The Washington times., 1904-05-29
Immense Cost of the
National Battle Parks
Economical Marking of Lines at Antietam
Has Suggested Method to Be Pursued in
Future-Some Interesting Data.

The economical manner in which the
battle lines have been marked and the
| field transformed into a national ceme-
terry at Antietam. Nd. has. it is learned.
been one Of the strongest factors In Sc
/ curing a favorable report by the House
Committee on Military Affairs on the bill
providing for the creation of a national
military park commission, with general
power to restore, preserve, mark, and
maintain all battlehelds of the Colonial,
Revolutionary, Indian, and Civil or 9TH
Ter wars OF the United States.
The bill. If enacted. will abolish the
present park commission of Gettysburg.
Vicksburg, Shiloh. and Chickamauga at
the end of two years after the coming
Fourth of July. and will repose the gen.
eral work heretofore intrusted to them
in a national commission consisting OF
five members.
Separate commissions were thought
necessary to prepare the four great ex-
listing military parks, but this system. 1t
is stated, has beeen found too cumbrous
for practical purposes and unusually eX-
pensive.
New Park Schemes.
Many other parks are now urged upon
Congress, each by a bill creating a EeN
commission. The number of these bills
ing with the question by establishing q
park at each battlefield. The present
four parks already have cost the Gov
eminent nearly 100000. II is not pos
sible, and some legislators think not
necessary. to have a new park at each
battlefield. although they believe 1t is
vitality important that markings should
be made to show crucial points oil these
battles
Several years ago, when an agent of
the War Department was sent 10 APP
pomattox to revise the maps to be in
clcded in the record OF the Appomattox
campaign. a curious condition OF affairs
was found to exist. illustrating clearly
the difficulty OF marking battle lines
The old courthouse had been burned and
a new one erected. The Mclean house
where the surrender took place had
been taken down brick by brick, with a
view TO removing IL TO Washington as
show place.
Difficult to Get Details.
The house occupied by General Grant
as headquarters at the time OF the
surrender had disappeared. and there
was nothing left OF it but a depression
in the ground. Only one man could be
found who was a resident Of Appomattox
Courthouse at the time Of the battle
events had taken place
Information brought TO the attention
of the House Committee on Military
Affairs shows that the Antietam battle
field has cost the Government thus far
only a little more than $4,000 which,
1t is said, has been spent under the d.
rection Of the Secretary OF War much
more effectively than the greater sums
disposed of under the direction OF the
commissions in charge OF the four great
military parks
BY the act OF July Il. 1870, the Secre-
tary Of War was directed to take charge
Of the Antietam National Cemetery at
Sharpsburg. and by the act OF March 2.
1871, $4,000 was appropriated TO dis
charge the balance OF the Indebtedness
the cemetery. October 2 1883 $4,000
was appropriated for constr Acting a
road from Antietam Station to the Gem
etery. and in August. 1880. 5000 more
was appropriated to complete the road.
Battle Lines Defined.
BY this later act Congress also appro-
priated $4,000 for preserving the lines
OF battle OF the Army Of the Potomac
and the Army Of Northern Virginia,
showing the position OF each OF the
forty-three different commands OF the
ASSuidA army III the Dtllle OF Antletafns
and for the purchase Of sites for tablets
for marking those positions. Further
sums were appropriated for this object
from time TO time. until the work OK
clearly defining the battle lines with
tablets and markers had been practically
completed at a cost Of So. 731 Congress
by the act Of July Z. 1898. appropriated
5000 for the preservation of Antietam
battlefield, and small appropriations
having this object in view have been
passed annually, these funds being dis
bursed by direction OF the Quartermaster
General and including the salary of a
superintendent OF the battlefield who re-
ceives $500 annually. All the expendf-
lures that have been made by the War
Department under the several appropria-