THE CIVIL WAR NEWS & THE WATCHDOG
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ANNOUNCEMENT ONE

According to the Civil War Preservation Trust:

Today, our Civil War battlefields are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Hallowed ground, where more than 600,000 Americans gave their lives, is being paved over for shopping malls and housing tracts. The same land upon which our nation was formed--where our ancestors fought and died--is being consumed by fast food restaurants, amusement parks, and other forms of urban sprawl.

Nearly 20 percent of America's Civil War battlefields have already been lost forever to future generations. Of those that remain, only 15 percent are protected by the Federal government.1

To which, let me add, most of us sit idly by and allow this to happen “on our watch.” We are all culpable, and frankly, this generation will have a good deal of explaining to do to their children’s children. What will you say when they ask what you did about saving battlefield land besides an occasional visit to a museum or “living history” demonstration at one of  the NPS Battlefield Parks. Did you assuage your culpability with a minimal donation while there? What will the experiences of the next generation be of this powerful part of American history?1

At The Watchdog, all monetary proceeds from publications after expenses go to battlefield preservation, not a portion, but one hundred percent. Our most recent donation of a reproduction US 1841”Mississippi” rifle raffle raised an estimated $2,000 for Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF) in 2008, making a total of over $8,500 raised for CCBF from Watchdog sponsored raffles in the past five years. In addition, many of the authors of our books and pamphlets, including myself, (The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy), Patrick Reardon (Making Cartridges) and John E. Tobey (Columbia Rifles Research Compendium second edition) donate their share of publishing royalties and compensation entirely to battlefield preservation.2 You can disagree with the recent actions of CCBF relative to coming to an agreement with the Belgian owned mining operation in their backyard, but we are not preachers and this is not a sermon. Individually, we may not agree with their actions but we have to trust that CCBF is acting with the best interests of the historic property they manage, just as they have always done. As recently as last year Cedar Creek was number one on the list of “most endangered battlefield property.” 3

Before we ourselves feel the icy hand of commerce grabbing up more unprotected battlefield land, consider skipping lunch one day per week and donate the proceeds saved over the course of the year to battlefield preservation. Support The Civil War News by continuing to subscribe, and encourage new members in your circle of Civil War enthusiasts to benefit from a subscription of their own. Give a gift subscription to a friend. Consider whether you or members of your group could benefit from purchasing a couple of the Watchdog’s Civil War publications. We will have available during 2009 books, anthologies and pamphlets in perfect bound or in CD ROM format, including a planned research anthology of the Volumes 1 through 15 of the original The Watchdog quarterly newsletters (1993 through 2007) as well as an updated and expanded Second Edition of The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy. You can rest secure in the knowledge that by taking any of these mutually beneficial steps you will support the preservation of a diminishing and non-renewable historical resource. With respect to battlefield preservation, “The future depends on what we do in the present” 4 and it is all a matter of priorities. Those with more than a passing interest in history are past the point where there is any reasonable debate about the recognition of what needs to happen.

The Watchdog’s motto has long been “Getting It Right since 1993” on many matters relative to the material culture of the 1860s. However, this also means we need to be “doing the right thing” today. For this reason, we are beginning a partnership with The Civil War News beginning in January 2009. The legacy of The Civil War News in the Civil War historical community goes even further back than our own. Michael Cavanaugh started what is now the Civil War News as The Civil War Book Exchange in 1974. About ten years later Historical Publications (headed by professional journalists Pete and Kay Jorgensen) ushered in The Civil War News-era. Civil War News grew into the Mecca for book reviews of Civil War publications and related preservation news articles. The Watchdog looks forward to our new partnership with The Civil War News and to bringing historical research along with new topical information of relevance to The Civil War News readers in 2009.

NOTES:
  1. Civil War Preservation Trust www.civilwar.org
  2. With the exception of Reardon, who donates the full amount of proceeds but has earmarked the funds for the Museum of the Confederacy, for which he serves on the Board of Directors. The museum is a battlefield of a different sort and it is no less important as a cause.
  3. Ibid, CWPT Endangered Battlefield ranking for 2007.
  4. Mohandas Karamchand (“Mahatma”) Gandhi (1869–1948).

A link to The Civil War News: www.civilwarnews.com

This article was written by Craig L. Barry, former editor and business partner. He has resigned and is involved in other projects related to re-enacting and Civil War weapons. A revised edition of his book, The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy—Lock, Stock and Barrel is under development. In the meantime, there are still copies of the first edition of his available for $30 (includes shipping) at:

The Watchdog
PO BOX 1675
Warren, MI 48090-1675

Future publishing plans by The Watchdog are under review and an update will be posted here once those business decisions are finalized. The mission will remain the same—to raise funds for historic preservation through the sales of publications. This may include reprints of Making Cartridges by Patrick Reardon and For Fatigue Purposes . . . by Patrick Brown as well as new publications.

Copies of all back issues of The Watchdog are still available for one dollar each.

The Columbia Rifles Research Compendium, second edition is out of print and will not be reprinted by The Watchdog.

If you have any questions, contact Bill Christen at thedog@watchdogreview.com or by mail at the address above.

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The Watchdog :: PO BOX 1675, Warren, MI 48090-1675 :: thedog@watchdogreview.com