Site of fierce fighting added to Civil War park

ATLANTA (AP) One of the nation's most-visited Civil War sites will be expanded to include 42 acres where Confederate soldiers tried to stop Union forces from reaching Atlanta.

The Trust for Public Land announced the addition of land to the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in a statement to The Associated Press early Wednesday.

The trust said the addition means the site northwest of Atlanta will be preserved and protected from future development. The trust partners with the National Park Service and other groups to conserve land for public use.

The land being added to the 3,000-acre park was the site of fierce fighting, especially around Nodine's Hill, during the last major battle before Union soldiers reached Atlanta. The land, known as Hays Farm, includes remnants of Union entrenchments, rifle pits, and cannon placements.