Posted on 02/28/2006 8:59:18 PM PST by Lorianne
WASHINGTON (AP) - The New Mexico battlefield known as the "Gettysburg of the West" was listed Tuesday as one of America's 10 most endangered battlefields.
Proposed development was one threat cited by the Civil War Preservation Trust in naming the 10 sites located in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Washington, D.C.
"Hallowed ground, where more than 600,000 Americans gave their lives, is being paved over in favor of shopping malls, housing tracts and even gambling casinos," the trust's president, James Lighthizer, said during a news conference.
The New Mexico battlefield, at Glorieta, was where Union forces were able to turn back the Confederate invasion of New Mexico.
The Civil War Preservation Trust blames neglect and public indifference for problems such as the weakening of a structure that served as a field hospital.
The real Gettysburg tops the list. The site of one of the largest battles fought on American soil, today it is playing host to a different type of fight: Whether slot machines should come to town.
A proposal that would bring gambling a little more than a mile away from the Pennsylvania battlefield propelled it to the top of the preservation group's list of the 10 most endangered Civil War battlefields.
Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina were blamed for some of the disrepair at Fort Morgan, Ala., and two forts outside New Orleans. Sprawl and a lack of money have contributed to many of the problems at the sites, Lighthizer said.
The other sites are the Shenandoah Valley, Glendale, and Wilderness in Virginia; the Chattahoochee River line in Georgia; Circle Forts in Washington, D.C.; and Raymond, Miss.
The three-day fight at Gettysburg was a tide-turning battle in 1963 that sent Confederate soldiers into retreat and left 50,000 troops dead. It is where President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address warning about the destruction of the nation, and asking that the troops who died there not be forgotten.
Last year, a group of investors from an entity called Chance Enterprises unveiled plans to boost economic development by seeking a slot-machine license from Pennsylvania gambling regulators to anchor the proposed Crossroads Gaming Resort and Spa. State regulators are expected to rule later this year.
The investors released a statement Tuesday accusing the preservation group of lying about its proposed plans so it can raise money.
"It is amazing how the Gettysburg Battlefield has gone from not even being on the trust's list of 25 most endangered battlefield to the top of the list overnight, even though our resort has been a subject of debate and discussion for nearly a year," said David LeVan, the investment group's chief executive officer, in a statement.
"Clearly, the trust is lining its coffers," LeVan said.
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On the Net:
Civil War Preservation Trust
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Top 10 most endangered Civil War battlefields
(AP) - The Civil War Preservation Trust's list of the 10 most endangered Civil War battlefields, in alphabetical order:
CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER LINE (Ga.) _ The line stretches along the northern banks of Georgia's Chattahoochee River, and is where Joseph E. Johnston's Confederates took up defensive positions after the battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
CIRCLE FORTS (Washington, D.C.) _ The circle forts are a ring of 68 fortifications scattered around Washington, D.C., that were built to protect the Union capital.
FORT MORGAN (Ala.) _ It was at this site that Union Navy Admiral David Farragut proclaimed "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" The fort where supplies were smuggled into the Confederacy withstood an 18-day bombardment before it surrendered.
GETTYSBURG (Pa.) _ Site of one of the largest and most costly battles ever fought in the Americas that left 50,000 troops killed.
GLENDALE (Va.) _ Also known as Frayser's Farm, it was the site of the fifth day of fighting of the 1862 Seven Days Campaign. About 6,500 troops died at the site.
GLORIETA PASS (N.M.) _ At the pass, Union forces were able to turn back the Confederate invasion of New Mexico.
NEW ORLEANS FORTS (La.) _ Forts Jackson and St. Philip on the banks of the Mississippi River 70 miles south of New Orleans were able to hold off Union troops for a week in 1862 before Union gunboats broke through.
RAYMOND (Miss.) _ The site was a turning point in Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg campaign.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY (Va.) _ Confederate Gen. Thomas "Shonewall" Jackson won fame in the valley for his series of victories in spring 1962.
WILDERNESS (Va.) _ The first clash between Civil War Gens. Robert E. Lee and Grant took place at this site, leaving more than 25,000 troops dead.
I was somehow under the impression that the American Indians were just trying to defend their homeland against the invading infidels.
Yes I know we have the lottery and there is or was an Indian casino down near the Mexican border but we do not have big casinos all over the state like Nev. and La. and some other states have and I am happy that we don't.
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