American Battlefield Trust

Catawba leader General New River, born around 1740, allied with the Patriots during the Revolutionary War, leading Catawba warriors in key southern battles. Despite their service, the Catawba lost much of their ancestral land, and New River continued advocating for his people's rights until his death in 1804. #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth 🖋️ Illustration by Dale Watson 💡 Learn more about New River: bit.ly/4ijJzf6

#OnThisDay November 2, 1772, in response to a bill passed by the British Parliament that restored a portion of the Townshend Acts, Samuel Adams of Boston, one of the early agitators for American independence, organized the “Committee of Correspondence.” The committee's three main goals were to establish a system of communication with other colonial assemblies, educate the populace about their political rights, and rally support for American independence against British rule. Soon these committees popped up in communities across the Thirteen Colonies. battlefields.org/learn/artic…

“To the Councils of South Carolina,” Peter Harris begins in a 1822 petition to the state, “In the War of Independence, I am one of the lingering embers of an almost extinguished race, Our Graves, will soon be our only habitations.” Harris was a member of the Catawba tribe, which had allied with the Patriot cause during the American Revolution. During the war, he fought at the battles of Rocky Mount, Hanging Rock, and Blackstock’s Farm, and was wounded at Stono River. In his old age, he petitioned South Carolina for a pension for his military service. #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth Read the full petition below ⬇️ battlefields.org/learn/biogr…

Dennis Frye and Garry Adelman take a spill during their Antietam Creek tour!

Did you know that more Patriots lost their lives aboard British prison ships anchored along New York’s East River than in battle during the American Revolution? During the British occupation of New York, opponents of the Crown were imprisoned on ships and often faced disease, vermin, and starvation. At the end of the war, some of the ships, including the HMS Jersey, were burnt and sunk to the bottom of the river. The next time you’re walking along New York’s northwest shore, listen closely and you might just hear some ghosts of the city’s revolutionary past! Learn more: bit.ly/4iK0VTK

The countdown is on! Battlefield BookFest is just two weeks away. Join us on November 12–13 in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for the American Battlefield Trust's Battlefield BookFest & GettysNerd 3.0. Don’t miss the opportunity to spend two unforgettable days celebrating the books, authors, and stories that bring America's history to life. Here’s what awaits you: 📚 Meeting bestselling authors and renowned historians 🎧 Listening to Boom Goes the History Podcast LIVE: The Ultimate History Book Discussion 🎤 Watching GettysNerd 3.0: The Ultimate Civil War Quiz Show We have select passes left, so don’t miss your chance join us! Buy tickets today at the link below ⬇️ battlefields.org/events/batt…

Union Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker died #OnThisDay October 31, 1879. Hooker became commander of the Army of the Potomac in 1863 until his defeat at Chancellorsville, Virginia. He commanded the Northern Department of the war from Cincinnati until the war’s end and retired in 1868. battlefields.org/learn/biogr…

Did you know that Union soldiers during the Civil War were terrorized by a Gray Ghost? The Gray Ghost was not an undead spirit, but a very much alive Confederate colonel named John Singleton Mosby. One of Mosby’s well-known exploits involved a nighttime surprise attack on a Union camp at Fleetwood Hill, Virginia. He destroyed their supplies and kidnapped many soldiers. Though he wasn’t a real ghost, Mosby, the “Gray Ghost,” continued to haunt Union troops for the rest of the war. battlefields.org/learn/artic…

Ghost stories and myths about the Civil War have been spread since the 19th century, but the reality of Civil War medicine was far more frightening! Soldiers became victims of a number of diseases like dysentery, mumps, and tuberculosis. Even scarier were the treatments: mercury, lead acetate, and turpentine could cause corrosion of facial tissue, organ failure, seizures, and vomiting. Learn more about the scary realities of Civil War medicine in the article below ⬇️ battlefields.org/learn/head-…

October is coming to a close, which means that Family History Month is ending as well. But you don't need to let your photo albums and genealogy research collect dust on the shelf! The Trust's resources for learning more about your ancestors are helpful every month of the year - explore things like military records and use our battle maps to figure out where family members fought, or maybe learn new stories from archived journals and records. Want to know more but don't know where to start? ⬇️ Click the link below to dive in! battlefields.org/making-the-…

President John Adams was born #OnThisDay October 30, 1735, in Braintree, Massachusetts. He rose to prominence as an attorney and eventually represented Massachusetts at the Continental Congress. He helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris and was elected the second president of the United States in 1796. battlefields.org/learn/biogr…

