Gettysburg | July 1, 1863 | 3:45–5 pm
The Opportunity
Today we have a rare opportunity to save two properties totaling just over five acres at Gettysburg. Located between the Chambersburg Pike and Fairfield Road, these tracts border land already preserved and witnessed significant troop movements during the first day of fighting.
Together, the properties are valued at $1.765 million, but thanks to anticipated government matching grants and support from a private foundation, we only need to raise the final $320,000 to preserve this land in perpetuity. That means every dollar you give today can be matched $5.50-to-$1!
Want to learn more? Visit this page for more information and history related to this campaign.
The History
On July 1, 1863, Union and Confederate forces converged unexpectedly at Gettysburg. West of town, Union Gen. John Buford’s cavalry delayed advancing Confederates long enough for Gen. John Reynolds and the Union I Corps to reach the battlefield.
The two properties we have the opportunity to preserve lie between the Chambersburg Pike and Fairfield Road, in the midst of this first day’s fighting. Union and Confederate troops moved across and around these acres as the battle intensified.
By afternoon, mounting Confederate pressure forced Union troops from their positions west and north of Gettysburg and through the town. The Federals regrouped on Cemetery Hill and the high ground to the south, establishing the defensive position they would hold during the next two days of battle.
These five acres witnessed advancing infantry and cavalry, artillery fire and retreating soldiers during the opening hours of a battle that would ultimately result in more than 51,000 casualties and become one of the defining events of the Civil War.
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