President Greg Bayne of the American Civil War Roundtable of the United Kingdom is pleased to announce that their group has raised $500 that they plan to donate to Save The Franklin Battlefield for their proposed Lorings Advance purchase.
This generous offer to help is not as out-of-the-blue as you might at first think. There are several American CWRTs in Europe, and the UK group has made several visits, as a group and as individuals, to American Civil War sites over the years. In fact, the UK group, under the tutelage of then-President Peter Lockwood, made an extende
d American tour in 2003 that included Franklin. By chance, some of the STFB officers were at Carter House and when Peter’s group learned of our need to raise funds for the Collins Farm debt, they decided on the spot to donate $250 to the effort. The group plans to visit again in April 2012.
In his note to the SFTB offering their assistance, President Bayne pointed out that part of what distinguishes a Civil War Round Table from a Historical Society is the commitment to the preservation of battle sites and other sites and items of historical interest. He added that American Civil War battles were often fought for strategic objectives near towns, rivers and railroads. These economic corridors still exist today and are therefore still vulnerable to development pressures.
The ACWRTUK has for many years provided limited financial assistance to such sites, both in the UK and the US. More important than the size of the donation is the moral support to preservation campaigns that these contributions represent. They act as reminder that these sites are of international interest and support tourism and interest across the world. Many recommendations for preservation come directly from the membership after visiting sites in the US.
Picture Credit: BattleofFranklin.wordpress.com