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The site of the Siege at Bridgeport, Alabama is in jeopardy
of being purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA. The ash pond collapse at the TVA plant in Kingston, TN and a minor
leak from the ponds in Bridgeport, AL has TVA trying to purchase all lands bordering their ash ponds. In Bridgeport all the
land a mile south of the reenactment site has been purchased and TVA is negotiating with land owners to purchase the lands
a mile north of the site.The sites owners,
JoJohn, Jere and Haley McCraw, have been contacted by TVA asking to appraise the land. The brothers were offered several purchase
offers refusing all of them and even refusing the appraisal. The brothers feel two things are keeping TVA from taking their
land. One is the fact the farm was given to their family by a land patent from Andrew Jackson on September 4, 1834. JoJohn
and Jere told TVA that their farm had been in the family for 175 years and the land was not for sale. Secondly is the civil
war reenactment, the Siege of Bridgeport, AL. The reenactment has been an annual event for 16 years and has grown to become
the largest reenactment in Alabama. During meetings with officials from TVA, the Siege was mentioned many times by their representatives.
Jere said “a proposal was even made that if the land was sold to TVA the event could still be held on the property for
as long as we lived”.The brothers
would like to thank the soldiers and civilians that have attended the event throughout the 16 years and want to assure them
the event will continue in the future. Plans are already being made for next year’s event to be held March 26-28, 2010.
The brothers ask everyone to attend this year to show TVA the importance of the reverence we all have for the soldiers fighting
in War Between the States. In addition they urge you to write you Congressman to let them know the taking of sites needs to
be halted. Enough are being lost through urban sprawl and land owners having to sale for economic reasons. Jere’s
last comment was “at least we will have the site to ourselves and want have to worry about bothering the neighbors”.
JoJohn may be reached at 256-437-8873 or at jjm@cardinfp.com and Jere at 423-280-8991 or bmscoachd2004@yahoo.com
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