Purchasing and surveying the property had been a long process, and it was months before Eric would receive the go‐ahead to begin excavation. Before any lots could be sold or construction could begin, they first had to install drainage pipes, water supply lines, and other critical utility services on the land.

Finally, it was time. When Eric arrived, the bulldozers were lined up and ready to begin. The game plan was to excavate as sparingly as possible and remove only those trees that were absolutely necessary. Homeowners would then determine which trees they wanted to keep and which trees to remove before construction of their custom homes.

Eric couldn't help but feel excited, although, admittedly, he was nervous at the same time. He knew the success of this development would either make or break him. He wished Max was there for reassurance that everything would go smoothly, but his friend and partner had business out of state and had left everything up to Eric. “You'll be fine. You've got the checklist and timeline of everything that needs to be done. And don't forget, we're working with professionals. The surveyors and excavators know what they're doing. Just don't forget to wear your hard hat! Safety first!” he laughed.

Standing on the sidelines, Eric watched as the operators climbed onto the bulldozers and revved up their engines. On schedule, they broke ground just after 8:00 a.m. Like Max said, these guys were professionals. They knew what they were doing and had planned and coordinated the process. Starting at the east end of the development, they would work south and then progress to the west, a less wooded area where the plans were to build a community park and small nature trail.

They made steady progress, scooping out buckets of dirt and strategically placing them in mounds to the side. What was once undisturbed land was now taking on the appearance of a construction in progress. Eric was somewhat mesmerized by it as he watched the ground being turned and the brush and small trees effortlessly being removed from the landscape.

With day one completed and in the books, Eric watched as the equipment was properly secured for the night. The fuel truck would arrive early in the morning to refuel the equipment, making sure the crew could get back to work without delays or down time. For now, there was nothing to do but call it a day and a successful one at that.

* * *

The next morning was a repeat of the day before. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do and didn't have to wait for instructions. Eric's role was to observe and communicate with the supervisors on site, who kept him informed about their progress and what they expected to be able to complete by the end of the day.

It was midmorning when he was approached by Jake, who worked for the excavation company.

“Hey, Eric, there are some gentlemen here who want to talk to you,” he said.

“Okay,” he said, jumping on the four‐wheeler to follow Jake.

When they arrived, the bulldozer had been shut down and the operator was standing to the side talking with two men.

“What's going on?” Eric asked.

Jake walked him over and introduced Eric as the developer.

“We just wanted to check out what's going on here. I understand that you're going to build new homes on this land. But did you know that this spot right here where we're standing is a historic battlefield? In fact, the previous owner granted us permission to have reenactments here every year,” one of the men said.

“A historic battlefield? Really?” Eric asked. “Well, I'm not sure what to do about that. We purchased the land, and it was never disclosed to us. It's not protected land or a landmark or anything, is it?”

“Not officially. But if we need to, we can begin the process. Our main concern is paying respect to the lives lost here and what they fought for.”

“You mean you're really going to try to stop us from building houses on our own land?” Eric asked.

“We thought we'd first approach you and see if we could work this out on friendly terms. A historic battleground is a big deal, and if you break ground on this section, you're going to upset a lot of people,” the second man replied.

“What people?”

“Veterans, for one. That includes members of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and even Daughters of the American Revolution. Then there are the families whose ancestors fought for freedom and liberty. Battlefields represent something significant to them, especially those fought on our soil. What happened on this land affected their lineage and, quite honestly, our country.”

Eric contemplated what they said, realizing that he did, indeed, have an issue and one that could greatly impact the public's perception of their development.

The operator spoke first.

“What do you want us to do, boss?”

“I'm going to have to make some phone calls. Maybe the crew should break early for lunch until I have some answers,” Eric said. Then, turning to the two men, he said, “Can you stick around for a few minutes and show me just where the boundaries are for this battlefield and how big it is?”

“Sure. We can give you a general idea, if that helps.”

“Good. As soon as I know what we're working with, Jake, we can get the crew working outside of the area,” informed Eric. “In the meantime, why don't you move the dozers over to the west end, away from this particular area,” Eric suggested. Within 30 minutes the job site was silent. The machines were shut down, and all of the excavators had taken off in their company trucks, leaving Eric standing with the two men.

“Okay, so how about we walk the property and you two can show me just where this battlefield is?” asked Eric.

As they walked, the men gave Eric some background. According to them, the location for the battle had been specifically chosen because of its hills, which provided cover. In addition, the location marked the boundary between two territories and was heavily defended to prevent the opposition from advancing into occupied territory.

“Who won?” Eric asked, suddenly curious. History had always interested him and here he was standing on the very ground where history was made—history that might have actually changed our country.

“It doesn't matter, does it?” one man replied. “Both sides lost men and even more were injured. What we focus on is that sacrifice—that willingness to go into battle for our country. None of those men are still with us today, but we can honor them all by protecting the site where they fought for us.”

“You've got a point,” Eric admitted.

When they were done, Eric estimated that the battlefield encompassed approximately 20 acres of their land, as well as additional land outside the property's boundaries, which was undeveloped as well. His mind automatically began calculating the cost of the lots and the potential loss if they couldn't sell them. The numbers were significant enough that he knew he needed to call Max.

