Trust Unveils Two Immersive Videos Letting Viewers 'Step Into History'

The American Battlefield Trust continues to bring the past vividly to life with two new additions to its acclaimed Step Into History video series, inviting audiences to explore iconic Civil War places through immersive visual storytelling. This innovative project blends contemporary video, animation, and expert narration to illuminate the stories behind historic images and landscapes.  

Most recently released are episodes focusing on Robert E. Lee’s headquarters at Gettysburg and Farley at Brandy Station, each situating viewers directly within the terrain where pivotal moments unfolded. In the Gettysburg installment, hosts walk audiences through the very grounds where Lee directed Confederate strategy during the July 1863 battle that reshaped the war. 

 The backdrop is particularly significant for the Trust, as the preservation and restoration of Lee’s Headquarters is one of the organization’s most significant achievements. The modest stone house spent decades in private hands — including a hotel springing up surrounding it — before the Trust bought the site in 2015 and embarked on an ambitious and comprehensive restoration campaign to bring the four-acre site back to its wartime appearance and install educational trails. A decade later, the remarkable place remains one of the Trust’s most seminal and most visible projects. 

The Brandy Station video similarly enlivens a site of special significance to the Trust. Site of the largest cavalry engagement in North American history, where Union and Confederate horsemen first clashed in force on June 9, 1863, Brandy Station has seen the Trust secure more more than 2,300 acres of hallowed ground. In 2024, following a long campaign to secure a stronger status for the battlefield, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin formally dedicated Culpeper Battlefields State Park with a ceremony on Fleetwood Hill.   

The Step Into History series has earned significant recognition, winning a Bronze Anthem Award in the Education, Art & Culture category from the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, as well as a Silvery Telly Award. Both honors speak to the quality of the Trust’s creative partnership with Wide Awake Films and its commitment to making battlefield history accessible and engaging across platforms. Watch the full series today on the Trust’s YouTube channel and website!  

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War across 160 sites in 25 states. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.