[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H884-H886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




KENNESAW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 
                                  2015

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3371) to adjust the boundary of the Kennesaw Mountain 
National Battlefield Park to include the Wallis House and Harriston 
Hill, and for other purposes.

[[Page H885]]

  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3371

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Kennesaw Mountain National 
     Battlefield Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park was 
     authorized as a unit of the National Park System on June 26, 
     1935. Prior to 1935, parts of the park had been acquired and 
     protected by Civil War veterans and the War Department.
       (2) Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park protects 
     Kennesaw Mountain and Kolb's Farm, which are battle sites 
     along the route of General Sherman's 1864 campaign to take 
     Atlanta.
       (3) Most of the park protects Confederate positions and 
     strategy. The Wallis House is one of the few original 
     structures remaining from the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain 
     associated with Union positions and strategy.
       (4) The Wallis House is strategically located next to a 
     Union signal station at Harriston Hill.

     SEC. 3. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT; LAND ACQUISITION; 
                   ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) Boundary Adjustment.--The boundary of the Kennesaw 
     Mountain National Battlefield Park is modified to include the 
     approximately 8 acres identified as ``Wallis House and 
     Harriston Hill'', and generally depicted on the map titled 
     ``Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Proposed 
     Boundary Adjustment'', numbered 325/80,020, and dated 
     February 2010.
       (b) Map.--The map referred to in subsection (a) shall be on 
     file and available for inspection in the appropriate offices 
     of the National Park Service.
       (c) Land Acquisition.--The Secretary of the Interior is 
     authorized to acquire, from willing owners only, land or 
     interests in land described in subsection (a) by donation or 
     exchange.
       (d) Administration of Acquired Lands.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior shall administer land and interests in land acquired 
     under this section as part of the Kennesaw Mountain National 
     Battlefield Park in accordance with applicable laws and 
     regulations.
       (e) Written Consent of Owner.--No non-Federal property may 
     be included in the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield 
     Park without the written consent of the owner. This provision 
     shall apply only to those portions of the Park added under 
     subsection (a).
       (f) No Use of Condemnation.--The Secretary of the Interior 
     may not acquire by condemnation any land or interests in land 
     under this Act or for the purposes of this Act.
       (g) No Buffer Zone Created.--Nothing in this Act, the 
     establishment of the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield 
     Park, or the management plan for the Kennesaw Mountain 
     National Battlefield Park shall be construed to create buffer 
     zones outside of the Park. That activities or uses can be 
     seen, heard, or detected from areas within the Kennesaw 
     Mountain National Battlefield Park shall not preclude, limit, 
     control, regulate or determine the conduct or management of 
     activities or uses outside the Park.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. 
Tsongas) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 3371, introduced by our colleague Barry Loudermilk, expands the 
boundary of the Kennesaw National Battlefield Park.
  It also authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire 
approximately 8 acres of land only by donation or exchange from willing 
sellers. The expanded area includes the historic Wallis House and 
Harriston Hill.
  Wallis House is one of the few remaining structures associated with 
the Kennesaw Mountain Civil War battle, while Harriston Hill was 
strategically significant as the Union signal station.
  The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in June of 1864 was critical to the 
Union campaign to split the Confederacy, and although it was a tactical 
victory for the Confederate, it opened the way for the Union's 
strategic victory of taking Atlanta.
  The sacrifices of more than 3,000 Union troops on Kennesaw Mountain 
made possible Sherman's famous telegram to Lincoln 3 months later that 
``Atlanta is ours, and fairly won.''
  These battlefields remind succeeding generations of Americans of the 
price paid by so many for the preservation of our Constitution and the 
liberty it protects and the enormous responsibility that each of us has 
to maintain and defend that same Constitution today.
  I urge passage of the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This bill adjusts the boundary of the Kennesaw Mountain National 
Battlefield Park in Georgia to include two historically significant 
structures, the Wallace House and Kolb's Farm, and to assist in the 
preservation of the story of the Atlanta Campaign.
  Between June 19 and July 2, 1864, a series of battles occurred here 
between Union and Confederate forces. The loss of Kennesaw Mountain 
removed one of the last major geographic obstacles protecting Atlanta, 
which eventually fell to the Union Army in September of 1864.
  The bill will allow for the donation of approximately 8 acres to 
Kennesaw National Battlefield Park, a unit of the National Park 
Service.
  I want to thank my colleague from Georgia, Representative Barry 
Loudermilk, for continuing to support the preservation of the history 
of this great country.
  The Civil War was a significant event in the history of this country 
and remains relevant as we grapple with civil rights discussions today.
  The preservation of these sites reinforces Congress' dedication to 
equality and enables the National Park Service to interpret and tell 
our national story.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), the author of this 
measure.
  Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 3371, a bill that 
will add valuable historical property to the Kennesaw Mountain National 
Battlefield Park.
  This park, which is located in Georgia's 11th Congressional District, 
is a site of significant battles that took place during America's 
bloodiest conflict, the Civil War.
  Our Nation has long recognized the importance of preserving 
historical sites, especially those battlefields where Americans fought 
and died for freedom. Sites such as Kennesaw Mountain National 
Battlefield Park allow us to look back in time and get a glimpse of 
events that help shaped our Nation.
  It is extremely important that we understand our history; otherwise, 
we will be destined to repeat the mistakes of the past.
  A recent study of American history education revealed that, while 98 
percent of college students could identify that Snoop Doggy Dogg was a 
rapper, only 23 percent of college seniors could identify that James 
Madison was the father of the Constitution.

