Battlefield Update

/inter 1996 Issue No. 60 BATTLEFIELD UPDATE newsletter of the AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION PROGRAM U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Heritage Preservation Services MARCH 1996 UNVEILING mation accessible and exciting even for CHICKAMAUGA/CHATTANOOGA those who have had little or no exposure PLANNED FOR CIVIL WAR to this period of American history; ASSESSMENT ON COURSE DISCOVERY SYSTEM showcase a vast amount of unique material of interest to Civil War enthu Pat Reed, Superintendent of If you haven't heard about it, you siasts; and promote community-based Chickamauga and Chattanooga National rill. It moves troops across fields, battlefield preservation. The Discovery Military Park, reports that the Chatta ings spirituals, plays Dixie and the System will likely accomplish these nooga Area Civil War Sites Assessment lattle Hymn of the Republic, displays goals because it is well-organized, is progressing nicely (reported in Battle atabase information, and visually creatively designed, simple to use, and field Update, Marclt/April 1995). The onvcys the stories of the Civil War rich in video, audio, photographic, and project's objective is to help better protect ising 21st century computer technol- documentary materials. important Civil War sites within the >gy It is the Civil War Discovery Upon entering the system, users National Military Park and throughout >\ stem. This March, the Civil War may access six main selections by the region. The APBB-funded assessment Trust will unveil the interactive, simply touching the screen. "The Big began in 1994, and has pooled the nultimedia computer program in three Picture" provides a brief, general energies of local, regional, state, and )attlefield parks—Prairie Grove introduction to the Civil War and the federal agencies interested in the benefits battlefield State Park, Antictam issues that caused it. "The Civil War of preserving historic areas associated National Battlefield, and Gettysburg World" includes information on the with the battles of Chickamauga and National Military Park. Chattanooga. Copyright © 1995 by the Civil War Trust A project planning team has been assessing site significance and developing management objectives and preservation strategies for significant sites. They have also been working with local and regional planning authorities to encourage land owners to protect these sites. The assessment is roughly half completed. The project planning team has met with private property owners, local government officials, and the general public to determine the top fifty sites needing protection. The next step is to discuss the benefits of preservation, such as tax credits and tourism, and the mechanisms of preservation, such as The Discovery System is designed military, social, political, and cultural scenic easements and greenways, with to stimulate interest in and promote character of mid-19th century those groups. The team will formally understanding of the Civil War; help America. At each historic site or present the assessment's findings to the individuals explore their own personal battlefield where the Discovery public in September 1996. Reed hopes and patriotic tics to the stories and System is located, a customized that the data from the final report will be places of that period; keep the infor- See DISCOVERY, page 3 See ASSESSMENT, page 2 ASSESSMENT, from page 1 has proceeded with little public or the class will be added to the park's GIS governmental opposition because of database for future analysis. This fully integrated into local planning local participation in, and a sense of database was developed by CRGIS in authority databases, especially Geo ownership of, the project. order to assist the park in managing its graphic Information Systems. resources and protecting its related lands. Reed emphasizes the importance of The database was delivered to involving the community in the plan Fredericksburg in July 1995, and is being | ning process. The project planning GPS TRAINING HELD AT used extensively by the park for a variety team is working with the Coosa Valley FREDERICKSBURG AND of projects. For more information about Regional Development Center, the GPS training or the use of GPS on SPOTSYLVANIA Georgia Department of Natural battlefields, contact Bonnie Burns at Resources, the Tennessee Historical (202) 242-1032 or [email protected]. Commission, the Southeast Tennessee Staff from the National Park Development District, the Chatta Service's Cultural Resources Geo nooga-Hamilton County Regional graphic Information Services (CRGIS) Planning Commission, the Southeast facility conducted a week-long Global CRGIS CONDUCTS Regional Office of the NPS, and the Positioning Systems (GPS) training CORINTH MAPPING AND ABPP. Reed