In a message dated 3/19/99 9:29:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
<< All,
If you get stuff in the mail from a group call the Civil War Trust, please
read
what they have to say. I think it's a shame devlopers have no respect for
these
hollowed grounds where brave men fought and died.
Recently, I helped save one arce of land at Brandy Station, Virgina. Brandy
Station
was the largest Cavarly battle of the Civil War. Devlopers wanted to trun
some of the battlefeild in to a race track.
If you want to help call 1-800-CW-TRUST
Thanks,
Noel"Spirit Rider"Bell
_______ >>
I drive by Brandy Station Everyday as it sits out in the southeastern
Bottleneck of Culpeper, Fauquier, Stafford, Spotsylvania and Orange Counties
in Virginia. Not far from there were the other famous battles such as the
Battle fo Bloody Angle, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Mine Run. The Union
army had set up signal stations at the foot hills of the Blue Ridge mountains
that run through Madison, and Western Culpeper Counties, also including the
famous "Old Rag Mountain" Which is a popular 6 hour hike that many many
Rangers hike annually.
To understand the mentality of the people who live in this region , you
would only have to live here to know what it is like. Developers are the
most greedy of people next to many attorneys in this area. Since the Brandy
Station Battlefield that Noel spoke of is not a Federally protected land like
many of it's neighboring Battlefields, it is subject to the owners selling it
out for the almighty dollar. Brandy Station The last I had checked was not
maintained by the Dept. of the Interior (DOI) Such important sites like
Stevensburg and the old house known as Salubria were critical landmarks in the
area even back at the height of the conflict that happened there. Several
Years back in 1993-94, The Walt Disney Company was going to put Disney's
America in The Northern part of Prince William County Virginia, which at the
time seemed like an awesome thing, the idea of having a theme park so close to
Washington, next to the Adventure world in Maryland, There was another major
battle that was fought and the anti-development people won and chased the
mouse out with a stick. This didn't really do anyone any good, because it
also chased away many badly needed highway changes and the plans reverted back
to the orginal Housing Development plans of the Waverly tract. Disney sold the
land to the Exxon Corporation, who sold 500 acres to the Boy Scouts of America
who named it Camp Schneider. Much of the protest here was that this would be
so close to the Manassas Battlefield which was 12 miles away that it was going
to defile it. No one proteested though when in Fairfax county not even 3/4
of a mile from the location of where the first shots rang out in the First
Battle of Manassas, years later they dug two large strip minning quarries that
did away with the much of the land that the Union forces had retreated to when
they were repelled by the Confederacy. Where was the protest then? There
wasn't any. The Battlefield was going to again benefit from the Disney's
America Theme Park, because as many of the park's plans and comittment to
History was going to see the Robinson House get restored after the fire of
July '93 This house belonged to a freed slave named Robinson that sat at the
bottom of Henry Hill. The Robinson House was part of the Park and a Federally
protected landmark, but due to budget cuts in the Federal Gov't was not going
to see restoration anytime soon and still has not been repaired. If it was to
be restored would have to rely on private funds.
Developers have already overdeveloped the Spotsylvania County, causing
sever water restrictions upon the residents. The area was built up faster
that it could handle and got stuck by it. There was not enough water to go
around, restaurants wer not able to serve water with meals unless it was
specifically asked for.
The Virginia Piedmont is a beautifaul place. So much History, that makes
up much of what America is today has occured there. I have to agree with Noel,
Saving this countryside is a worthy cause. Knowing about it's history is what
can prevent the development of that land as soon as the facts are presented
before the Gov't. Otherwise the Gov't won't be interested in it and give free
reign to destroy the country's rich heritage.
But I just wanted to add my 2 cents ( Al ot of Bang for your Dollar right?)
Cmdr. Mike Burke
_______
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