News Release

National Park Service Awards $1.5 Million to Protect 144 Acres at Three Civil War Battlefields

Deep Bottom and New Market Heights Battlefields, now protected by the award to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and their preservation partner, the Capital Region Land Conservancy.

Courtesy of Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

News Release Date: May 23, 2024

Contact: [e-mail]

WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) today awarded $1,540,403.50 in Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants through the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) to protect 144.36 acres, including three battlefields in Mississippi and Virginia.  

“The National Park Service is proud to help state and local organizations preserve these historic, cultural, and natural resources,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “These landscapes hold the stories of America’s origins through generations past, and this protection ensures they will be shared with future generations.” 
 
State and local governments spearhead the projects funded by ABPP grants to protect significant battlefield landscapes that are vital to the shared history of their communities and the nation.  

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to help strengthen conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation, makes these awards possible. 

Today’s awards are being made to: 

• Mississippi Department of Archives and History ($219,075.00) for acquisition and preservation of 5.34 acres at Champion Hill Battlefield in Hinds County, Mississippi. 
• Mississippi Department of Archives and History ($43,328.50) for acquisition and preservation of 0.16 acres at Chickasaw Bayou Battlefield in Warren County, Mississippi. 
• Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation ($1,278,000.00) for preservation of 138.86 acres at Deep Bottom and New Market Heights Battlefields in Henrico County, Virginia. 

These stories of America's origins can be seen in the landscape of the Deep Bottom and New Market Heights Battlefields, now protected by the award to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and their preservation partner, the Capital Region Land Conservancy. Due to ample fresh water held in its aquifer, a portion of the property, known as Camp Holly, served as an important military encampment during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. In an August 31, 1814, letter from Thomas Jefferson Randolph to Thomas Jefferson, Randolph notes the camp housed 2,000 militia men. During the Civil War, Camp Holly’s natural landscape in the area served as a significant defense for forces outside of Richmond along New Market Road and formed part of the New Market Line of earthen defenses. Today, the well-preserved Fort Southard and earthworks are located on adjacent land a few yards to the south of the property to be protected. 
 
NPS Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants empower preservation partners nationwide to acquire and preserve threatened battlefields on American soil. In addition, the program administers three other grant programs: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Interpretation and Battlefield Restoration grants. Financial and technical assistance support sustainable, community-driven stewardship of natural and historic resources at the state, Tribal and local levels.  
 
Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants are available on a rolling basis. To learn more about how to apply, head to ABPP’s website. For questions about ABPP grants, contact the program at e-mail us. 
 

www.nps.gov 

 
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 429 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.