Almost twenty percent of these battlefields have already been destroyed forever, denying them to future generations. Only 15 percent are protected by the government. Fortunately, there is one organization working to preserve these battlefields: The Civil War Preservation Trust.

The Civil War Preservation Trust is America's largest non-profit group dedicated to the preservation of our country's Civil War battlefields. The organization was formed from the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites and the Civil War Trust in 1999.

The group also promotes tourism and educational programs to inform the public about the Civil War, the conflicts that caused it and the roles that these battlefields played in directing the course of our nation's history. Teachers may sign up for classroom memberships for only 25 dollars.

There are also curriculum CDs available to teachers free of charge and the Trust has a classroom visitor listing to get reenactors out to schools at http://www.civilwar.org/historyclassroom/hc_classvisitors.htm .

Since its creation, the Civil War Preservation Trust has saved approximately 20,000 acres of Civil War battlefield land at 81 different battlefields in 19 states. The group has 63,000 members including our team.

To learn more about the work that this group is doing to preserve our national history, click on the link to their website below. You may also call or write them to become involved in letter writing campaigns or to make a donation. Hopefully, you will have the opportunity to visit one of these historic sites in your lifetime.