believes the assessment workshop at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park DOCUMENTATION PROJECT last October. GPS is satellite mapping technology that allows mappers to CRGIS staff were busy again in cover ground faster than traditional November of 1995. For ten days survey BATTLEFIELD UPDATE survey techniques and to map features crews revisited Corinth, Mississippi, to Published by the National Park Service with an accuracy of+/- one meter. finish mapping Civil War features in the Roger G. Kennedy CRGIS staff trained cultural and area, a project begun last April (reported Director natural resources staff from Mid- in Battlefield Update, June 1995). Just Atlantic area parks, as well as GIS as the Siege of Corinth crossed state lines' Katherine H. Stevenson coordinators from state and local in April and May of 1862, the CRGIS Associate Director governments, in GPS theory and use. surveyors spilled into Tennessee in an The participants learned how to plan attempt to provide comprehensive de Teel Patterson Tiller and complete a GPS mapping project documentation of the area's resources. Acting Chief, Heritage Preservation by conducting surveys defined by the The surveyors have now mapped 7.5 Services park. The projects included mapping miles of surviving field fortifications and streams and wetlands for the natural other associated features. Sixty-nine Jan E. Townsend Chief American Battlefield Protection resources managers as well as mapping percent (5.2 miles) of these Civil War Program earthworks. trenches are located in Alcorn County, Although earthworks at the park Mississippi; 16 % (1.2 miles) in Tanya M. Gossett were mapped using GPS in 1992 and McNairy County, Tennessee, and 15 % Editor 1993, some sections were surveyed (1.1 miles) within the city limits of again for several reasons. Today's GPS Corinth. These resources are highly Jerry Buckbinder equipment is more accurate than it was fragmented, surviving in more than fifty Production Manager three years ago. Many areas, such as locations in the area. Lee's final line at Spotsylvania Court How many miles of field fortifica Battlefield Update is published quarterly House, are very complex, and previous tions were originally dug by the armies and is available free of charge. Send during the Siege of Corinth? CRGIS articles, news items, and correspondence versions of the software were unable to to the Editor, Battlefield Update, Na capture the details of a double line of digitized a military map from 1862, tional Park Service, American Battlefield earthworks. Also, additional data collected GPS positions to "geo-refer- Protection Program, P.O. Box 37127, needed by the park maintenance staff, ence" it, and then layered the depicted Suite 250, Washington, DC 20013-7127; such as tree cover, was collected for resources over a modern map, using the (202) 343-9534; FAX (202) 343-1836; certain segments. GIS program Arclnfo. Through this Internet: [email protected]. All of the usable data collected by See CORINTH, page 4 2 DISCOVERY, from page 1 BGES HOLDS PRICE'S 1864 cartographic documentation, interviews with local and state leaders, a public •lection will interpret that place's CAMPAIGN WORKSHOP questionnaire, a viewshed study, ar jpiificance in the Civil War. Another chaeological surface reconnaissance, and Hection, "On This Date," allows users The Blue and Gray Education preservation goals and strategies. The fpunch in any day and month, their Society (BGES) organized and con main champion of preservation at Ithday perhaps, and find out what ducted a Sterling Price's 1864 Mis Byram's Ford has been the Monnett lents occurred on that date in Civil souri Campaign workshop, which was Fund, in association with the Civil War lar history. Frequently, such events held in Kansas City, Missouri, from Round Table of Kansas City, which ill be linked to an article in "The Civil November 30-December 1, 1995. The culminated twelve years of land acquisi ;ar World." When users choose Association for the Preservation of Civil tion last spring by donating 90 acres of loldier Records," they will be able to War Sites (APCWS) sponsored the battlefield land to Kansas City. In teess basic information about more conference with funding from the ABPP. recognition, the Monnett Fund received an one million Federal and Confeder- The Department of History at the an ABPP Battlefield Preservation i soldiers and sailors. Whenever University of Missouri-Kansas City was Award. To protect the battlefield's issible, these records will be linked to a cosponsor. fragile resources, the complete plan is otographs and personal papers of the The approximately 30 participants not being released to the public;/or Idiers. In "Preserving Battlefields," focused their attention on:

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