Trust Preserves Over 14 Acres at Gettysburg, Crosses 60,000 Acre Milestone

As we mark the 162nd anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the American Battlefield Trust is pleased to announce that 14.5 acres of the Gettysburg Battlefield have been preserved forever, allowing for all who come to have a fuller understanding of this monumental battle.

These crucial acres are just the latest in the Trust's decades-long pursuit to save America’s battlefields. By adding this tract of land, the American Battlefield Trust has now preserved more than 60,000 acres of hallowed ground. This incredible milestone was only made possible by the generosity of our members, paired with support from our partners and local, state, and federal grants.

14.5 Acres Saved at Gettysburg

 Situated along the Chambersburg Pike, the most recent parcel of land saved by the Trust figured into several actions on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. After the first shots of the battle were fired two miles to the west, General John Buford’s Union cavalry troopers fell back in part over this tract. The Confederate advanced brigade, made up of Tennessee troops led by General James Archer, moved over and then retreated on and over this tract under the weight of a Union Iron Brigade counterattack on the morning of July 1. 

A few hours later, the Confederates renewed their attack with two new brigades of Virginia and North Carolina troops, the former and part of the latter moving over the tract. After a stubborn fight, the Union retreated.  This parcel was littered with dead and wounded soldiers, and a Confederate field hospital may have been established on the tract. Additionally, the Confederate retreat on July 4 and July 5 likely occurred on the land now saved.

For decades, the land was part of the Gettysburg Country Club and that institution's closure in 2007 set off a long and circuitous path to preservation. The larger golf-course joined Gettysburg National Military Park in 2010, but the portion fronting the road was not included and drew developers’ eyes. After a number of proposals fell through, it was slated to become a large apartment complex until Trust-supported local advocacy opened the door to this preservation solution.