The educated mind grieves at reading that Civil War battlefields are attracting dramatically fewer visitors.

These battlefields, especially as manned by enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guides, are national treasures. These martial grounds are incalculably valuable not because some “Lost Cause” devotees want to mythologize Confederate honor but because they sear into visiting souls some key sensibilities and understandings important for good citizenship. In particular, they impart an appreciation for how virtues such as courage and sacrifice meld with practicalities such as logistics and terrain, in ways that change the fate of nations.