More than $945,000 in grant funding has been awarded to help preserve over 300 acres of historic battlefield land in Resaca, marking a major step in protecting one of Northwest Georgia’s significant Civil War sites.
The newly established Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund has awarded its first two grants, totaling $945,475, to support the American Battlefield Trust’s ongoing preservation efforts at Resaca Battlefield.
The fund is named in honor of legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, who was also a historian and longtime advocate for battlefield preservation.
The grants will help protect approximately 303 acres of historically significant land that had faced potential development threats in recent years.
In early 2025, the property was the subject of an effort to rezone the land for industrial use. Although that rezoning attempt was unsuccessful, the property remained vulnerable to future development until it was acquired by the American Battlefield Trust.
The newly protected acreage adds to more than 1,000 acres previously preserved by the organization at Resaca Battlefield.
The land played an important role in the Battle of Resaca, fought in May 1864 during Union Major General William T. Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign.
The battle was part of Sherman’s military operations through North Georgia as Union forces advanced toward Atlanta. The fighting around Resaca involved significant engagements between Union and Confederate troops and helped shape the course of the campaign.
Preservation advocates say protecting the additional acreage will help future generations better understand the military movements and fighting that took place in the area.
The Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund was established to support the preservation of historically significant battlefield properties throughout Georgia, continuing Dooley’s commitment to protecting the state’s military history.
The Resaca grants represent the first awards made through the new program, with additional battlefield preservation projects expected to receive support in the future.
For Gordon County and the surrounding Northwest Georgia region, the funding represents another major investment in preserving local history and protecting land associated with one of the Civil War’s most important military campaigns.
With the latest preservation effort, the American Battlefield Trust has now protected more than 1,300 acres at Resaca Battlefield, helping ensure that the historic landscape remains available for education, historical interpretation, and future generations.