Battlefield thieves sought by Park Service

    The National Park Service announced that it is investigating a looting that took place last week at the Petersburg National Battlefield, just outside Richmond. Park staff found “excavations” within the park by thieves probably digging for relics of Union and Confederate soldiers who died there, according to a news release from the park service.       
    The Union Army's siege of Petersburg, the longest event of the Civil War, stretched from June 1864 until April 1865, as the Union troops settled in to cut off the South’s supply lines. More than 1,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died in the fighting. During the siege, the Federals famously attempted to explode a mine beneath the Confederates in an effort to take the heights above Petersburg.
    While an area of the battlefield has been declared a crime scene after the looting, the remainder of the park is open to visitors.
    Looting archeological resources is a federal crime under the Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, according to the Park Service. Conviction could bring fines up to $20,000 or imprisonment for up to two years, or both. Even so, only 14 percent of looting cases are resolved. The overwhelming majority, 95 percent, end with misdemeanor convictions. Anyone with tips or information about the case should call this toll-free number: 888-653-0009.

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