Jackson Flank Attack Ground Saved

The Central Virginia Battlefield Trust has worked hard over the years to help in the effort to preserve the ground in which Stonewall Jackson’s famous flank attack made history in May 1863. Their most recent announcement shares the great news that yet another piece of this historic ground has been saved for future generations. The CVBT’s press release on this story can be found by reading further.

“CVBT IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT ANOTHER PART of the Flank Attack sector at Chancellorsville has been acquired. The area on the south side of the Orange Turnpike (modern State Route 3) has been a focus of our efforts since we acquired a portion of the Talley Farm in 1999.

Since then, we have stitched together a growing section of that battleground, parcel by parcel, and have also removed visual intrusions such as a decrepit residential trailer and a souvenir/relic shop built to look like a castle. This latest acquisition, with frontage on two roads, finally closes off the potential for any new commercial development within that battlefield terrain.

The tracts former owner, a gentleman named David B. Kinney, had a deep interest in history, which he shared with his children. We had talked with them for years, always on friendly terms, but not coming to terms on a price, as the land was zoned for commercial use and thus a bit more expensive than what we were then paying for other nearby acreage. As that part of the Flank Attack sector became a more cohesive assemblage of protected land, however, it became time to renew our discussions with Mr. Kinney’s family.

We came to an agreement to acquire his 1.18 acre parcel for $130,000, which is below its appraised value, but which the Kinney family accepted as a fair price. We are pleased to call this property the David B. Kinney tract in honor of a man who happily took his kids to this area’s battlefields and instilled in them a love of history.

CVBT has subsequently paid to demolish and remove a dilapidated old house from the property in effort to return it to a natural view shed.

Our fund raising goal of $144,000.00 is to recoup the cost purchasing and restoring this important part of the Chancellorsville battlefield.”

“This sketch by Alfred Waud depicts Federal troops at Dowdall’s Tavern, as Jackson’s flank attack develops on May 2, 1863. View is looking west,along the Orange Turnpike. The properties acquired by the CVBT are where trees are shown in the background, on the far right.” Text courtesy of CVBT, image courtesy of Library of Congress.


7 Responses to Jackson Flank Attack Ground Saved

  1. More good news on the preservation front. And a salute to the Kinney family, which to their great credit placed historical value above maximizing every penny from this soil.

  2. I would invite everyone reading this entry to visit the CVBT at http://www.cvbt.org and take a look at our 20 year history of Civil War battlefield preservation. Jim Lighthizer, president of the Civil War Trust, calls the CVBT “One of the best regional Civil War Preservation organizations in the country”! Visit us and find out why.

    1. This is an amazing group born out of the dire need to preserve green space and battlefield ground before developers gobbled it up. With the slogan “Preserving Dirt and Grass” Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT) began buying critical land with no overhead. To this day its overhead is low and a very high portion of each donation goes for dirt and grass. See http://www.cvbt.org for more on CVBT and its story. Paul T. Scott, Immediate Past President of the CWRT of Fredericksburg.

  3. Another small piece of land that will stop further development along US 3. Please join and support our effort to preserve these battlefields for future generations.

  4. As you can imagine, successful preservation efforts such as this require much time, patience and persistence. CVBT is blessed with members who understand the importance of our preservation efforts, and who are willing to contribute their time, talents, and treasure to the cause. If you are not yet a member, won’t you join us? Your becoming involved WILL make a difference!

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