a Confederate prison camp in Millen, Ga.

"This is truly a stunning find with historical implications that will be studied for decades," said Georgia Southern University Archaeology Professor Sue Moore, Ph.D. "While we knew we were searching in the immediate vicinity of the site of the Civil War’s largest prison camp, we were amazed by some of the artifacts that were uncovered and at their condition. These pieces tell the story like nothing else can of what life was like for the thousands of prisoners and soldiers who lived here at the close of the war."

The artifacts—including a makeshift smoking pipe, bullets turned into gaming pieces, a tourniquet buckle, jewelry, eating utensils, and coins—were found at Magnolia Springs State Park in Millen, Ga. The area was the site of Camp Lawton, which at the close of the Civil War was believed to be the largest prison camp in the world. The state park was established in the 1930’s, after the exact boundaries of the prison camp were no longer known. The widely accepted view by many archaeologists was that there were no significant or personal Civil War artifacts to be found at the site.

Georgia Southern University archaeology graduate students began conducting research there in the fall of 2009 at the request of Georgia Department of Natural Resources Director Chris Clark. Clark, an alumnus of Georgia Southern University, hoped the team could pinpoint the location of the stockade walls that originally surrounded the prison. If the team was successful, Clark eventually planned to reconstruct the walls to bring additional tourists to the park. However, no one believed the land still contained much else in the way of Civil War artifacts.

"Many Civil War sites have been stripped by a century and a half of farming and development," said Georgia Southern University graduate student Kevin Chapman, who is heading the project and discovered the first artifacts. "Now we have unearthed numerous items that haven’t been touched in 150 years. We never believed that we would find anything of this magnitude."

Camp Lawton was constructed in 1864 by the Confederate Army to replace Georgia’s notorious Andersonville prison. Camp Lawton housed more than ten-thousand Union prisoners, and hundreds of Confederate soldiers. But, the camp was only occupied for six weeks before evacuations began in the middle of the night on November 26, 1864 as the Union army approached during Sherman’s March to the Sea. Chapman believes that hasty exit may be the reason so many artifacts remained on the site.

"What we’ve found were treasures of the prisoners who were kept here," Chapman explained. "They would have hidden these things from the Confederate guards. When they were roused in the middle of the night to begin the move out, there may not have been time to retrieve them. Also, records tell us anywhere from 750 to 1,200 men died at Camp Lawton over the course of six weeks. Some of these items may be things the soldiers hid away and were never found between their death and the time of the evacuation."

Under an agreement with the federal government, the portion of the land in Magnolia Springs State Park where the artifacts were found was recently transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This area is now enclosed by a fence and is under 24 hour video surveillance and manned security to prevent looting of the site. Anyone caught looting in the area is subject to prosecution, with penalties that could include prison time and hefty fines. Georgia Southern University students will continue their scientific research and excavations in an effort to study the area as thoroughly as possible.

"This is sacred ground," said Moore. "Hundreds of men died here and what they, and the other prisoners, left behind belong to the public and future generations. When these artifacts are excavated and preserved in the correct, scientific way they give us a detailed picture of the people who lived and died at Camp Lawton. We are dedicated to preserving these pieces so everyone can have an up close look at these secrets that have been buried for more than a century."

The artifacts will be on exhibit at the Georgia Southern University Museum beginning October 10, 2010. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the custodian of the artifacts, which belong to the American people. For more information about Georgia Southern’s discovery at Camp Lawton, please visit www.georgiasouthern.edu/camplawton.



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Waitin' for the Clock to Strike 1

It's almost time for the great revealing of the archaelogical artifacts of Camp Lawton!  While we wait for the final few minutes, here's a great site by Georgia Southern University on the dig and the history of Camp Lawton in Jenkins County, GA.

http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/camplawton/index.php/home

If you want to see the artifacts in person, Georgia Southern University in Statesboro has announced they will be on exhibition starting Sunday, October 10, at 2pm at the Georgia Southern University Museum.

We'll be there!!! How 'bout you?

