You can help us save Civil War Battlefields in the Shenandoah Valley!
170 Acres at Port Republic Battlefield
126 Acres at Cross Keys Battlefield
130 Acres at Kernstown Battlefield
Stonewall Jackson’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign. . . . Those words evoke images of a small but mighty force of Confederates marching at a break-neck pace, fighting battle after battle, and becoming the stuff of legend. Jackson and his army fought their way to victory and conquered the Shenandoah Valley in one of the most studied military campaigns in world history.
I’m sure this isn’t anything that you didn’t already know. But what you might not know is that today, the fight is on to save the Civil War battlefields of the Shenandoah Valley, and right now the largest single initiative ever launched to save the battlefields of Jackson’s Valley Campaign is underway.
The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, which has been preserving battlefields and opening them to the public since 1996, has launched this campaign targeting three tracts of core battlefield land that totals 426 acres. These target tracts are located on three different battlefields where Jackson and his men once fought. The battlefields are some of the most famous in the nation with names that I’m sure you know – Kernstown, Cross Keys, and Port Republic.
As the Historic District’s Chief Executive Officer, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be working on this campaign, to be working to save these 426 acres before they are lost forever – but what makes our work that much more exciting is that we are not only striving to preserve these sites but to open them to the public as places of remembrance and learning, where people can gather and explore and draw meaning from the American Civil War.
You might be surprised that we’re still struggling to protect these battlefields and if you are, you’re not alone. Many people think that these places are already preserved or, if not preserved, that they’ve been long since lost to development.
Well, believe me when I tell you that there are thousands upon thousands of acres of battlefield land that have not yet been protected and have not yet been lost to development.
That means that you and I still have time to make a difference.
We can save this hallowed ground before it’s too late. And then we can open these lands to the public as new parks where future generations can come face to face with history at the places where we fought, brother against brother, to forge the nation we know today.
If losing these battlefields is something that concerns you; if you think losing our history is detrimental to the future of our country; if you feel, like I do, that the sacrifices of American soldiers should be honored by protecting the places where they fought and died, then I’d like to invite you to join our ranks and join the fight by becoming a member of the Battlefields Foundation.
Becoming a member is easy and affordable, starting at just $35 a year – that’s less than it costs for two tickets to a movie, a bag of popcorn, and a drink.
Think about that. For as little as $35 a year you can join an elite fighting force that is saving battlefields day in and day out. You can become a part of the campaign to save the battlefields of Jackson’s Valley Campaign and every other campaign we wage to save our battlefields before they are pushed under the blade of a bulldozer or paved over forever.
Our members have preserved more than 7,800 acres of core battlefield but the pressures on these American treasures are increasing with every passing year. Data centers, solar facilities, and housing developments are all encroaching on our battlefields and I’m sure that for you, the thought of hallowed ground being destroyed to make way for modern development is appalling.
But the impact of your membership goes far beyond protecting the land. As a member of the Battlefields Foundation, you will be ensuring that the lessons of these battlefields are taught to thousands of visitors each year and that the sacrifices of the men who fought there are not forgotten.
Our battlefields hosted more than 100,000 visits over the past year alone. That’s 100,000 chances to inspire people with our history. 100,000 chances to preserve the memory of those who gave their lives to forge the nation that we live in today. 100,000 opportunities to change someone’s life by bringing them face to face with the past, empowering them to see the future more clearly.
Yes, as a member you will be saving battlefields, but you will also be doing your part to save the character of our country by reminding the masses of those traits that have made us great – sacrifice, honor, duty, patriotism, bravery, resilience, and mercy.
Battlefields are places that teach us about the best and worst of what it is to be human and why we should be so honored and proud to be called Americans.
So, I’m asking you to join our cause and become a member today. We need you to join us in this fight . . . you’ll be glad that you did.
Keven M. Walker
Chief Executive Officer