Sample Letters
Sample House Letters | Sample Senate Letters

Below are sample letters you can send to your U.S. Senators and Representatives.  These are merely examples so please take the time to personalize the letter and let your elected officials know why this issue is so important to you.  If you notice any battlefield sites that are eligible to be saved in your state or district, you may want to include that information and stress the importance of preserving that particular battlefield. 

You can find the office address for any of your elected officials by using the Find Your Lawmakers link on the left.

Remember, be courteous, be concise and be passionate! If you have questions please contact Brent Laurenz at takeaction@civilwar.org or 800-298-7878 ext. 220 if you need assistance.

 

Sample House Letter 1

Dear Representative ____________ :

As a constituent, I am writing to request that you sign on as a cosponsor to the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2007, H.R. 2933.  This legislation reauthorizes the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, a program that helps protect hallowed ground that witnessed America’s greatest conflict.  The preservation of these battlefields is very important to me, and with the successful passing of this bill we will be making great strides toward preserving this land for generations to come.

The federal Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program has been the principal vehicle for providing matching grants for battlefield preservation over the last eight years.  This program is responsible for helping save 14,000 acres of battlefield land in 15 states.  Included in these 14,000 acres are such important historical properties as Antietam, Manassas, Fort Donelson, and Harpers Ferry.  It is my desire to see this program reauthorized so we can all work together to preserve thousands more acres.

Civil War battlefields today are threatened by ever-expanding suburban sprawl and the increased traffic that ultimately follows, which makes the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2007 even more important because if we don’t act soon it may be too late.  With the approach of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, the need to preserve our battlefields is even greater.  Preserved battlefields are likely to see a dramatic increase in visitation to coincide with the anniversary.

I urge you to cosponsor this legislation and help preserve a part of America’s past for future generations.

Sincerely,

Sample House Letter 2

Dear Representative ___________ :

As a constituent living in your district, I write to request that you cosponsor the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2007, H.R. 2933.  This bill has broad, bipartisan support and is designed to reauthorize the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program for an additional five years.  Successful passage of this legislation will ensure that many more battlefields are spared from development and thousands more acres of historic open land will be preserved for future generations. 

The Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program has been the primary source for matching grants for battlefield preservation over the last eight years.  In that time, the program has been used to preserve 14,000 acres of land in 15 states.  This remarkable accomplishment would not have been possible without federal money, which is why it is so important to reauthorize the bill to maintain funding for battlefield preservation.

I am writing to you today because I am concerned about the future of our nation’s battlefields as development and sprawl creep across our country threatening to destroy extremely important historical lands.  The Civil War Preservation Act of 2007 will go a long way toward preventing the destruction of our battlefields, and will provide key funding for battlefield preservation as the 150th anniversary of the war approaches, which is likely to bring with it a renewed interest in Civil War history.

The issue of battlefield preservation is very important to me, which is why I urge you to cosponsor this legislation.

Sincerely,

Sample Senate Letter 1

Dear Senator ____________ :

As a constituent, I am writing to request that you sign on as a cosponsor to the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2007, S. 1921.  This legislation reauthorizes the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, a program that helps protect hallowed ground that witnessed America’s greatest conflict.  The preservation of these battlefields is very important to me, and with the successful passing of this bill we will be making great strides toward preserving this land for generations to come.

The federal Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program has been the principal vehicle for providing matching grants for battlefield preservation over the last eight years.  This program is responsible for helping save 14,000 acres of battlefield land in 15 states.  Included in these 14,000 acres are such important historical properties as Antietam, Manassas, Fort Donelson, and Harpers Ferry.  It is my desire to see this program reauthorized so we can all work together to preserve thousands more acres.

Civil War battlefields today are threatened by ever-expanding suburban sprawl and the increased traffic that ultimately follows, which makes the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2007 even more important because if we don’t act soon it may be too late.  With the approach of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, the need to preserve our battlefields is even greater.  Preserved battlefields are likely to see a dramatic increase in visitation to coincide with the anniversary.
 
I urge you to cosponsor this legislation and help preserve a part of America’s past for future generations.

Sincerely,

Sample Senate Letter 2

Dear Senator __________ :

As a constituent, I write to request that you cosponsor the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2007, S. 1921.  This bill has broad, bipartisan support and is designed to reauthorize the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program for an additional five years.  Successful passage of this legislation will ensure that many more battlefields are spared from development and thousands more acres of historic open land will be preserved for future generations. 

The Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program has been the primary source for matching grants for battlefield preservation over the last eight years.  In that time, the program has been used to preserve 14,000 acres of land in 15 states.  This remarkable accomplishment would not have been possible without federal money, which is why it is so important to reauthorize the bill to maintain funding for battlefield preservation.

I am writing to you today because I am concerned about the future of our nation’s battlefields as development and sprawl creep across our country threatening to destroy extremely important historical lands.  The Civil War Preservation Act of 2007 will go a long way toward preventing the destruction of our battlefields, and will provide key funding for battlefield preservation as the 150th anniversary of the war approaches, which is likely to bring with it a renewed interest in Civil War history.

The issue of battlefield preservation is very important to me, which is why I urge you to cosponsor this legislation.

Sincerely,

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