Your Senator/Representative United States Senate/United States House of Representatives Capitol Building

United States Senate/United States House of Representatives

Capitol Building

Washington D.C. 20001

Today’s Date

Dear Senator/Representative:

I’m contacting you as a constituent requesting your support for the expansion (modification) of American Battlefield Protection Program to include its application to both Revolutionary War and War of 1812 sites, as called for in H.R. 2489 and S. 779.

I’m aware of a little-known site in the Lower Hudson Valley area of New York known as the Fishkill Encampment and Supply Depot, a Revolutionary War complex which, from 1776 through 1783, was a major logistical center for the war effort and included barracks for thousands of soldiers, officer headquarters, prison, hospitals, blacksmith shops, magazines and many other features related to the workings of the war effort. The Depot boundaries extended over 70 acres and are best visualized as a compact military city. Recent archeological studies on the site have revealed what could well be the largest Continental Army Cemetery Complex ever identified in US history. The site of the cemetery complex is on privately-owned land and vulnerable to commercial development.

Proper preservation and interpretation of the Depot site will be a testament to our timeless democratic values and tradition. Unless the American Battlefield Protection Program is amended to include Revolutionary War lands, further commercial development may go unchecked and result in this national treasure being lost forever. I urge you to support the passage of these bills without further delay.

Sincerely,