Civil War Commission
Resolution to
Governor Roy Barnes
The Georgia Civil War Commission has a mandate from the General Assembly to “preserve, conserve and interpret the legacy of the Civil War in the state of Georgia” and,
the battlefield at Resaca has been designated by the National Park Service and numerous national preservation organizations as a site of the very first priority and,
Resaca is recognized by historians as having great national importance, being the first major battle of the 1864 Atlanta Campaign, a three-day conflict involving more than 150,000 Americans that resulted in more than 6,000 casualties and,
the field is in pristine condition, making it an ideal prospect for a state historic site within the Georgia Division of Parks and,
Civil War sites have proven economic benefit, and Resaca equals Chickamauga and Kennesaw Mountain in economic potential and,
the Resaca battlefield would be a major attraction in Georgia’s Civil War heritage trails network and,
the Civil War Commission has worked closely for the last four years with Gordon County’s Friends of Resaca citizens group to save the battlefield and,
former Governor Zell Miller has written of his interest in saving Resaca and,
the Civil War Commission has raised $3 million to purchase the land at a fair market price, based on several appraisals and,
the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has negotiated diligently with two different owners of the land, both of whom indicated their interest in selling the property and,
the current owner has discussed four different purchase plans with the Department of Natural Resources but has arbitrarily rejected all state offers after a year of negotiations and,
be it resolved that the Georgia Civil War Commission asks Governor Roy Barnes to take all necessary measures, including the power of eminent domain, to “preserve and conserve” the battlefield at Resaca for prosterity, as a splendid memorial to the brave Americans who laid down their lives on that ground in defense of their respective beliefs.
Marilyn Gilhuly,
Chairman, Georgia Civil War Commission
NOTE: You may contact Ms. Gilhuly here.
Visit the Georgia Civil War Comission Web Site here.
