[Senate Report 106-186]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 320
106th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 106-186
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CORINTH BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION ACT OF 1999
_______
October 14, 1999.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1117]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 1117) to establish the Corinth Unit of
Shiloh National Military Park, in the vicinity of the city of
Corinth, Mississippi, and in the State of Tennessee, and for
other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon with amendments and recommends that the bill, as
amended, do pass.
The amendments are as follows:
1. On page 4, line 8 strike ``Corinth Unit'' and insert
``Park Boundary--Corinth Unit''.
2. On page 4, strike line 23 and all that follows through
page 5, line 5 and insert:
``(1) the tract consisting of approximately 20 acres
generally depicted as `Battery Robinett Boundary' on the Map;
and ''.
purpose of the measure
The purpose of S. 1117, as ordered reported, is to
establish the Corinth Unit of Shiloh National Military Park in
Mississippi and Tennessee and to authorize a special resources
study to identify other sites in and around Corinth for
possible inclusion in the park.
Background and Need
During the Civil War the town of Corinth, Mississippi,
located at junction of the Memphis and Charleston and the
Mobile and Ohio Railroads, was recognized by both Confederate
and Union commanders as being of such importance that the town
was occupied by one or the other of the forces from 1861 and
1865. Historians indicate that the Battle of Shiloh, in nearby
Tennessee, was ``supposed to have taken place in Corinth.''
Instead, Confederate General Johnston decided to strike the
Federal forces at Pittsburgh Landing (Shiloh) rather than let
them attack Corinth. A two day battle on April 7 and 8, 1862
ensued and on day two the Confederate troops retreated to
Corinth. Of the 65,000 Union and 24,000 Confederate troops
involved, about 24,000 were killed, wounded or reported
missing.
A 30-day siege of Corinth began on April 30, 1862. On May
30th Union troops arrived to find a deserted village. In late
September a Confederate effort to retake the town began and on
October 3 and 4 the Battle of Corinth took place. However, the
Confederate forces were forced to retreat. Thereafter Union
forces occupied the town until May 1864.
Another chapter in the history of Corinth began in late
1862 when a ``contraband camp'' was established. For just over
a year, this camp housed recently freed slaves from
Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. Estimates of the number of
freedmen at Corinth at any one time range from 1,500 to 6,000
with numbers fluctuating widely on a regular basis. The camp
was considered a model, but not a typical camp. It contained
homes, gardens, small cotton fields, schools, churches and a
hospital. From this camp came some of the first black recruits
for the Union Army including the First Alabama Infantry of
African Descent, which later became the ``55th Colored
Infantry''. In early 1864 the evacuation and eventual
destruction of the camp took place.
Although a National Cemetery was established in 1866, most
efforts over the years to commemorate the Civil War in Corinth
were coordinated on a local basis. However, in 1991 a Siege and
Battle of Corinth National Historic Landmark Study was
completed and included 16 sites that are identified with the
proposed Unit. Private land has been purchased by the Friends
of the Siege and Battle of Corinth, in most cases using funds
from the Civil War Trust which were raised from the sale of
Civil War commemorative coins.
Recent mapping and documentation projects have involved a
number of organizations including the National Park Service's
Battlefield Protection Program, the Siege and Battle of Corinth
Commission, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History,
Alcorn County, the city of Corinth and the Tennessee Division
of Archaeology. Local support for adding a Corinth Unit to
Shiloh NMP has been described as very high.
Section 602 of Title VI of Public Law 104-333, the Omnibus
Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, authorized a
visitor center to interpret the Siege and Battle of Corinth.
The Secretary of the Interior was directed to acquire a site
for the construction of a center and was directed to operate
and maintain the property and center as part of Shiloh National
Military Park. The FY 1999 budget for the National Park Service
included $1 million for planning and design of the center.
Legislative History
S. 1117 was introduced by Senators Lott, Cochran, Robb and
Jeffords on May 25, 1999. The Subcommittee on National Parks,
Historic Preservation and Recreation held a hearing on S. 1117
on July 29, 1999.
At its business meeting on September 22, 1999, the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 1117,
favorably reported, as amended.
Committee Recommendation
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on September 22, 1999, by a unanimous voice
vote of a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S.
1117, if amended as described herein.
