THE “OLD LINER” NEWSLETTER Groundbreaking ends The Confederates won the battle but Gettysburg businessman David it slowed and weakened Early's LeVan. 60-year struggle for forces enough to prevent them from Calls to a spokeswoman and attorney permanent visitors capturing the capital city a day later. for the investment group were not Congress authorized the national returned late Tuesday. center at Monocacy park in 1934 but it took another 32 In brief floor remarks, Maitland said By DAVID DISHNEAU, Herald- years before any funds were "the vast majority of my constituents Mail.com appropriated for land acquisition. don't want a slots parlor in our FREDERICK, Md. – March 26, 2006 The park opened to the public in county." There was no other debate The "battle that saved Washington" 1991, with exhibits housed in a on his amendment. lasted just one day, but it took 60 temporary visitor center in the The House vote is the latest round in years for Congress to fund a Gambrill Mill, a 160-year-old building a slots debate that has attracted permanent visitor center for the Civil in the river's 100-year flood plain. national attention, and it could lay the War site. Congress appropriated funds for the groundwork for months of legislative The National Park Service and new visitor center in 2004. maneuvering over Gettysburg-area elected officials broke ground Friday Former U.S. Rep. Beverly Byron, a slots. for the structure at the Monocacy Maryland Democrat, fought alongside Critics say the Crossroads plan would National Battlefield, 1,647 hallowed Sarbanes to get money for the park hurt the area's historical tourism acres bisected by Interstate 270 and that her father-in-law, William D. industry and disrespect the soldiers surrounded by commercial and Byron, helped establish during his who died there, while the investors residential development. The barn- congressional tenure. claim it would boost the Gettysburg shaped building, slated to open next "It's been a long time coming," she economy with jobs and tax revenue. spring, will offer a wealth of said. If Maitland's amendment does not information about the clash on July become law, the decision on the 19, 1864, that marked the PA House OKs ban on Crossroads plan would be left to the Confederacy's last campaign to carry state Gaming Control Board. The the war into the North. slots in Gettysburg seven-member board should decide Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, D-MD., said By RICHARD FELLINGER, Public by next year who gets slots licenses, the ceremony "sets the stage for Opinion, Harrisburg Bureau, March and other proposals are in the people from all over the country and 16, 2006 Poconos, Lehigh Valley and indeed all over the world to see HARRISBURG — The House backed suburban Philadelphia. firsthand one of the small but pivotal an effort to stop a Gettysburg-area battle sites of the Civil War." slots parlor Tuesday night, approving Exhibits at the $3.5 million center will an amendment to the 2004 slots law Group seeks $1 million focus on phases of the battle that that would ban any stand-alone to preserve occurred when 6,000 Federal troops casinos in Adams County. led by Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace Rep. Stephen Maitland, R- Shepherdstown Civil engaged about 15,000 Confederate Gettysburg, sponsored the War battlefield troops intent on capturing amendment that passed by a vote of Shepherdstown, W.VA, Associated Washington, about 40 miles away. 199-0. Press, March 11, 2006 The Confederates were led by Lt. It was attached to an omnibus The Eastern Panhandle of West Gen. Jubal A. Early. package of changes to the slots that Virginia's explosive growth is The battle bought a 24-hour delay of now heads to the Senate, where the threatening a Civil War battlefield and the Confederate advance at a cost of fate of the Gettysburg-area ban is a group dedicated to preserving the 1,436 combined casualties. The uncertain. site is seeking $1 million to help fend Union dead numbered 123, with 603 Maitland's effort is meant to block the off development. wounded. The Confederates suffered Crossroads Gaming Resort and Spa, The Shepherdstown Battlefield as many as 275 dead, with 435 proposed at U.S. routes 30 and 15 by Preservation Association asked the wounded. a group of investors led by Jefferson County Commission for the BALTIMORE CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE THE “OLD LINER” NEWSLETTER money, saying the battlefield is the worst act of vandalism at resolution urging Congress to pony among the nation's 10 most at-risk Gettysburg National Military Park in up money for restoration. Civil War battle sites. recent memory, the 120-year-old, life- "I cried tears over this," said Jean About 300 acres, or half of the site, size bronze of a soldier from a Siderio, a former Bucks County remains in relatively pristine condition Philadelphia unit was back home. resident now living in