From the Richmond Times-Dispatch, 6/4/1915, p. 11, c. 5

FORMS ORGANIZATION TO MARK BATTLE FIELDS
New Association Also Plans Road Around City Connecting Outer Defenses
NETWORK OF OTHER ROADS

Committees Appointed and Preliminary Engineering Work is to Start at Once—Aid of Government to Be Asked Later.

At a meeting of the executive committee of the Association for the Marking of the Battle Fields Around Richmond held yesterday morning at 10 o’clock in the directors’ rooms of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company a working start was made on a plan to surround Richmond with a road following the line of its outer defenses during the War Between the States, marking the principal fortifications in some suitable way, building additional roads linking the main thoroughfare with the battle fields and marking those fields. The plan contemplates the raising of a fund by private subscription, when that is done to ask aid of the city and State and when the city and State have joined in the movement and made it plain that Virginia and Richmond are in earnest in the undertaking, to ask the aid of the general government. The executive committee lost no time in getting to work, as the organization was only formed the day before.

Movement Launched at Luncheon Wednesday

The meeting to discuss the proposed marking of the battle fields was held Wednesday at the residence of Stanhope Bolling, 1005 Grove Avenue, who invited a number of well-known men to luncheon for the purpose of launching the project. Those present were Governor H.C. Stuart, Governor Richard I. Manning, of South Carolina; Colonel Henry C. Douglas, of New York; Congressman Andrew Jackson Montague; Joseph Packard, of Baltimore; George W. Stevens, Wyndham R. Meredith, Levin Joynes, Colonel Barton H. Grundy, Charles E. Bolling, Blair Bolling, Eppa Hunton, Jr., J.T. Anderson, C.D. Langhorne, Egbert G. Leigh, Lilburn T. Myers, Dr. George Ben Johnston, Dr. Joseph A. White, William H. White, Dr. W.T. Openhimer.
A number of addresses were made, and on motion of Dr. George Ben Johnston the meeting resolved itself into an association for the marking of the battle fields around Richmond. The following, on motion, were named as the executive committee: George W. Stevens (chairman), Eppa Hunton, Jr., Egbert Leigh, Charles E. Bolling, William H. White, Dr. George Ben Johnston and Wyndham R. Meredith.

At the meeting of the executive committee held yesterday morning William H. White submitted a Federal map made in 1864, showing what was designated as “the rebel fortifications of Richmond.” City Engineer Charles E. Bolling also exhibited government maps showing the defenses of the city.

The meeting lasted for two hours, and every aspect of the matter at issue was considered. After discussion it was decided to begin work looking to the construction of a broad road by the outer defenses of Richmond all around from the north to the south of Richmond, this thoroughfare to be something after the fashion of the Ring Strasse in Vienna. In addition there would be under the plans launched yesterday a network of roads connecting the battle fields with the principal thoroughfare and with one another, and the battle fields themselves would be appropriately marked. With such a system of roads and marking of the battlegrounds, it is pointed out by the promoters of the movement, students of the war game and tourists would be tremendously aided in getting an intelligent idea of Richmond’s defenses and how tactical problems were worked out by the military men who directed the conflicts of the sixties.

Dr. George Ben Johnston and Charles E. Bolling were appointed a committee to employ the necessary engineering corps to map out the general plan. It will take, it is calculated, something like sixty days to do this. After the plan in broad outline has been worked out and something tangible has been formulated the War Department will be asked by Congressman Montague to lend the assistance of an army engineer for the further development of the undertaking.

President Stevens, of the Chesapeake and Ohio, offered the aid of one or two of the engineers of his road, and the committee hopes that Colonel Henry C. Douglas, of New York, who attended the luncheon at the residence of Mr. Bolling, and who built a number of the most important of the fortifications, will come to Richmond and spend two weeks aiding in getting the project in proper shape for the application to be made for the co-operation of the War Department.

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