Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-23
VIRGINIA BATTLE-FIELD PARK.
FredericIssburg's Efforts in This d.
rection-COncentrati Necessary.
ltra nricL shurc. Erna I.anoal

/
fredericksburg Free Lance)
The Richmond Dispatch, after abiding
| to the proposition that the United states
| Government shall establish national
military park at or near Fredericksburg
and Richmond. says
I'VE should like TO see the vicinity OF
Richmond chosen for the site Of the
park; but II we can't have our wish
about that We shall be glad 10 support
the next best proposition looking 10 prac-
ticai results. OF course. We old Confed-
crates cannot hope to have things all our
own way. To get any scheme through
Congress it must be backed strongly by
veterans OF the gray and blue both"
The Dispatch in this matter seems 10
have quite naturally as the Oldest paper
az the State capital a very proper touch
Of State pride. and the Free Lance pro-
poses to tell the Dispatch and through II
the people Of Virginia what has Deen
done I'm the Fredericksburg and adjacent
National Battle-Fields' Park matter ana
TO ask the Dispatch if IL does not as
state organ, believe that the Frcdericks-
burg park matter is backed strongly by
veterans OF the gray and blue both"
The Fredericksburg Battle-Ficlds' Park
matter was taken up. first. by our city
Council. in February, 1886, and commit
tee appointed 10 inausurate it, ThereaI-
ter. in April 1886, a meeting was held In
our Opera-House, at which congressman
jenkins Republican,. OF Wisconsin;
Walker (Republican, and Jones Demo
craO of Virginia, were present ana gave
the matter hearty approval
I Then provision was made Tor a joinf
commission. a voluntary unincorpora'ed
body. 10 consist Of members from Fred
erickshure. Orange. Sp0tsylvania. and
STAFFORD. and gentlemen from eacn OF the
counties named and Fredericksburg were
selected 10 push the proposition. These
gentlemen az once saw. Following ID
the footsteps Of Chckamauga, that an
INCORPORATION was not only desirable,
but necessary and thereup0n-
il. The Fredericksburg and Adjacent
National Battle-helds Memorial Associa-
ton OF Virginia was chartered February
y. 1898. Abraham LincOn's birthday. and
organized February p. 1898. WashlnSt0ns
Birthday. Among the imcorporators are
over two hundred gentlemen eN-oiiicers
and soldiers OF the war loJi-'6j. from ihir-
ty-eight states OF the Union and the Dis
tricr or Columbia. In these inc0rporatOrs
are many Of the leaders or eacn side OF
the war OF ls6l-'6j. such as General Hoo
ratio c. Kins its president, and for
twenty-five years the secretary of The
Army of the Potomac; General Orand
Smith the present president Of the Army
OF the Potomac, General Daniel +.
Sickles Governor w. A. stone. OF Penn
sylvania. and Ex-Governor Beaver. OF
that state: ex-Secretary of the Navy
Tracy; General Felix Agnew. OF the Bal
timore American; General +. - Grant.
Charles Broadway Rouss; Ex-Governor
Chamberlain OF Maine; CONGRESSMAN
OF West Virginia Judge Walter G ark,
OF North Carolina; Senator James X.
Jones OF Arkansas; General NJ. C. But
Ter. OF South Carolina. General James
LOngstreet and Congressman Livingston,
Of Georgia; Chief-Justice Woods of Mis-
sissippi; ex-senator Blackburn. Of Ken
lucky; Senator Canery, OF Louisiana;
Senator Bate and Congressman Richard
son. OF Tennessee; Congressman Lanhnm
and ex-Congressman Culberson. Of
Texas; besides very many more equally
as prominent All OF these gentlemen lot
only consented 10 become members ~ tho
association but are warmly In favor OF
the Fredericksburg park
III. Virginia has through her Legisla-
ture. taken up the Fredericksburg Park
proposition as a State matter. Her Legs
lature has endorsed u. and Governor
Tyler is OF the opinion that II is the one
park that should be first established. and
that other propositions should stand In
allegiance pending action on that by Con
gress In the list OF incorporators from
Virginia are Colonel James y. Brady. Of
Petersburg. a gallant Union officer. than
whom no one has q better war record
who Is a member OF the Executive Com-
mttee OF the association. and there are
over Nifty Virginia incorpora,ors. inelud-
Ina ma IA Of md
Captain b. c. Cook. OF Richmond city;