Book Signing at Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Memphis, Sat. 1-2 P.M.

At my book signing tomorrow, I plan on discussing the serious problem of urban sprawl, which is overtaking significant Civil War battlefields. At the SCV meeting this week, a friend told me about a Confederate cemetery near Chattanooga, Tennessee that was forgotten in some guy's field, and the grave markers had deteriorated so badly that they were illegible. The SCV could only erect a mass marker for these poor souls that were left forgotten. In my opinion, this is extremely sad!

Each year, the Civil War Preservation Trust compiles a list of the top ten most endangered Civil War battlefields. The list is as follows:

1. Gettysburg, PA
2. Wilderness, VA
3. New Market Heights, VA
4. Cedar Creek, VA
5. Monocacy, MD
6. South Mountain, MD
7. Sabine Pass, TX
8. Ft. Gaines, AL
9. Spring Hill, TN
10. Port Gibson, MS

Some of these places are in trouble due to commercial development, natural disasters, or mining operations. Some are unprotected, even by the National Park Service. I strongly urge anyone who has an interest in history to fight for preservation of these and other threatened sites. For more information, please visit civilwar.org/historyundersiege.