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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic) |
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Battlefield Historic Restoration Project
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By Craig Swain, January 26, 2008 | |
| | | 1. Battlefield Historic Restoration Project Marker | | |
Inscription. In 2004, Ball's Bluff Battlefield Regional Park began a restoration project on the battlefield where you stand today. The objective of the effort is to return about 12 acres of the battlefield to its approximate appearance in 1861.
First hand accounts from soldiers like Lt. Colonel Isaac Wister of the 1st California describe the battlefield as "an open field of oblong shaped...entirely surrounded by woods". The photograph below was taken in 1886 of the Veterans from the 15th Massachusetts who returned to Ball's Bluff on a tour of the battlefields where they had fought during the Civil War. The placement of this sign is near the area where the photograph wsa taken. Note the cemetery wall on the right side of the photo. The map you see below was sketched by William Francis Bartlett of the 20th Massachusetts four days after the battle and shows the general shape of the battlefield. Using participant descriptions and period maps, it is known that the cleared field around which the battle was fought was oblong, approximately 150 yards wide along the bluff and extending some 450 yards inland, roughly from the bluff to today's parking log.
Every year park staff and volunteers participate in projects that include cutting trees, removal of dead falls and clearing of undergrowth that bring this historic battlefield closer | | | | 
By Craig Swain, January 26, 2008 | |
| | | 2. Battlefield Historic Restoration Project Wayside | | The Ball's Bluff Cemetery stand in the far left center of this photograph. | | |
to its 1861 appearance. The cut trees and underbrush are used for mulching trails and as firewood for reenactors during living history programs.
These restoration efforts are open to public participation. Please check park information kiosks and websites for announcements related to the Battlefield Historic Restoration Project.
Erected 2007 by Ball's Bluff Regional Park/Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
Location. 39° 7.956′ N, 77° 31.805′ W. Marker is in Leesburg, Virginia, in Loudoun County. Marker can be reached from Ball’s Bluff Road, on the left when traveling east. Click for map. Located on a gravel footpath extension of Ball’s Bluff Road, inside Ball’s Bluff Regional Park. Marker is in this post office area: Leesburg VA 20176, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 15th Massachusetts Infantry (about 300 feet away, in a direct line); Jenifer’s Cavalry (about 300 feet away); 8th Virginia Infantry (about 400 feet away); Thomas Clinton Lovett Hatcher (about 600 feet away); The South: Confederate Leaders at Ball’s Bluff (about 700 feet away); Battle of Ball’s Bluff, October 21, 1861 (about 700 feet away); The North - Union Leaders at Ball's Bluff (about 700 feet away); The Battle at Ball’s Bluff (about 700 feet away). Click for a list of all markers in Leesburg. | | | | 
By Craig Swain | |
| | | 3. Battlefield Today | | Looking from the cemetery walls toward the parking lot. As described on the marker the ground here was open field at the time of the battle. The ground has been gradually cleared over the last few years, and this winter time view allows some comparison to the historical landscape. | | |
Also see . . . Ball's Bluff Regional Park. Mentioned in the text, the regional park site lists restoration project events. (Submitted on May 25, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Credits. This page originally submitted on May 25, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 259 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. Submitted on May 25, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. | | Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print |
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