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Camp Lawton Open House August 18

Editor's Note:  Camp Lawton was built in 1864 on 42 acres, thus making it the largest Civil War Confederate Prison.  The goal was to relieve some of the overcrowding of the infamous Andersonville Prison.  Close to the Augusta Railroad some 40 miles south with a good source of water, it was believed the camp could hold up to 40,000 men.  This was not to be as Sherman came through the area in November 1864, and the prisoners were evacuated.  


News of important discoveries made by the Georgia DNR and Georgia Southern University have been swirling around for a number of months.  We can't wait to see and hear the great archaelogical finds and artifacts! 


The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Southern University will hold a public open house at Group Shelter 2 at Magnolia Springs State Park from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, August 18.

The community is invited to learn about recent archaeological discoveries connected to Camp Lawton, a Civil War Confederate prison camp, which was once located across the grounds of Bo Ginn National Fish Hatchery and Magnolia Springs State Park.

Representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Georgia Southern University will be on hand to discuss the discoveries and answer questions.

The event is free and open to the public.

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Just a Hop, Skip Away to See Georgia's Newest Civil War Battlefield

Editor's Note:  Yes, we know.  There are no new Civil War Battlefields in Georgia or anywhere else in the United States as the Civil War did end some 145 years ago.  What we do have, though, is a new National Park Service Designation for a battlefield in neighboring Henry County.


The Nash Farm Battlefield has long been known to have played a pivotal part in Sherman's efforts to change his strategy in the Atlanta campaign.  The history of the Nash Farm Battlefield has been well documented.  To learn more about the events at Nash's Farm and the surrounding battles before the fall of Jonesboro in Clayton Co, we invite you to read more at: http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/index.html


Below is the information released by the Henry County Commissioners on the recent designation by the National Park Service for the Nash Farm Battlefield.  Congrats on a job well done!

National Park Service Designates Nash Farm Battlefield as Core Battlefield Site


The National Park Service (NPS) has designated Nash Farm Battlefield as one of 384 core battlefields in the Civil War.  This is the highest validation a battlefield can receive, and the designation was given upon the completion of the comprehensive Update to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields published in June 2010.

In the report, the American Battlefield Preservation Program (ABPP) completely redrew the 1993 boundaries for the Battle of Lovejoy’s Station to provide a more accurate and complete picture of the Federal approach from the northeast toward Lovejoy’s Station, and the Confederate response along the Macon and Western Railroad.  Based on recent archaeological studies by both the LAMAR Institute and the Georgia DOT/Southeastern Archaeological Services team, the core battlefield area was expanded to the east to include fighting at Nash Farm and the rearguard action at Walnut Creek, both in Henry County.*

Dr. David Evans, renowned historian and author of “Sherman’s Horsemen”, called the battle at Nash Farm on August 20, 1864, during which more than 4,500 Union soldiers drew their sabers and violently broke through Confederate lines, “the most desperate, most dramatic cavalry charge of America’s Civil War,” adding that “the stirring events that culminated on this hotly contested field helped shape the course of history.  The fight at Nash Farm convinced Union General William T. Sherman his cavalry could not or would not work hard enough to disable a railroad properly.”

According to Evans, General Sherman then set his entire army in motion in a last-ditch effort to cut the two railroads that fed and supplied the Confederate army defending Atlanta.  Sherman’s shift in strategy, and a two day battle at Jonesboro, ultimately forced the city to surrender.

“It is no exaggeration to say the fight at Nash Farm changed the way the Atlanta Campaign was fought, and that pivotal struggle helped decide the outcome of a war that redefined America’s destiny,” explained Evans in a written statement.  “Hurrah for Henry County for preserving this historic and hallowed piece of ground!”

