Central Virginia Battlefields Trust Assists the American Battlefield Trust in Major Acquisition
The American Battlefield Trust has completed the acquisition of a 355-acre property related to the 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville and the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness. More than 61,000 soldiers were impacted during these conflicts, including Gen. Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, who was injured at Chancellorsville.
“These crucial acres will physically connect and help complete the story of two significant battles in American history,” said then rust President James Lighthizer. “The land will enhance the visitor experience at both battlefields.”
The land was purchased for $1.75 million, with funding from matching grants provided by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, foundation grants, a contribution from the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust, and major gifts from several Trust donors. The remaining funds, totaling $350,000, were raised from Trust members during a fundraising campaign announced in April 2016.
“Saving this land bridge between two major battles was critical in maintaining the integrity of this area” stated Central Virginia Battlefields Trust president Tom Van Winkle. “This land is just short of the intersection where Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant made the fateful decision to follow Lee, after the May 1864 Wilderness battle, and is important to the overall battlefield experience”.
Gen. Robert E. Lee’s victory at Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863, involved attacking Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker’s Army of the Potomac while they were positioned within a thick wilderness. Almost exactly a year later, on May 5, 1864, the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia engaged again in the dense thickets known as the Wilderness. The fighting resulted in a draw, marking a new phase of the conflict in the East, and the Federals continued their movement toward Richmond.
The CVBT was proud to raise $50,000.00 towards this important battlefield purchase. We are always willing to partner with the ABT. CVBT and the ABT have been quietly working together for years piecing together properties on the south side of Route 3/Plank Road.
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