National Battlefields

[Sheltowee]

Has this been discussed? Showing that Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was the first battlefield protected by act of Congress- in 1890.

Why was Chickamauga/ Chattanooga selected as the first?

Seems that a Revolution site might have been first- thinking Lexington, Saratoga or Yorktown.

But if ACW was gonna be first- why not a more significant site? Maybe Vicksburg or Gettysburg. Most agree these were the major turning points of the war.

Furthermore, one of the battles incorporated into this park is one that the US lost. So just seems a bit odd that CCNMP was first.

Gotta suspect politics were in play. Just like political persuasion, today, factors into most everything.

Just curious.

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Why not Princeton? It was our first victory over the British during the revolution.

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

Why not Princeton? It was our first victory over the British during the revolution.

Good point. Maybe because in the late 1800s till now, Great Britain has been a close ally.

Trenton, which happened a few days before, was a victory against the Hessians.

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Good point. Maybe because in the late 1800s till now, Great Britain has been a close ally.

Trenton, which happened a few days before, was a victory against the Hessians.

I thought of Trenton, but the battle was fought throughout a town not open fields. Could a town become a National Military Park? On a side note, there was a second battle there the day before Princeton.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Why not Bunker and Breeds Hill being among the first major battles of the Revolution?

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Which war we talking about?

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Site where the tea was dropped in Boston Harbor by the "Indians" An underwater National Park- I think we have them?

 

[Taylin]

A quick search reveals that some key figures in the parks creation were all veterans of the battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga. Henry M Cist, Henry Von Boynton and Ferdinand Van Derveer. Additionally there was a large reunion of some 10,000 Union and Confederate veterans in 1889 at Chickamauga and talk was had about preserving the place and commemorating their campaign.

Also of note, to me at least. Grant died 5 years before the National Military Parks were Authorized to be created by Congress. His memoirs were published within a year of his death 1885 and 1886. 3 of the 4 Parks are in the West and all of them are major events in his career and ascendancy during the war.

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Site where the tea was dropped in Boston Harbor by the "Indians" An underwater National Park- I think we have them?

Now, now. The question was about a national "Military" park not a national park.

 

[Kurtlg]

Apparently because a couple of former generals from the Army of the Cumberland ( Boynton and Van Derveer) pushed to preserve the land for a park to comemorate the battles. They seem to be the first to get involved in the battlefield preservation. Others soon followed.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

I thought of Trenton, but the battle was fought throughout a town not open fields. Could a town become a National Military Park? On a side note, there was a second battle there the day before Princeton.

Yes parts of Fredburg are …

 

[Kurtlg]

Saratoga is listed as a National Historical Park , not a NMP. Yorktown is part of the Colonial National Historic Park , also not a NMP.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Now, now. The question was about a national "Military" park not a national park.

It was part of an insurrection against the crown …

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Sorry guys hitting the sauce early today… I know very little about Revolution battlefields. I have been to Boston Common and that's about it.

 

[Stryker65]

A quick search reveals that some key figures in the parks creation were all veterans of the battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga. Henry M Cist, Henry Von Boynton and Ferdinand Van Derveer. Additionally there was a large reunion of some 10,000 Union and Confederate veterans in 1889 at Chickamauga and talk was had about preserving the place and commemorating their campaign.

Also of note, to me at least. Grant died 5 years before the National Military Parks were Authorized to be created by Congress. His memoirs were published within a year of his death 1885 and 1886. 3 of the 4 Parks are in the West and all of them are major events in his career and ascendancy during the war.

Boynton and Van Derveer were both 35th Ohio, weren't they?

 

[Kurtlg]

The NMPs were governed by the War Department until 1933 when they were transfered to the National Park Service.

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Yes parts of Fredburg are …

Good point.

 

[1st New Jersey Brigade]

Sorry guys hitting the sauce early today… I know very little about Revolution battlefields. I have been to Boston Common and that's about it.

Come to New Jersey, I will show you around.

 

[tmorr]

The history of the Big 5, the transfer from the War Dept to the NPS and so forth is interesting in and of itself. There are some threads here on CWT and this link gives a good 10,000 view of NMPs, national parks, etc. http://npshistory.com/publications/butowsky6/index.htm

 

[LtTevis]

I think it makes good sense.
Chickamauga and Chattanooga were major battles. The South won Chickamauga, The North won Chattanooga.
It was about 25 years after the war and time to rebuild and unify.