The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-15
BATTLEFIELD PARKS
The Increased Opportunity They OKer fer
Cemmemoration of Stirring Contests.

S0mmomOFttiOu vi SutrIuS OhtcSps
Chlckamauga National Park In Georgia.
maintained by the United States Government
on the site Of the battle Of Chlcksmauga. has
been selected az the rendezvous OF the return
Ing volunteer soldiers from Cuba, Porto Rico.
the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines.
This National Park has been maintained for
several years by the Federal Government
and includes further, under the direction Of
the Federal Commission. jurisdiction over
three neighboring battlefield, Lookout Noun
tain. Missionary Ridge and Orchard Knob.
In each Of which granite monuments and bronze
tablets. erected by the Government or the
States. perpetiats the chief events OF mill.
tary interest.
Secretary Root In his last annual report -
Congress pointed out that satisfactory prog
ress has been made toward the development
Of the different parks designed to
crate the great battlehelds Of the Civil War
which are under national control. An
examination Of the territory. including the
battleHelds Of Frederioksburg. Salem Church.
Chanoellorsville. tho Wilderness and spottsyl-
vania Court House. all fought with In . radius
Of eight miles. has been made bv officers Of
the Quartermaster's Department. Every State
OF the Union, both North and South. was rep
Ies0uuou III tlcfH. II JIM Vs0
during the different battles were reported By
the Secretary Of War as being In . good state
Of preservation.
The War Department has now national parks
In four Of the most important battle-ground
Of the Civil War. Gettysburg, Antietam. Chick
amausa and Shiloh, and the proposition to
add Chancellorsvtlls to the number would
entail. It Is estimated. . cost Of not more than
a., M far fhA land ra,yirod and prohahly nnb
more than go, 900. II Is estimated, for fencing.
The Shiloh battlefield at Pittsburx Landing.
Tenn. covers an area Of $50 acres and the APP
preparation for Its maintenance last year was
SIS. 900. which included tho land and the COM
veyancing Of titles, Typographical maps. which
are very expensive. the construction Of roads
and bridges. the payment Of engineers and Of
watohmen and guards.
The chief battlefelds OF the Civil War were
not in. but usually some distance from. the large
towns which were the base Of military sup
plies, there having been at the time Of the war
few cities" as the desi gnation OF cities is un-
derstood In the North, within the area Of active
operations. Much Of the land on which his
toic battles were fought has been put TO little
actual Use since the war. IL can be bought
and has been bought in most cases at from
81 to IS an acre. No particular expense Is in
volved in the maintenance OF a national park.
and there Is no conflict Of authority where the
Federal Government takes title. The addition OF
Charlottesville II carried into effect. will add
another important national battle-ground 10
those already organized. and one In which
the number Of participants on both sides was
very large, the battle having been rrotractcd.
though much less decisive in is results than
Gettysburg or Chickamauga
With the utilization of the battlefield sites
by the Federal Government there has 70.
Gently been a demand made upon it by sons
Of the organizations Of veterans In Pennsyl-
vania to assume control Of the revolutionary
encampment at Valley Forge. now under the
authority Of the State Of PENNSYLVANIA. The
assertion is made that the present site Of ths
encam pment includes only a part of the real
Valley Forge and that the Federal Govern
ment can acquire To better advantage than
the State Of Pcnn.y lyania the additional land
needed 10 cover the whole cnCampment. "
IL said that as soldiers from other States
than Pennsylvania were under The command
OF Washington during his stay in winter quar-
tiers. the encampment should be made a national
rather than q State affair.