The National Park Service conducted its study of Nash Farm Battlefield for this update in March 2008.  NPS officials with the American Battlefield Protection Program visited the site, and met with multiple historical organizations, archaeologists, historians, and others to compile and corroborate the information about what took place there.  As a result of the study, the core battlefield map was expanded to incorporate both the Nash Farm and Walnut Creek battlefields.  Because 204 acres of the core battlefield area has now been preserved by Henry County, the Battle of Lovejoy’s Station was given a Tier 2 designation as one of eight important battlefields in Georgia that are in “relatively good condition” and “present some of the best possibilities for Civil War landscape preservation in Georgia.”   The Nash Farm Battlefield is the only segment of the fractured 1,179.98 acre Lovejoy Station core battlefield area that is preserved.  Additionally, a 75-acre segment across Jonesboro Road from the Nash Farm Battlefield site has been designated  by the National Park Service as one of the top 15 most endangered battlefield sites in the United States.

As part of the study, Ed Bearss, Official Historian of the National Park Service, Andy Phrydas with the National Archives Military Records, Heather Mustone, Georgia DOT Archaeologist, Jim Lightizer with the Civil War Preservation Trust, Steve Longcrier with the Civil War Heritage Trails, John Culpepper with the Georgia Civil War Commission, and many other prominent officials visited Nash Farm and praised the battlefield’s preservation.

“You’ve got a treasure here,” confirmed John Culpepper with the Georgia Civil War Commission.  “Decisions were made and events occurred that shaped the United States as we are today, right here in your own back yard.  With all the battlefields we’re losing today due to development, you’ve done a great job preserving this.  It puts you on the radar screen for the world.”  Created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1993, the Georgia Civil War Commission exists to “coordinate planning, preservation, and promotion of structures, buildings, sites and battlefields associated  with this significant period of our common heritage.”*

As a result of this designation, Nash Farm Battlefield is one of the 27 battlefields in Georgia now eligible for a listing in the National Register of Historic Places.  Such a listing would make the park and battlefield eligible for grant funding to assist with preservation efforts.  The next step is to submit an application, which is already in progress.

For more information about Nash Farm battlefield and the battles and activity that took place there, please visit www.henrycountybattlefield.com.

*Update to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields:  State of Georgia; U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program; June 2010.

Source: http://www.co.henry.ga.us/NewsArticle.aspx?AID=607&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HenryCountyGeorgia+(Henry+County%2C+Georgia+-+Government+News)



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National Museum of the Marine Corps: New Year, New Galleries

(BUSINESS WIRE)--With more than 1.6 million visitors to date, the National Museum of the Marine Corps looks ahead to an exciting year to include the opening of three new galleries. Scheduled for June 2010, the Museum will open three additional large-scale galleries with exhibits interpreting the legendary founding of the Corps in 1775, the Civil War, the U.S. global trade expansion in the 19th century and World War I. The new exhibits will include an additional immersive experience, for which the Museum has become world renowned. Visitors will enter a stretch of forest in western France amidst the Battle of Belleau Wood, encountering a German machine gun nest. With the smell of cordite in the air and the sound of bullets whistling above their heads, visitors will experience the charge of Marines across a wheat field, just as it happened on June 6, 1918. The official opening of these new exhibits coincides with the 92nd anniversary of the historic Battle of Belleau Wood.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is also preparing for one of the largest gatherings of living Iwo Jima veterans and their families to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. The Museum will host a commemoration ceremony and banquet Feb. 19 - 20, with special guests including General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and more than 200 invited veterans of the battle and family members. The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the ideal location to host the commemoration events, with an immersion gallery honoring the battle that offers a first-hand experience of the landing, as well as the display of both iconic American flags-raised at Mount Suribachi. One of the most famous World War II battles, these events are co-hosted by the Iwo Jima Association of America and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. In addition to the formal commemoration ceremony and banquet at the National Museum, a wreath laying ceremony at the Marine Corps War Memorial will honor all Iwo Jima veterans.

The Museum also kicked off the new year with the major announcement that Curtis Fentress, founder of Denver-based Fentress Architects, will be honored with the American Institute of Architects’ 2010 Thomas Jefferson Award for public architecture. Architect of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel, Mr. Fentress is receiving AIA’s Thomas Jefferson Award for his portfolio of accomplishments and contributions to the quality of public architecture. His work on the National Museum of the Marine Corps has received widespread critical praise for evoking images of the flag-raising at the Battle of Iwo Jima.

