Fence Rail Drives vs. Preservation??

[jigadier brindle]

Comrades,
I know this is a topic which could really bring the wrath of the campaigner elite down upon me, but its something that I'm truly unsure about, and I feel a little healthy debate on the subject might help.
As I'm sure all of us are aware in recent years the campaigner community has involved itself in several well thought out, and well orchestrated rail drives to build authentic rail fences on the sites of major battles, but nonetheless on protected ground. Also in these past few years we have seen a push in the right direction to raise large sums of money for the preservation of threatened battlefields.
Technically, building a fence to increase the authenticity of a site is truly battlefield restoration , and I feel the use of the word preservation in regards to these drives is incorrect. While they indeed have their place, and are a wonderful addition to any such battlefield, should restorations take precedence over preservation? Should making a battlefield appear more like it did in the 19th century take precedence over saving battlefields from certain development?
It seems as if we, as a very small, but focused community should not divert our attention from the main cause of making sure every acre of civil war battlefield is protected to honor the noble deeds done, and then go about the cause of making those which are proctected appear closer to as they did during the great unpleasentness, but while large tracts of such pivotal sites as Chancellorsville, and Mansfield remain unprotected, I am weary of any effort to divert resources from their preservation.

I would truly like to know what the rest of the authentic, and preservation minded community has to say on this topic. This is in no way a post aimed at disrupting any of the current "restoration" projects, but rather an attempt to define what our goals should be in the present, and future.



-Nicholas Redding

[dusty27]

Re: Fence Rail Drives vs. Preservation??

Nicholas,

I think you are talking semantics here. Reclamation, restoration and land acquisition are all important parts of preservation. One is no more important than the other, in my opinion.

There are several threads currently discussing this in the Polls area and Preservation folder.

[Jeffrey Przewozniak]

Re: Fence Rail Drives vs. Preservation??

A very good friend and I had a discussion on this very topic some time ago. I am of the opinion that preservation comes first, we can worry about cosmetics later.

I think we need to keep in mind though, that the current fence rail project is taking place around a reenactment, not JUST for the the purpose of putting up a fence that was there 140 years ago. It is meant to enhance the reenactment experience by providing an accurate aspect of the battle, as well as to provide a cosmetic enhancement to the field. However, if I had but $25 for a CW-related donation fund in hand, I would not support a project like this, without SIGNIFICANT impact, while other land is in danger of being built upon.

Interested to hear other opinions, I am in earnest,

[marlin teat]

Re: Fence Rail Drives vs. Preservation??

Another point to remember is that Georgia is in somewhat of a budget crunch right now, as are most states. Many important projects such as a new state park at Resaca are on hold until things get straightened out. I'm guessing that Pickett's Mill is given a limited budget to work with and anything that we do such as park clean up days, restoration work, fence rails, etc., is money that will be left in their budget that can be spent on something else.

The staff at Pickett's Mill does a wonderful job and I think of this as a little payback for all the great times I've had there.

[LWhite64]

Re: Fence Rail Drives vs. Preservation??

I agree with Marlin, plus its not just the states its the NPS too, we are going to have a rough year at Chickamauga. I think things like the rail drive and actual preservation are really one in the same, just degrees of that. Like Resaca, it is really good that the land is saved(there is more of it though and they have a good little friends group working to add to what has already been saved), but it has been there for several years with no one being allowed to legally see it.

Lee

[billwatson]

Re: Fence Rail Drives vs. Preservation??

Money spent to make site interpretation easier for the public is money invested in a more enlightened and motivated public.

The difference between a site restored to what it looked like at the time of the battle and a site simply purchased and left in whatever condition it happens to be in is the difference between "I see" and "Whatever." It's the difference between a site that has a story to tell and a site that is just an abstraction, preserved because something important allegedly happened there. You can see this happening at some sites every year, like Gettysburg, where insight into what the fellows did and experienced becomes clearer with every landscape detail restored to July 1863 integrity. Plum Run -- it's now clear, at the site, that the boys in the First Minnesota could see exactly what they were moving toward. Three years ago it looked like they were heading into a thicket. Now it's clear they knew what was waiting for them. It makes what they did vault somewhere past brave up into the "Worthy of Immortality" category.

Site restoration isn't just part of the picture, it's a key part of the picture.

[DougCooper]

Re: Fence Rail Drives vs. Preservation??

Agree with the above posters. Fence rail drives, battlefield clean-up, grave replacement, etc are things WE can do to make a difference without partnering with anyone else.

I donate to these rail drives because they will stay up after the event, even though I cannot attend. No doubt many others are doing the same.

Saving battlefields is obviously our number one goal, but things like the rail drive are low hanging fruit we can pick off to enhance a place saved...and cement a partnership with the parks and other groups involved with each site.

There are many sites around the nation that have been or could be "adopted" by local units. There are any number of enhancements projects where we can provide manpower and/or limited funding to complete them.

And it's nice to see the fruits of one's labors take place quickly sometimes.