Strike The Tent...
21 October 2010
Monterey Pass Civil War battlefield in line for grant
Glancing around at the "local" papers yesterday, I happened across this article in the Waynesboro (PA) Record Herald. I believe it is worthy of our support...
Blue Ridge Summit, Pa. — The Monterey Pass Battlefield Association is one step closer to preserving the history of the Civil War battle, thanks to a grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
DCNR announced last week Washington Township will receive $41,900 of a matching grant if the remaining funds are raised to acquire nearly 1 acre of land near the Rolando Woods Park off of Charmian Road.
The battlefield association hopes to eventually create an interpretive center to tell the story of the Battle of Monterey Pass, the second largest conflict fought on Northern soil during the Civil War.
Collecting funds
Washington Township Manager Mike Christopher said the announcement is exciting news for the area. The township and the battlefield association began collecting donations earlier this year in hopes of receiving the grant. Christopher said more than $4,000 has been raised so far and donations have been sent from Louisiana, Florida, California, Michigan and Ohio, along with donations from township residents.
“We knew it was a matching grant and we felt we had a strong application, so we started collecting donations,” Christopher explained. “This is a wonderful opportunity to teach our young folks what happened in their own backyard. This piece of history took place right here in our hometown. I think that’s pretty exciting.”
“We have donations coming in from across the country,” John Miller, founder of the Monterey Pass Battlefield association, continued. “When you’re reaching across the country, that does say something. If the property is secured, it will be a great place for students to learn not only the importance of history, but the importance of natural resources.”
The battle
The Battle of Monterey Pass, fought July 4 and 5, 1863, began in Fountaindale as Confederate forces limped back to the South after the Battle of Gettysburg. It was the only battle fought on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.
“Every soldier that wrote about the Battle of Monterey Pass said the roads were overflowing with water,” Miller said in June. “Their rubberized boots and gum blankets didn’t even protect them from the elements.”
Forces from both sides had to wait for the lightning to illuminate the battleground to position themselves strategically and fire their weapons as they fought in the dark, according to Miller.
The Battle of Monterey Pass, resulting from the Confederate retreat from the Battle of Gettysburg that ended the day before, also was unique for another reason, according to Miller. It was fought in four different counties — Adams and Franklin counties in Pennsylvania and Frederick and Washington counties in Maryland.
“The battle (was) much larger than people think,” said Miller.
Fundraiser
The next fundraiser for the project will be a presentation on the battle and the Civil War by Miller, renowned historian Ed Bearss and Ted Alexander, historian for the Antietam National Battlefield Association at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, in the Blue Ridge Summit fire hall.
The cost is $35 and refreshments will be served.
Christopher said there are already 40 people registered for the event, hailing from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York and Michigan.
Tax-deductible donations to help preserve the battlefield can be sent to the township office at 13013 Welty Road, Waynesboro, Pa. 17268. Checks should be made payable to Washington Township. Donations can also be sent via the Battlefield Association’s website.
On the Net
The Monterey Pass Battlefield Association
Washington Township
Waynesboro Record Herald
Copyright 2010 Waynesboro Record Herald. Some rights reserved ¶ 10/21/2010 01:36:00 PM 2 comments
Blue Ridge Summit, Pa. — The Monterey Pass Battlefield Association is one step closer to preserving the history of the Civil War battle, thanks to a grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
DCNR announced last week Washington Township will receive $41,900 of a matching grant if the remaining funds are raised to acquire nearly 1 acre of land near the Rolando Woods Park off of Charmian Road.
The battlefield association hopes to eventually create an interpretive center to tell the story of the Battle of Monterey Pass, the second largest conflict fought on Northern soil during the Civil War.
Collecting funds
Washington Township Manager Mike Christopher said the announcement is exciting news for the area. The township and the battlefield association began collecting donations earlier this year in hopes of receiving the grant. Christopher said more than $4,000 has been raised so far and donations have been sent from Louisiana, Florida, California, Michigan and Ohio, along with donations from township residents.
“We knew it was a matching grant and we felt we had a strong application, so we started collecting donations,” Christopher explained. “This is a wonderful opportunity to teach our young folks what happened in their own backyard. This piece of history took place right here in our hometown. I think that’s pretty exciting.”
“We have donations coming in from across the country,” John Miller, founder of the Monterey Pass Battlefield association, continued. “When you’re reaching across the country, that does say something. If the property is secured, it will be a great place for students to learn not only the importance of history, but the importance of natural resources.”
The battle
The Battle of Monterey Pass, fought July 4 and 5, 1863, began in Fountaindale as Confederate forces limped back to the South after the Battle of Gettysburg. It was the only battle fought on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.
“Every soldier that wrote about the Battle of Monterey Pass said the roads were overflowing with water,” Miller said in June. “Their rubberized boots and gum blankets didn’t even protect them from the elements.”
Forces from both sides had to wait for the lightning to illuminate the battleground to position themselves strategically and fire their weapons as they fought in the dark, according to Miller.
The Battle of Monterey Pass, resulting from the Confederate retreat from the Battle of Gettysburg that ended the day before, also was unique for another reason, according to Miller. It was fought in four different counties — Adams and Franklin counties in Pennsylvania and Frederick and Washington counties in Maryland.
