II

Calendar No. 318

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 710

[Report No. 106–184]

To authorize a feasibility study on the preservation of certain Civil War

battlefields along the Vicksburg Campaign Trail.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 24, 1999

Mr. LOTT (for himself, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. BREAUX, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr.

THOMAS, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. MURKOWSKI, and MS. LANDRIEU) introduced

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee

on Energy and Natural Resources

OCTOBER 14, 1999

Reported by Mr. MURKOWSKI, with amendments

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

A BILL

To authorize a feasibility study on the preservation of certain

Civil War battlefields along the Vicksburg Campaign Trail.

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 ‘‘Vicksburg Campaign

5 Trail Battlefields Preservation Act of 1999’’.
2

S 710 RS

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

3 (1) there are situated along the Vicksburg

4 Campaign Trail in the States of Mississippi, Lou5 isiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee the sites of several

6 key Civil War battles;

7 (2) the battlefields along the Vicksburg Cam8 paign Trail are collectively of national significance in

9 the history of the Civil War; and

10 (3) the preservation of those battlefields would

11 vitally contribute to the understanding of the herit12 age of the United States.

13 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to author14 ize a feasibility study to determine what measures should

15 be taken to preserve certain Civil War battlefields along

16 the Vicksburg Campaign Trail.

17 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

18 In this Act:

19 (1) CAMPAIGN TRAIL STATE.—The term ‘‘Cam20 paign Trail State’’ means each of the States of Mis21 sissippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee, in22 cluding political subdivisions of those States.

23 (2) CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD.—The term ‘‘Civil

24 War battlefield’’ includes the following sites (includ25 ing related structures adjacent to or thereon):
3

S 710 RS

1 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Civil War

2 battlefield’’ means the land and interests in

3 land that is the site of a Civil War battlefield,

4 including structures on or adjacent to the land,

5 as generally depicted on the Map.

6 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Civil War

7 battlefield’’ includes—

8 (i) (A) the battlefields at Helena and

9 Arkansas Post, Arkansas;

10 (ii) (B) Goodrich’s Landing near

11 Transylvania, and sites in and around

12 Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish,

13 Louisiana;

14 (iii) (C) the battlefield at Milliken’s

15 Bend, Madison Parish, Louisiana;

16 (iv) (D) the route of Grant’s march

17 through Louisiana from Milliken’s Bend to

18 Hard Times, Madison and Tensas Par19 ishes, Louisiana;

20 (v) (E) the Winter Quarters at Tensas

21 Parish, Louisiana;

22 (vi) (F) Grant’s landing site at

23 Bruinsburg, and the route of Grant’s

24 march from Bruinsburg to Vicksburg, Clai-
4

S 710 RS

1 borne, Hinds, and Warren Counties, Mis2 sissippi;

3 (vii) (G) the battlefield at Port Gibson

4 (including Shaifer House, Bethel Church,

5 and the ruins of Windsor), Claiborne

6 County, Mississippi;

7 (viii) (H) the battlefield at Grand

8 Gulf, Claiborne County, Mississippi;

9 (ix) (I) the battlefield at Raymond

10 (including Waverly, (the Peyton House)),

11 Hinds County, Mississippi;

12 (x) (J) the battlefield at Jackson,

13 Hinds County, Mississippi;

14 (xi) (K) the Union siege lines around

15 Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi;

16 (xii) (L) the battlefield at Champion

17 Hill (including Coker House), Hinds Coun18 ty, Mississippi;

19 (xiii) (M) the battlefield at Big Black

20 River Bridge, Hinds and Warren Counties,

21 Mississippi;

22 (xiv) (N) the Union fortifications at

23 Haynes Bluff, Confederate fortifications at

24 Snyder’s Bluff, and remnants of Federal

25 exterior lines, Warren County, Mississippi;
5

S 710 RS

1 (xv) (O) the battlefield at Chickasaw

2 Bayou, Warren County, Mississippi;

3 (xvi) (P) Pemberton’s Headquarters

4 at Warren County, Mississippi;

5 (xvii) (Q) the site of actions taken in

6 the Mississippi Delta and Confederate for7 tifications near Grenada, Grenada County,

8 Mississippi;

9 (xviii) (R) the site of the start of

10 Greirson’s Raid and other related sites,

11 LaGrange, Tennessee; and

12 (xix) (S) any other sites considered

13 appropriate by the Secretary.

14 (3) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en15 titled ‘‘Vicksburg Campaign Trail National Battle16 fields’’, numbered lll, and dated lll.

17 (4) (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’

18 means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through

19 the Director of the National Park Service.

20 SEC. 4. FEASIBILITY STUDY.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the

22 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete

23 a feasibility study to determine what measures should be

24 taken to preserve Civil War battlefields along the Vicks25 burg Campaign Trail.
6

S 710 RS

1 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after funds

2 are made available for this Act, the Secretary shall complete

3 a feasibility study to determine what measures should be

4 taken to preserve Civil War battlefields along the Vicksburg

5 Campaign Trail.

6 (b) COMPONENTS.—In completing the study, the Sec7 retary shall—

8 (1) enter into contracts with entities to use ad9 vanced technology such as remote sensing, river

10 modeling, and flow analysis to determine which

11 property included in the Civil War battlefields

12 should be preserved, restored, managed, maintained,

13 or acquired due to the national historical signifi14 cance of the property;

15 (1) review current National Park Service pro16 grams, policies and criteria to determine the most ap17 propriate means of ensuring the Civil War battlefields

18 and associated natural, cultural, and historical re19 sources are preserved;

20 (2) evaluate options for the establishment of a

21 management entity for the Civil War battlefields

22 consisting of a unit of government or a private non23 profit organization that—

24 (A) administers and manages the Civil

25 War battlefields; and
7

S 710 RS

1 (B) possesses the legal authority to—

2 (i) receive Federal funds and funds

3 from other units of government or other

4 organizations for use in managing the Civil

5 War battlefields;

6 (ii) disburse Federal funds to other

7 units of government or other nonprofit or8 ganizations for use in managing the Civil

9 War battlefields;

10 (iii) enter into agreements with the

11 Federal government, State governments, or

12 other units of government and nonprofit

13 organizations; and

14 (iv) acquire land or interests in land

15 by gift or devise, by purchase from a will16 ing seller using donated or appropriated

17 funds, or by donation;

18 (3) make recommendations to the Campaign

19 Trail States for the management, preservation, and

20 interpretation of the natural, cultural, and historical

21 resources of the Civil War battlefields;

22 (4) identify appropriate partnerships among

23 Federal, State, and local governments, regional enti24 ties, and the private sector, including nonprofit orga25 nizations and the organization known as ‘‘Friends of
8

S 710 RS

1 the Vicksburg Campaign and Historic Trail’’, in fur2 therance of the purposes of this Act; and

3 (5) recommend methods of ensuring continued

4 local involvement and participation in the manage5 ment, protection, and development of the Civil War

6 battlefields.

7 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date

8 of completion of the study under this section, the Sec9 retary shall submit a report describing the findings of the

10 study to—

11 (1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Re12 sources of the Senate; and

13 (2) the Committee on Resources of the House

14 of Representatives.

15 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is

16 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act

17 $1,500,000.

Calendar No. 318

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 710

[Report No. 106–184]

A BILL

To authorize a feasibility study on the preservation

of certain Civil War battlefields along the Vicksburg Campaign Trail.

OCTOBER 14, 1999

Reported with amendments