Help us save 326 acres of Revolutionary War battlefield land in Kentucky, New York, South Carolina, and North Carolina! From the western frontier to the Southern Campaign, these four battlefields tell remarkable chapters of America's fight for independence; click the link below to learn more about the land we can save at: 🔵 Logan's Fort, Kentucky — 63 Acres 🔴 Newtown, New York — 33 Acres 🔵 Camden, South Carolina — 228 Acres 🔴 Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina — 1 Acre battlefields.org/give/save-b…

The Battle of Wauhatchie concluded #OnThisDay October 29, 1863 and the Union victory allowed supply lines to open to the besieged troops in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Wauhatiche battlefield is located at the foot of Lookout Mountain in southeast Tennessee, and visitors can learn more about the battle at the nearby visitor center in Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, which commemorates the Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 18-20, 1863, and the siege of Chattanooga from September to November 1863. battlefields.org/visit/battl…

More than 400 people came out to dig into history at Logan’s Fort this past weekend! Visitors to the historic site in Stanford, Kentucky, got a firsthand look at archaeology in action, conducted by University of Kentucky students, with opportunities to participate in excavations, see ground-penetrating radar demonstrations, explore the reconstructed fort, and learn from historians and archaeologists. A huge thank you to our partners at the University of Kentucky and the Logan’s Fort Foundation, and to everyone who joined us for an exciting day of discovery! Read more about the event in The Interior Journal: bit.ly/4iv1Sy1

Before African Americans were admitted into the Union Army, Union Capt. James M. Williams recruited a regiment of escaped slaves to serve in the Kansas militia. #OnThisDay October 29, 1862, his regiment and other Kansas troops skirmished with Confederate guerrilla soldiers near the Osage River’s Hog Island. Despite being outnumbered, the Kansas troops hemmed in the Confederates by volleys and forced them to withdraw. Newspapers reported on the bravery of the African American troops, which increased popular support for their recruitment into the Union army. Learn more: bit.ly/4jJ9a3s

Revolutionary War Lt. Col. and statesman John Laurens was born #OnThisDay October 28, 1754. Laurens distinguished himself in battle at Germantown and Rhode Island, but is largely remembered for his efforts to create a battalion of formerly enslaved people in the Continental Army. He died at the Battle of Combahee River, one of the last battles of the American Revolution, and never got to see the new nation come to fruition. battlefields.org/learn/biogr…

250 years ago today, #OnThisDay October 28, 1776, British forces under Gen. William Howe attacked the Continental Army at White Plains, New York. Early that morning, American skirmishers exchanged fire with the approaching British. Eventually, the skirmishers fell back into the American lines, but the British outflanked them and dislodged the Patriot militia, allowing Howe’s men to break through. The defeat forced Washington to retreat to New Jersey. While this loss was a devastating blow to American morale, the Continental Army remained intact and lived to fight another day. #America250 battlefields.org/learn/revol…

Late at night #OnThisDay October 28, 1863, Confederate forces launched a surprise attack on the Union troops stationed near Wauhatchie Station, a stop on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, largely in retaliation for the Union capture of Brown’s Ferry the day before. Union troops held off Confederate attacks until reinforcements arrived from the rear, and, after hours of fighting, the Union emerged victorious. The victory let Union forces keep supply lines open into Chattanooga, Tennessee. battlefields.org/learn/civil…

For the first time in his life, Garry Adelman goes UNDERNEATH the Burnside Bridge. How is the battlefield different from this perspective? Join Dennis Frye and Garry Adelman as they explore the Antietam Battlefield from this unique perspective.

We just transferred two tracts, totaling more than 131 acres, to Culpeper Battlefields State Park, continuing a commitment made two years ago at the creation of Virginia’s 43rd state park! Following the transfers, the state park now boasts more than 570 acres of historic battlefield land. Both properties transferred to the park faced development pressures before the Trust pursued their acquisition in the early 2020s, including potential residential construction and utility-scale solar development. Earlier this year, the Trust completed historic restoration work to remove non-historic structures on the land. “These transfers reflect what strong preservation partnerships can accomplish," said Nikki Rovner, director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (@@VirginiaDCR). "We are thrilled to work with the American Battlefield Trust to protect this land, which will connect visitors to the rich history of Culpeper Battlefields State Park for generations to come.” battlefields.org/news/culpep…