Today the Civil War Preservation Trust rolled out a letter to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, signed by 253 historians, urging the company not to build a supercenter across the street from the Wilderness Civil War Battlefield in Central Virginia. The CWPT brought in some big-timers, too - including David McCullough and Ken Burns - arguably the nation’s most prominent history writer and documentary filmmaker, respectively. 

Wal-Mart finally submitted its application for a special building permit this week, so the site fight has officially begun. And don’t look for it to quiet down anytime soon. DC media has picked up the story, and we know that the CWPT isn’t going to let up any time soon.

This morning, stories on the letter ran in the Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star and in Associated Press.

Read the full letter and full list of signees here.

Dear Mr. Scott:

I urge you in the strongest possible terms to pursue alternate building locations for the Walmart Supercenter proposed in Orange County, Virginia. The site currently under consideration lies within the historic boundary of the Wilderness Battlefield and only one quarter mile from the current boundary of the Wilderness Battlefield unit of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

The Battle of the Wilderness was among the most significant engagements of the Civil War. It marked the first time legendary generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant faced off against one another on the field of battle. During two days of desperate conflict in a harsh, unforgiving landscape tangled with underbrush, 4,000 Americans lost their lives and nearly 20,000 were wounded.

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Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee don’t agree very often. But they do agree that Wal-Mart has no place at a Civil War battlefield.

Wal-Mart is currently in the process of applying for a permit to build a 141,487-square-foot supercenter on the land adjacent to the battlefield in Orange County, Virginia, a site already served by four Wal-Mart stores within a 20-mile radius. There is already firm opposition from local community groups, as well as a host of national groups including the Civil War Preservation Trust, the National Historic Preservation and the National Parks Conservation Association.

The Civil War Preservation Trust is leading the charge against Wal-Mart, and they’ve made a great website full of info on the fight.