Why were so many Civil War battles fought at Federal Parks and Memorials?

Answer 1

because the Department of the Interior maintains those sites and they make sure that the grass is cut and well maintained. It is easier to fight a battle with cut grass, daisies blooming all over the place, and future cemeteries nearby. Also they had the Department of the Interior officers nearby to act as hall monitors so that the troops could not run off the battlefield. You can hide behind a monument to shoot at your enemy, but you cannot pick a wild flower.

An agency like teh Department of Interior can pass rules to make sure that you are playing war fairly. The only problem in fighting the civil war in a National military park is the cars. Soldiers had to watch out for the cars and tour busses.

the roads into the parks are well maintained and paved. therefore when the armies needed vital supplies like beer, they could call the Budweiser distributor in the area and have some brought right over.

Answer 2

Well the battles tended to take a good bit of space and the land was open. Also the government tends to rent its land out very cheaply which helped to keep the cost of the battles down so they could have more of them. Some critics also point out that the Union battle financiers were pretty sure their side was going to prevail and did not have to expect to pay the rent for all of the battlefields on the southern side if the Confederacy went belly-up. Indeed, some cynics even suggest that that was the reason the Union pressed its attack so hard in the South, fighting most of the battles there so as to avoid having to rent more expensive fields in the North.

Incidentally, as an historical aside, the folks at Bull Run thought to turn the whole thing into something of a cottage industry attracting the military tourist industry by discounting the use of their field to repeat customers, and the discount strategy seemed to work, as they attracted two major engagements.

Some communities, however, were more circumspect. The city Fathers of Frederick, Maryland saw all of the trash and bodies Civil War party-goers left after engagements in other towns and actually paid the Confederates not to bring their road show there.

Answer 3

Because the Union was highly expert in urban planning - what better place to have a battle than at a Federal Park or Memorial?

Answer 4

I don't think the battles were fought at already designated parks and memorials but that those places battles were fought were made so to commemorate the battles fought there

Answer 5

There wasn't anything to "Memoralize" (in memory) until something happened to make it memorable . There was usually just ordinary farm land and then a battle or other incident occured. i.e. therefore this land has been sanctified and should always be remembered due to that supreme sacrifice ..

hope that helps,
The Diva, Darling

Answer 6

because the battle is the reason the places are memorials and federal parks. war memorials they weren't memorials during the war.

Answer 7

in the 18 hundreds for a past time they used to go to the park and fight battles
What I have not figured out is how they knew where to put the roads!

Answer 8

In those days they tried to mix business with pleasure too.
a day in the park, a little picknick, A short bloody battle to ease the digestion etc.

Answer 9

yes, and while you're at it, I'd like to know why they bury dead people in grave yards, why dogs live in dog houses, why the chicken crossed the road, why I feel bad when I'm sick, why water is wet & how many fried rabbit tracks you can eat in15 minutes.

Answer 10

Did you know that Lou Gehrig died of an illness by the name of Lou Gehrig's disease? What are the odds?