“The battle (was) much larger than people think,” said Miller.
Fundraiser
The next fundraiser for the project will be a presentation on the battle and the Civil War by Miller, renowned historian Ed Bearss and Ted Alexander, historian for the Antietam National Battlefield Association at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, in the Blue Ridge Summit fire hall.
The cost is $35 and refreshments will be served.
Christopher said there are already 40 people registered for the event, hailing from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York and Michigan.
Tax-deductible donations to help preserve the battlefield can be sent to the township office at 13013 Welty Road, Waynesboro, Pa. 17268. Checks should be made payable to Washington Township. Donations can also be sent via the Battlefield Association’s website.
On the Net
The Monterey Pass Battlefield Association
Washington Township
Waynesboro Record Herald
Copyright 2010 Waynesboro Record Herald. Some rights reserved ¶ 10/21/2010 01:36:00 PM 2 comments
CWPT Receives "Partner in Conservation" award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2010
For more information, contact:
Jim Campi, CWPT, (202) 367-1861 x7205
Mary Koik, CWPT, (202) 367-1861 x7231
CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST RECEIVES INTERIOR DEPARTMENT’S PARTNER IN CONSERVATION AWARD
Award honors outstanding achievement through collaboration between the public and private sectors
(Washington, D.C.) – At a news conference this morning, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Civil War battlefields, was among the recipients of the 2010 Secretary of the Interior’s Partners in Conservation Awards. Of the 24 individuals and organizations recognized, CWPT was one of three honored for its commitment to collaborative conservation efforts in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS).
“A hallmark of CWPT’s success has long been our ability to create lasting and meaningful partnerships with government officials and agencies at all levels,” said CWPT president James Lighthizer. “But our most meaningful collaborator has always been the National Park Service. We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to furthering the cause of battlefield preservation through our ongoing work with partners at the Department of the Interior.”
CWPT works closely with Civil War-related National Parks to formulate land protection priorities, acquiring historic land outside of park boundaries and acting to purchase in-holding properties on behalf of the park when cost or expediency dictate. In 2009, CWPT completed just one such transfer, donating 176 acres of hallowed ground for inclusion in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The organization also regularly advocates on behalf of park interests to the general public and state and local governments. Moreover, the primary federal matching grant source for acquisition of battlefield land, the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, is administered by the American Battlefield Protection Program, an arm of NPS.
The Secretary’s Partners in Conservation Awards are presented annually to recognize conservation achievements and collaborative activity among a diverse range of entities that may include Federal, State, local and tribal governments, private for-profit and nonprofit institutions, other nongovernmental entities, and individuals. The other entities honored this month for their ongoing work in conjunction with NPS are the National Geographic BioBlitz and the Bridging the Watershed Partnership.
With 55,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation’s remaining Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism. Since 1987, the organization has helped save more than 29,000 acres of battlefield land in 20 states. The CWPT website is located at www.civilwar.org. ¶ 10/21/2010 01:09:00 PM 0 comments
October 21, 2010
For more information, contact:
Jim Campi, CWPT, (202) 367-1861 x7205
Mary Koik, CWPT, (202) 367-1861 x7231
CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST RECEIVES INTERIOR DEPARTMENT’S PARTNER IN CONSERVATION AWARD
Award honors outstanding achievement through collaboration between the public and private sectors
(Washington, D.C.) – At a news conference this morning, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Civil War battlefields, was among the recipients of the 2010 Secretary of the Interior’s Partners in Conservation Awards. Of the 24 individuals and organizations recognized, CWPT was one of three honored for its commitment to collaborative conservation efforts in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS).
“A hallmark of CWPT’s success has long been our ability to create lasting and meaningful partnerships with government officials and agencies at all levels,” said CWPT president James Lighthizer. “But our most meaningful collaborator has always been the National Park Service. We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to furthering the cause of battlefield preservation through our ongoing work with partners at the Department of the Interior.”
CWPT works closely with Civil War-related National Parks to formulate land protection priorities, acquiring historic land outside of park boundaries and acting to purchase in-holding properties on behalf of the park when cost or expediency dictate. In 2009, CWPT completed just one such transfer, donating 176 acres of hallowed ground for inclusion in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The organization also regularly advocates on behalf of park interests to the general public and state and local governments. Moreover, the primary federal matching grant source for acquisition of battlefield land, the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, is administered by the American Battlefield Protection Program, an arm of NPS.
The Secretary’s Partners in Conservation Awards are presented annually to recognize conservation achievements and collaborative activity among a diverse range of entities that may include Federal, State, local and tribal governments, private for-profit and nonprofit institutions, other nongovernmental entities, and individuals. The other entities honored this month for their ongoing work in conjunction with NPS are the National Geographic BioBlitz and the Bridging the Watershed Partnership.
With 55,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation’s remaining Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism. Since 1987, the organization has helped save more than 29,000 acres of battlefield land in 20 states. The CWPT website is located at www.civilwar.org. ¶ 10/21/2010 01:09:00 PM 0 comments
