As reported before, we have been working to try and preserve part of the site of Camp Letterman, where thousands of Union and Confederate wounded and dying were treated after the battle and the dead buried side-by-side in a cemetery at the camp. Residential and commercial developers have plans for developing the entire area of the site, including the area directly north of the farm. There has been some cooperation with GBPA in hopes of locating and preserving any significant archeological sites and make them accessible to the public. Archeologists have uncovered indications that a portion of Letterman was actually on the Lady farm.There are now four developers involved in the development. We are filed with the Army Corps as an interested party. Letterman was a large camp, comprising of 80 to 100 acres of land. Part of the area was also used in 1918 (Camp Colt) for military men suffering during the killer flu epidemic.Although the Letterman cemetery remains elusive, it is believed that there could be human remains. There is a possibility of up to 20 Confederate and Union soldiers still on the site of the cemetery. Remember, the country was at war and although a National Cemetery was established in Gettysburg, Confederates were not included. They were exhumed many years later and a lot of evidence of gravesites was lost during the time lapse.We need all of you to help with this mighty effort. We received some funding for last year’s archeology work on the farm through the National Trust, some from one of the developers and a major portion through the LeVan Family Foundation. Our hats are off to the Le Van’s for working with us on this great task by offering us a challenge grant – they will match us dollar for dollar with funds raised for this purpose. They have just extended to us $10,000 and we need to match these funds. Donations can be made payable to GBPA-Camp Letterman Project and sent to our post office address.We also need each of you to start a letter writing campaign, individually, through a Civil War Roundtable, or other groups or organizations.The one site where the Letterman monument now sits contains 32 acres. Almost 30 acres of this area is scheduled to be built on and the monument placed by the War Department in 1914 has to be moved because it will be in the access road. The Park Service is totally against this and the development of this site. We are also joining the fight to save this area. The developer (Dave Remmel) is trying to bring a Target store onto this site. The Army Corps is going to hold them “to the fire” because of cultural resources. There was an archeology survey done on part of the site, but only shovel testing was done at the trailer park area.S & A Homes is developing from behind the trailer park area up to the back of the Lady farm and up against Route 15 before the Hanover Street exit. Their development will also drop traffic onto Route 116 which runs beside the farm. Over 230 houses are proposed for this site. We were working with them, but now they have turned a “deaf ear” on preservation. We were trying to have them set aside about 17 acres near Natural Springs Road (near the water tower). Their site manager complained that “they spent $450,000 to do an archeology survey that ‘showed nothing’ and they have lost their patience.” Their archeology survey did turn up evidence!The camp sat on a lot of S & A’s property. We are asking them to set aside a very small portion of ground --17 acres from their approximately 190 acres! We aren’t asking to save all of it -- as you can see it is only a small part.We need you to write to Target and to S & A Homes at the following addresses. Please do so now as time is of the essence. This is truly “hallowed” ground. Maybe a military battle didn’t take place here, but a human life battle surely did. This is the site of the first general hospital during the Civil War where both Union and Confederate troops were treated together and buried together with the same kindness extended to both.Please write and voice your concern to the following addresses:Bob Ulrich, CEO
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