ORANGE, Va. - A group is fighting to stop a Wal-Mart from being built near the Civil War-era Wilderness Battlefield in Orange, Va.

Wal-Mart opponents have enlisted help from Union leader Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee in an online advertisement. "We weren't exactly on the same side when we were alive," the ad says. "But on one thing, we agreed; we agreed that Wal-Mart should not build a giant supercenter here, at the historic Wilderness Battlefield in Virginia."

Opponents have declared war on the retail giant's proposal to build a 145,000 square foot store right next to the historic Wilderness Battlefield, one of several of its kind in the historic area. "This is what we consider hallowed ground," said Craig Rains of Friends of Wilderness Battlefield. "When you get a commercial property development like that, it destroys the feeling of this hallowed ground."

One-hundred and sixty thousand troops took part in the famous Civil War battle in May 1864. It was a draw, but led to the north changing its strategy and defeating the south.

Wal-Mart wants to buy 20 acres of land behind the Wilderness Shopping Center on Route 3 at Route 20. It's already zoned commercial and would provide 300 jobs, most of them full time.

Wal-Mart currently has five other stores in the area, including one going up in nearby Stafford County.

"I think it'd be a good benefit," said area resident Fred Sekely. "Save a lot of time going all the way into town, and probably promote a lot of jobs in this area."

Others in the area, however, don't want more traffic and development. "There's already a Wal-Mart10 miles that way and a Wal-Mart 10 miles that way, said Colby Cobb."Do we really need one right here?"

In a statement, Wal-Mart declared, "we're definitely committed to this site." They added, "we're cognizant of (the battlefield issue) and planning to put in appropriate buffers." That could mean leaving some acreage undeveloped.