Gettysburg and and can be preserved. The remainder "I was relieved," Vic Gavin, chief of a descendant of a member of the "has been lost to real estate the park's monument preservation 114th Pennsylvania. The Zouave unit, development," said association branch, said later. "We put a lot of known for its brightly colored, North president Edward Dunleavy. work into it and dropped a lot of other African-style uniforms, modeled itself Jefferson County is one of the state's things." after the French colonial army units fastest growing counties as people The monument - one of 1,300 at the that fought for control of Algeria in the from the Baltimore-Washington area park - honors the 114th Pennsylvania 1830s. move into West Virginia. The money Volunteer Infantry, the flamboyantly Some watching the return of the would help the group purchase dressed Zouave unit commanded by repaired statue Thursday blamed the conservation easements on privately Capt. Charles H.T. Collis of vandalism on what they see as an owned land, Dunleavy said. Philadelphia. erosion of respect for the nation's The property, also known as Boteler's It was the first monument repaired historical treasures. Ford, was the site of a battle fought after a particularly destructive attack "This generation no longer cares Sept. 19-20, 1862, about one mile Feb. 15 that caused up to $65,000 in about our past," said Bill Hartley, a east of Shepherdstown. Confederate damage to three of the park's oldest Civil War reenactor from Baltimore troops were attacked after they had statues. whose great-great grandfather fought retreated across the Potomac River Vandals scaled them, tied each to a at Gettysburg. "I was brought up to following the Battle of Antietam in vehicle and drove off, ripping them treat things like statues with high Maryland. from their pedestals. esteem." Dunleavy said it is hoped that the A bronze statue of a soldier honoring People were probably saying National Park Service, which runs the the Fourth New York Battery, which something similar in 1913, when nearby Harpers Ferry National fought at Devil's Den in the 1863 sledge-wielding vandals attacked Historical Park, would eventually own battle, was dragged 160 feet. The nine Gettysburg monuments. One and manage the property. head from the 700-pound figure broke irate Philadelphian wrote to the park County commissioners did not off and was stolen, as was a cannon superintendent at the time, urging him immediately indicate if they would ramrod the figure was holding. to "secure the maniac who injured the grant the request. A stone-and-bronze sculpture monuments." He added, "Unless he commemorating the 11th was insane, a rope's end would be The wounded soldier Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the proper thing for him." which defended the Union line north And there have been other acts of returns to his pedestal of the Peach Orchard, was broken destruction over the years. A pacifist Uncivil vandalism repaired at into pieces. Taken were a stone cult in the 1990s traveled to Civil War Gettysburg forearm and hand, and a bronze battlefields around the country, By Amy Worden, Philadelphia sword. including Gettysburg, pouring hot oil Inquirer "It was obviously thought out, doing on the monuments. There has been GETTYSBURG, Pa. – March 13, damage to three monuments like the occasional paintball splatter to 2006 - With a small crowd - and one that," said Tim Sorber, supervisory remove or a plaque lost to a souvenir nervous art conservator - watching, a law enforcement officer for the park. hunter. crane operator gently lifted his cargo News of the incident spread quickly. Because the monuments are more from a truck, swung it under the old From around the country, the Civil than 100 years old, anyone convicted chestnut trees, and set it back atop its War faithful responded by sending in the most recent incident will face perch overlooking the Peach Orchard checks to the U.S. Park Service to felony charges that carry a 10-year battlefield. help fund repairs. Two Pennsylvania prison term under the Archeological After more than 100 hours of state senators have introduced a Resources Protection Act. mending gouges and scrapes from BALTIMORE CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE THE “OLD LINER” NEWSLETTER Park rangers believe that February's now called the Schmucker House, home for the entire seminary, except vandalism was a random act because and the Seminary Ridge Historical the two professors’ homes. it was too destructive for a relic Preservation Foundation, an During the Battle of Gettysburg, it hunter's heist. organization founded in 1999 to was one of three buildings on "What they took was worthless. It's preserve and educate the public Seminary Avenue, flanked to the to either a mindless or drunken prank," about Civil War properties along the south by the home, built in 1833, said Vic Gavin, chief of the park's Seminary Ridge.