PETERSBURG, Va. – U.S. Sen. Jim Webb is proposing legislation to add 7,200 acres to Petersburg National Battlefield, which would create the largest military park in the U.S.
The additional acres, located primarily in Dinwiddie County and southwest of Petersburg, would add 12 Civil War battlefields that historians consider among the most important among more than two dozen battles that occurred in the Petersburg area. Webb said much of that land is now vulnerable to development.
“Petersburg saw nearly one quarter of the Civil War fought in its surrounding area, and the preservation of these battlefields is important for future generations to understand and appreciate the significance of our nation’s history,” Webb said in a statement.
Some of the Petersburg fighting was graphically depicted in the book and the movie “Cold Mountain.”
Park superintendent Bob Kirby said the 12 battlefields targeted for preservation retain the “cultural landscape” of the Civil War fighting, meaning troop movements and maneuvers can still be interpreted.