Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-20


are probably unaware that they
passed within few miles OF the
historic fields on which more bat
ties of the Civil War were fought than IN any
other region. Few even OF those mtengents
wide-awake people who each Summer tour the
country, studying its history ION the spot"
know Charlottesville and the Wilderness
spotsvlvania Court House, the battlefields at
Fredericksburg, the Notifications at Richmond
and the lines which almost encircled petersburg
during the dreary Winter OF lo64-5. 1et nearly
an Of those who sped unheedtng by these scenes
of greater conflict have visited Gettysburg
Gettysburg was parked by the Federal Gov
eminent years ago. 1t is located or main
highway The boulevards constructed by the
war Department along the battle lines are
bordered with monuments, and among the
monuments are always visitors. During 1880
over a million people visited Gettysburg and
went home with a keener interest in the history
of their country because they had read the
inscriptions on these monuments, climbed Big
Round Top and Little Round Top, and walked
over ground on which their fathers, grand
fathers and uncles fought during the first three
days of July, 1863
Chickamallga has for years been a military
mark. and uncounted thousands have thrilled
with patriotic fervor as they climbed Mis-
Sionary Ridge to gaze up at Lookout Mountain
and down at the outline Of an Indian shoe
formed by the Tennessee River and called Moe
Casin Bend. .sgs. es
But In virginia there has been a different
story. Only a few of the battleheldS are near
main-which until now has meant improved
roads and the trees and underground on all
have made it impossible to view satisfactorily
the topography Of the ground or to get around
except on foot.
THIS situation Is now being changed. Acts
u passed by the sixth-ninth Congress in 1925
af fnwf~
earthworks, battlefields and other Civil War
sites in and around Petersburg and at on near
Fredericksbmg, and the construction Of high
ways and approaches, all to become two great
memorial parks. The battlehelds of the Wilder
ness, Charlottesville and Spotsylvania Court
House are included in the Fredericksburg dis
trict.
After the passage OF these bills commissions
were appointed and the acquisition Of sites
begun. About 400 acres were bought by the
Government at Fredericksburg, and 1000 acres
are still to be acquired. It is hoped that this
ground will be donated by the owners or sold
at reasonable prices. If the Government Is
'.held up" for high price Congress may refuse
to appropriate more funds for the purchase of
land. At Petersburg all except very few Of the
required sites have already been given, and
those win probably be donated within year.
The parking and the construction of roads
and connecting boulevards Is well under way in
both Petersburg and Fredericksburg. The gen.
eral plan is similar to that already carried out
at Antietam. AS the work is completed the
spots on which particular engagements and
BkirmisheS took place and the forts and forth
f1cations win be appropriately marked with
signs that even he who runs-or rideS-rnay
read In addition, bronze relief maps win be
placed at many points, inscribed to show plans
of the battles.
The Battlefelds Memorial Commissions at
Petersburg and Fredericksburg were appointed
by the Secretary Of War, and under the
special charge of the Assistant Secretary of
War Col Frederick H. Payne. Col. Payne
is much interested both in the parks and in
the benefits to the State of Virginia as a result
Of the accessibility of the ground on which so
much of United States history was made
The actual work Is in charge of Mai Arthur
Z. Wilbourn, member and secretary of both
commissions, and he is pushing it, unit by
unit, as funds become available. His head