[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 20, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S5906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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              RECOGNIZING PEA RIDGE NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

 Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, in honor of the National Park 
Service's 100th birthday year, I want to recognize Pea Ridge National 
Military Park in northwest Arkansas. Pea Ridge National Military Park 
is one of the best preserved Civil War battlefields in the United 
States and its history deserves to be shared.
  The Battle of Pea Ridge took place in March of 1862 when 26,000 Union 
and Confederate soldiers fought for 2 straight days. The battle was 
hard-fought, but in the end, the Union forces, led by General Samuel 
Curtis, were victorious, and the Union won complete control of the 
State of Missouri.
  Pea Ridge National Military Park officially became part of the 
National Park system on July 20, 1956, thanks largely to the efforts of 
the Arkansas congressional delegation. And it was officially dedicated 
as a national park during the Nation's Civil War Centennial in 1963.
  Today 4,300 acres of battlefield are preserved for visitors. The 
grounds include a recreation of the Elkhorn Tavern--an important 
landmark of the battle--as well as a visitors center and a museum. The 
park is also home to 2 and a half miles of the Trail of Tears, another 
important United States landmark.
  Arkansas is a State full of rich history, and heritage and Pea Ridge 
National Military Park is a critical part of that history. If you find 
yourself in the picturesque Ozarks of northwest Arkansas this fall, 
take some time to drive through or walk the grounds of Pea Ridge 
National Military Park and see for yourself.

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