Click on the image to toggle between historic and present-day photos. 1 of 3
Fighting for Preservation Photographs by Andrew J. Russell/National Archives, and Michael Melford
Yankee soldiers (historical photo) in Virginia's Spotsylvania County wait for the next clash with Rebels, a repeated act of violence from 1861 to 1865. In a recreation of the 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Civil War aficionados (present-day photo) carry rifle muskets, wear 19th-century-style Rebel uniforms, and hoist the Confederate battle flag. Today this strategic location, midway between the wartime capitals of Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., is still the scene of battle: Concerned citizens, including many Civil War reenactors, are struggling to stop flourishing development on land where Americans fought each other to the death.
Photo Fast Facts
Camera: Canon 1DS Film Type: Digital Lens: 35mm Speed and F-Stop: 1/60 @ f/5.6
Weather Conditions: Cloudy Time of Day: 9 a.m. Lighting Techniques: Natural light
