"In the century and a half since the Civil War, both private and public entities, have earnestly sought to safeguard the legacy of that seismic conflict through the preservation of its battlefields. In Altogether Fitting and Proper, Timothy B. Smith provides the most comprehensive synthesis ever written of the long history of those preservation efforts. Smith traces the story of battlefield park establishment from the war and the Reconstruction era through the "Golden Age of Preservation" at the turn of the century, to the New Deal period and well beyond. While Smith's primary focus is on the famous national parks, he also examines the endeavors of state and local governments, as well as an assortment of private organizations, to establish parks and monuments for lesser-known battle sites..." -- from back cover.