“Thank you for sharing this information with me,” Eric said. “I'm going to have to talk with my partner and explore our options. In the meantime, I assure you that we won't touch this area, at least not until we have some answers and have tried to reach some agreement with you. If you could leave me with your phone numbers, I will give you a call in the next couple of days.”

After exchanging their contact information, the men left the site, confident that Eric would keep his word. And he fully intended to, but he needed advice. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he sent Max a text, hoping to catch him at a good time.

Ten minutes later, Max did just that.

“What's up, Eric?”

“Well, we just had a couple visitors on the job site here. They're saying this property contains part of a historic battlefield, and they're willing to do what it takes to protect it. This is foreign territory for me. What should I do?”

“A battlefield? Now, that's interesting. Who would have guessed? How much land are they talking about?” Max asked.

“Roughly 20 acres on the east end where the property butts up to the undeveloped property to the north.”

“You know, we weren't developing all of that land anyway. Isn't part of that area supposed to remain scenic, providing a wide open view to the north?”

“Yes, some, but I'm guessing we'll lose about 20 lots or so,” Eric answered.

“Well, Eric, we can't just go on their word. We have to have some sort of documentation or proof before we do anything,” advised Max.

“How do I get that?” Eric asked.

“I'd start with an online search for the local historical society. Maybe look at newspaper archives for articles about the battlefield and the annual reenactments. That should give you something to start with.”

“And, Eric, play nice. Make sure you let these guys know that we are respectful of their position and want to work with them to come to a mutually acceptable solution. We don't want to ruffle any feathers, especially at the beginning stages before the lots go on the market. If this is a historic battlefield and the word gets out that we're not willing to work with them, they can make us look bad to the public, and we don't want that. The saying, ‘Any publicity is good publicity’ does not apply in this business.”

“Okay, I'll get on it right away,” Eric said.

“Good. I've got a meeting in a few minutes. Let me know how it goes.”

Great, looks like I'm on my own. Well, time's a‐wastin', he thought. I'd better call Jake and give them the rest of the day off. They can start on the west end tomorrow.

Eric picked up the phone again.

“Yeah, that's what I expected. Don't worry, though, Eric. We'll be back to work in the morning. I'm sure you'll get this sorted out in day or two,” Jake said.

“I hope so, but I think it's going to take a bit longer. We need to verify the claims and then establish the boundaries. Then we're going to have to figure out a solution, and who knows how long that's going to take?” Eric replied. “You never know with these things. All we can do is wait.”

With a big sigh, Eric resigned himself to the situation at hand. It was his first development and here he was with his hands tied, unable to work.

Eric spent the rest of the day at the library, where he researched newspaper archives about reenactments and the history of the area. The men were right—the Gazette had reported an annual event for the last ten years. From there, he tracked down the county's historical society by phone, where a friendly woman directed him to old black‐and‐white photographs of soldiers and other memorabilia in the library archives, confirmed that there was, indeed, a battle fought on the hilly terrain that was one of the more appealing characteristic of the land. Although Eric knew he had all the information he needed, he remained there for two more hours, finding the documentation and history of the land and surrounding area to be fascinating.

After receiving photocopies of several documents, Eric returned to his own little cabin, thinking that now was a good time to tackle a few small projects he'd been putting off. His mind couldn't switch itself off from the situation, however, and he spent the evening sitting by the river, contemplating different scenarios. He knew that if they attempted to sell a single lot that sat on the battlefield, it would impact people's desire to live there. The press would have a field day with it, and the entire development would suffer as a result. No matter how this played out, it probably wasn't going to be good.

Needing to spend some of his nervous energy, he took a walk down the lane, eventually finding himself at Carl's cabin, which looked precisely the same as it had the last time he'd been there, months before. Sitting at the old kitchen table where he'd first talked to the stranger who quickly became both a mentor and a friend, he wondered what Carl would do in this situation.

I guess there's one way to find out, he thought and picked up his phone to send Carl an email.

Explaining the events of the day, Eric vented his frustration and asked Carl for advice. Within an hour, he received a reply.

Eric read the email and then read it again, each time looking for that single nugget of advice that would help him do the right thing, whatever that was. But it wasn't there—the email was too vague, and while his words offered much‐needed support and reassurance, they lacked the advice he really wanted. With no other options, he accepted the fact that, for now, he could only hope that the answers would come to him soon.

First, he called one of the gentlemen who had visited the site and brought him up to date.

“I just wanted to let you know that we're working on a solution—hopefully, one that works for both of us. But if there is no objection, we would like to continue clearing the land on the west end. I assure you, we will create a large buffer around the area and avoid it until we have a plan.”

The man readily agreed and even thanked Eric. “I really appreciate your willingness to work with us here. We wouldn't have stepped in if it wasn't so important, not only to us, but to the community at large. The historic aspect of the property deserves to be preserved, in our opinion.”

“After doing my own research, I tend to agree with you. If you can give me a couple of days to talk with my partner and review our options, I'd appreciate it,” Eric replied.

After hanging up the phone, Eric remembered Carl's advice. It wasn't the problem itself that would impact the success or failure of the development, but rather how they responded to the problem.

It was time to sit down and look at their options. Then, and only then, would he feel like he could respond appropriately.