"Witness trees, like the land we save, have seen things we cannot imagine, and bear the marks of our nation's history."
 |
| Tree Damage on Culp's Hill ; American Civil War Forums So much steel flying through the air. |
"Witness trees are those flora of historic landscapes that remain in place decades or even centuries after noteworthy events unfolded there. Often the trees were young when the event took place, and have now grown to be massive, silent sentinels of history. These trees often evoke strong emotions when we see them, knowing they were present during some of our nation's most harrowing times. Nor is ours the first generation to attach significance to these trees; last year a tree was lost at George Washington's Mount Vernon that was known to have witnessed the General's life and had been carved with corps insignia by Union troops stationed on the property eager to leave their own mark on that piece of the past. So meaningful are these trees that great efforts may be taken to protect them. In 2006, the National Park Service created the Witness Tree Protection Program to safeguard 24 historically and biologically significant trees in the greater Washington, D.C., area, including the famous 1910 Japanese Flowering Cherry Trees and the Grant Memorial Bull Oak. In instances where a notable witness tree is lost to age, lightning strike or other cause – as in the case with the famous Charter Oak of Colonial Connecticut or Wye Oak of Maryland – its scions, intentionally gathered and planted, may take on near-mythic stature as well.
"Below are stories of some of the documented witness trees that still stand on America's battlefields. In many cases, they provide essential context and markers on battlefields, allowing us to better identify where parts of chaotic battles occurred. The trees, like the land we save, have seen things we cannot imagine, and bear the marks of those events.
Revolutionary War-Era Trees . . .; War of 1812-Era Trees . . .; Civil War-Era Trees . . .
Gettysburg Witness Trees Main Battlefield Witness Tree Map ; Main Battlefield Witness Tree Map
Spotsylvania battle: This Shattered, Bullet-Riddled Stump Shows the Violent Intensity of Civil War Battle