                              {time}  1500

  Mr. Speaker, it is now more important than ever that the generations 
following us have access to these historic sites and to the educational 
opportunities they provide, or we risk losing touch with our history. 
It is extremely important to restore the comprehensive study of 
American history in our schools. However, it is equally important to 
preserve the places at which significant events in our history took 
place.
  This bill that I have sponsored will simply allow Kennesaw Mountain 
National Battlefield Park to acquire two pieces of property that will 
add to the historic and educational value of this battlefield.
  One of the properties this bill will preserve is a home that was 
built in 1853 by Mr. Josiah Wallis. Mr. Wallis built this home for his 
family, but it was eventually used as a hospital by the Confederate 
Army during the Civil War.
  In 1864, the Wallis House fell into the hands of General William 
Sherman of the Union Army during his campaign to take Atlanta. The 
house served as

[[Page H886]]

Sherman's headquarters during the Battle of Kolb's Farm, which was a 
resounding victory for the Union Army; but the victory was not without 
cost. When the smoke cleared, over 350 Union soldiers and over 1,000 
Confederate soldiers lay dead.
  Five days later, Union General Oliver Howard used the Wallis House as 
his headquarters and communications center during the Battle of 
Kennesaw Mountain, one of the bloodiest 1-day battles of the entire 
war. This was also the last major battle before Atlanta fell to Union 
forces. While the assault by General Sherman was a tactical failure in 
its costing the lives of 3,000 of his men, the battle also inflicted 
heavy losses on the Confederates. After losing another 1,000 men, the 
Confederate Army could not stop General Sherman on his march to 
Atlanta.
  Adjacent to the Wallis House are 8 acres of land, known as Harriston 
Hill. This property offers a sweeping view of the valley leading to the 
Confederate line on top of Kennesaw Mountain, and it was used by the 
Union as a signaling position during the battle. This location is 
essential for park visitors to understand the strategic positions taken 
by the Union and Confederate Armies during the battle.
  In addition to being critical sites in Civil War history, the Wallis 
House and Harriston Hill are two of the few original locations 
remaining from the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain that are associated with 
the Union Army. Most of the park's current attractions correspond with 
Confederate history, so these additions will prove to be major 
historical acquisitions that will enhance the value of the park and 
provide insight into the Union's side of the story.
  In 2002, the Cobb County Government purchased the Wallis House and 
Harriston Hill in order to prevent the house from being demolished. 
Since then, the county has been seeking to transfer the property to the 
park. My bill simply modifies the boundary of Kennesaw Mountain 
National Battlefield Park to include the house and the hill, and it 
authorizes the park to acquire the property by donation. Along with the 
Cobb County Government, this bill is supported by the National Park 
Service, by Kennesaw Mountain Park, and by several park volunteer 
organizations and historical societies in my district.
  This legislation is an essential step toward preserving our Nation's 
heritage, and it is a valuable part of Civil War history. The Wallis 
House and Harriston Hill will provide tremendous educational and 
historical value to Kennesaw Mountain Park; and it is my hope that the 
park will quickly acquire this property and will restore it to its 
original condition for visitors to enjoy for generations to come.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Jody B. Hice of Georgia). The question 
is on the motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. 
McClintock) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 
3371.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________