I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4868 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource 

study of Fort Pillow Historic State Park in Henning, Tennessee, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 19, 2018 

Mr. RUSH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

special resource study of Fort Pillow Historic State Park 

in Henning, Tennessee, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fort Pillow National 

5 Battlefield Park Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) Fort Pillow was built by Confederate troops 

2 in 1861 and named after General Gideon J. Pillow 

3 of Maury County. 

4 (2) In 1862, the area was abandoned due to the 

5 Union Navy advancement along the Mississippi 

6 River. 

7 (3) The Fort was attacked and captured by the 

8 Union Navy, which mostly controlled it during the 

9 war. 

10 (4) On June 4, 1862, Confederate troops evacu11 ated Fort Pillow, enabling Union troops to take 

12 Memphis, Tennessee. 

13 (5) On April 12, 1864, the Battle of Fort Pil14 low was fought at Fort Pillow on the Mississippi 

15 River in Henning, Tennessee, during the American 

16 Civil War. 

17 (6) The Confederate troops defeated the Union 

18 Navy, resulting in the death of 229 of the 262 black 

19 Union soldiers engaged in the battle. 

20 (7) In 1971, Fort Pillow became a State park. 

21 (8) In 1973, Fort Pillow was designated as a 

22 Historic Park. 

23 (9) Fort Pillow Historic State Park consists of 

24 1,642 acres. 


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1 (10) It preserves the American Civil War site of 

2 the Battle of Fort Pillow. 

3 (11) The park contains several attraction areas 

4 such as a Civil War museum, hiking trail, camping 

5 ground, and picnic area. 

6 SEC. 3. FORT PILLOW SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY. 

7 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior (referred 

8 to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall conduct a spe9 cial resource study of Fort Pillow Historic State Park in 

10 Henning, Tennessee. 

11 (b) CONTENTS.—In conducting the study under sub12 section (a), the Secretary shall— 

13 (1) evaluate the national significance of the 

14 site; 

15 (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of 

16 designating the site as a unit of the National Park 

17 System; and 

18 (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, 

19 protection, and interpretation of the lands by Fed20 eral, State, or local governmental entities, or private 

21 and nonprofit organizations. 

22 (c) APPLICABLE LAW.—The study authorized under 

23 subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with sec24 tion 100507 of title 54, United States Code. 


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1 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

2 on which funds are first made available for the study 

3 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the 

4 Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep5 resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 

6 Resources of the Senate a report that describes— 

7 (1) the findings of the study; and 

8 (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the 

9 Secretary. 

Æ 


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