A Salute to Ed Bearss
Tennesseans joined the national community of battlefield preservationists in remembering the life and service of Ed Bearss (1923-2020). Throughout his distinguished career with the National Park Service (NPS) as a research historian and Chief Historian, Ed championed the cause of Civil War battlefield preservation and interpretation. Ed was the principal participant in preparing the 1993 Civil War Sites Advisory Commission report which became the guidebook to a new and successful era of battlefield preservation. During his NPS career, Ed also pioneered work in historic site mapping and documentation including many Civil War battlefields. His research is still an essential resource for site managers.
After retiring from the NPS, Ed’s battlefield tours captivated thousands of people with whom he trekked hundreds of battle sites both around the United States and the world. Many of these tours brought Ed to Tennessee, and he stayed connected to his Tennessee community of friends and associates. To this end, he remained a supporter and honorary advisory board member of the Tennessee Civil Preservation Association.
As a research historian, Ed developed historic base maps for several national battlefields including Stones River. His hand drawn maps depict battle landscape features including fence lines, forest/field cover, built features, roads, etc. and all are documented from primary sources. These maps continue to guide landscape management at battlefields and other historic sites.