In its third full year in operation, the National Museum of the Marine Corps ended 2009 continuing to be one of the most visited destinations in Virginia, attracting visitors from across the region, throughout the nation and around the world. In a Museum survey taken June 2009 through August 2009, 63.5 percent of respondents were non-Marines, showcasing the National Museum’s broad appeal to civilians and other service branches as well as the Marine community. 80 percent of survey respondents gave the National Museum an overall rating of “outstanding;” 17 percent rated the facility as “excellent;” 84 percent noted they would likely return to the National Museum and an impressive 97 percent said they would recommend the National Museum to others.

As visitors of all ages and interests from across the country both discover and return to visit the Museum, it expects to receive its 2 millionth visitor in 2010. The initiatives to expand the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Heritage Center are fulfilling the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s vision of creating a world-class campus to be enjoyed by visitors time and time again. The Foundation’s plans to further develop the Marine Corps Heritage Center include the expansion of Semper Fidelis Memorial Park as well as the construction of a giant screen theater with a feature film and additional interactive exhibit galleries.

For more information on the National Museum of the Marine Corps, visit www.usmcmuseum.org or call 1-877-635-1775 to speak to a staff member during normal business hours.

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Congress Allocates $9 Million to Preserve America's Endangered Civil War Battlefields

/PRNewswire/ -- The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) applauded members of the U.S. House and Senate for including the largest ever single-year allocation for the federal Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Interior Appropriations Act Conference Report (H. Rept. 111-316).

The conference report, scheduled for a final vote in both chambers later this week, includes $9 million for the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, a mechanism that utilizes government matching grants and private funds to permanently protect historic Civil War battlefields throughout the nation.

"This is tremendous news that could not come at a more critical time," said CWPT President James Lighthizer. Each day 30 acres of our remaining Civil War battlefields are paved over and lost forever. This money will allow us to preserve thousands of acres of historic land that would otherwise be lost to urban sprawl."

Since its creation in 1999, the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program has been used to protect more than 15,000 acres of hallowed ground at 60 sites in 14 states. The program targets priority Civil War sites outside National Park Service (NPS) boundaries. Grants from the program are awarded by the American Battlefield Protection Program, an arm of NPS.

Among the sites saved as a result of this program are historic properties at Antietam and South Mountain, Md.; Champion Hill, Miss.; Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and Manassas, Va.; Chattanooga and Fort Donelson, Tenn.; and Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

Although numerous members of the House and Senate have played important roles in ensuring the program's continued success, the following individuals were pivotal in securing this year's unprecedented federal commitment to battlefield preservation: Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Norm Dicks (D-WA); Senators Jim Webb (D-VA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Jeff Sessions (R-AL); and Congressmen, Bart Gordon (D-TN), Steve Israel (D-NY), Gary Miller (R-CA) and C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-MD). In addition, 16 Senators and 29 Member of Congress signed letters of support for the program earlier this year.

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Lest We Forget

Interested in the Civil War? Time has marched past, but we should always remember this time in our country's history. Follow the link to see some amazing pictures.......

Click here

and, perhaps learn some history.

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Hunley Men Remembered

HH Note: This entry was written by the author of Geni-Tales, a genealogy blog on the Fayette Front Page. With permission, we have included in our history section.

The discovery of the Hunley and its crew continues to amaze genealogists, history buffs and the general public. Recently, I visited the Hunley Memorial at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, SC, where our family placed wreaths in memory of all sea faring men who have perished in the service of their country.

It was eerily quiet in the cemetery. We followed the signs to the memorial. While on our way down the long paths, we found many beautiful old tombs from the time of the Civil War. Magnolia Cemetery is the final resting place of many an early Charleston family. You can easily follow the history of the area just by looking at the many names.

It was a surprise to learn the Hunley had three crews which had perished in her history. As the 145th anniversary of the loss of the second crew has just been observed within the last week, I find it fitting to remember the crew.

Horace Hunley was aboard this training mission of the Hunley on October 15, 1863, when it sank. Once again, the Confederacy raised the Hunley from the ocean, only to have it sink again in February 1864.

The story of the Hunley is fascinating. To learn more, click here.


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