Army of the Potomac crossed the river and marched toward another deadly battle at Chancellorsville. In late April 1863, after a bloody December 1862 defeat at Fredericksburg, the U.S. Native Americans, colonists, and enslaved people worked these lands for nourishment, profit, and survival for centuries until armed forces crossed this land during the Civil War before many famous battles. Siegen Forest, along the banks of the Rapidan River in Orange County, Virginia is a significant place filled with history as a cultural crossroads. “These grants support locally-led stewardship at state and county governments and reinvests to bring new experiences and powerful moments to places where so many lives were lost.” “Our work preserves and honors the places and stories of those who lost their lives in battle,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams.

The funds come from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leases to strengthen conservation and recreational opportunities across the nation. These projects support collaborations among state and local governments and their nonprofit partners to care for the places and stories that are significant to the nation’s history. Virginia Department of Historic ResourcesĬontact: – The National Park Service’s (NPS) American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) awarded $1,133,275 today in Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants to protect 272.86 acres at four Civil War battlefields in Maryland, Mississippi, and Virginia.

Trails through the Siegen Forest offer opportunities for recreation and relaxation along the Rapidan River in Orange County, Virginia.

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