Committee Amendment
During the consideration S. 1117, the Committee adopted two
technical and clarifying amendments which correct the map
reference and clarify that the 20-acre Battery Robinett site is
to be the location of the interpretive center.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1 designates the bill's short title as the
``Corinth Battlefield Preservation Act of 1999''.
Section 2(a) contains Congressional findings. In 1996,
Congress authorized the establishment and construction of a
center to facilitate the interpretation of the Siege and Battle
of Corinth as well as to enhance public understanding of the
Corinth campaign. These efforts are to be in cooperation with
State and local entities, private organizations and
individuals. The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission ranked the
Corinth Battlefield as a priority 1 site having a need for
coordinated nationwide action by the year 2000. There is
national interest in protecting and preserving Civil War sites
and the states of Mississippi and Tennessee have the authority
to prevent or minimize adverse uses. Both states can play
significant roles in protection efforts.
Subsection (b)(1) defines the purposes of the Act, which
are: (1) To establish the Corinth Unit of Shiloh National
Military Park in Corinth, Mississippi and in Tennessee; (2) to
direct the Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with the
States of Mississippi and Tennessee, the city of Corinth, other
public entities and members of the private sector, to manage,
protect and interpret the resources associated with the Civil
War Siege and Battle of Corinth; and (3) to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to prepare a special resource study
to identify other Civil War sites in and around Corinth that
are consistent with the themes of the Siege and Battle of
Corinth.
Section 3 defines ``Map'' as to be the one entitled ``Park
Boundary--Corinth Unit,'' numbered 304/80,007 and dated October
1998; ``Park'' as Shiloh National Military Park; ``Secretary''
as the Secretary of the Interior; and ``Unit'' as the Corinth
Unit of Shiloh Military Park.
Section 4(a) establishes the Corinth Unit of Shiloh
National Military Park in Mississippi and Tennessee.
Subsection (b) describes the Unit to be made up of a tract
of approximately 20 acres that contains the Battery Robinett
that is to be the site of the interpretive center authorized in
1996. Other land may be included if determined suitable for
inclusion in the Unit, provided that it is owned by a public
entity or a nonprofit organization and was included in the
January 8, 1991 Siege and Battle of Corinth National Historic
Landmark Study.
Subsection (c) directs that the map is to be on file and
available for public inspection, in the office of the Director
of the National Park Service.
Section 5 allows the Secretary to acquire land and
interests in land within the boundary of the Park, as shown on
the map. It may be obtained by donation, purchase with donated
or appropriated funds or exchange. However, land owned by the
States of Mississippi or Tennessee or the ``Friends of the
Siege and Battle of Corinth'' may only be acquired by donation.
Section 6(a) directs the Secretary to administer the Unit
in accordance with laws generally applicable to the National
Park System, including the National Park Service Organic Act
and the Historic Sites Act.
Subsection (b) requires the Secretary, in accordance with
section 602 of Public Law 104-333, the Omnibus Parks and Public
Lands Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 430f-5) to: (1)
Commemorate and interpret the Siege and Battle of Corinth and
other area Civil War actions, within the larger context of the
War and American History, including the role of the siege and
battle in the western theater of the War; and (2) identify and
preserve features from the era in and around the city of
Corinth. Specific categories include: the role of railroads in
the War; the story of the Corinth contraband camp; and the
development of field fortifications as a tactic of war.
Subsection (c)(1) authorizes the Secretary to enter into
cooperative agreements with public and private sector entities
including colleges and universities, historical societies,
State and local agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Paragraph (2) allows for technical assistance to develop
cooperative land use strategies and conduct activities that
facilitate the conservation of historic, cultural, natural, and
scenic resources of the Unit. The list of potential recipients
includes the States of Mississippi and Tennessee, governmental
entities, nonprofit organizations and private property owners.
Subsection (d) prohibits the Secretary from owning or
managing resources outside of the Unit.
Section 7(a) directs the Secretary to conduct a special
resources study to determine if additional properties in
Mississippi and Tennessee are appropriate for inclusion in the
Unit. They may be currently owned by the States, nonprofit
organizations or private property owners.
Subsection (b) provides that the study shall: (1) Identify
the full range of resources and themes associated with the
Siege and Battle of Corinth; (2) identify alternatives for
preserving features that represent both military and civilian
themes involving the roles of the railroad, the contraband camp
and the development of field fortifications as a tactic of war;
(3) identify a wide range of potential partners to support
efforts to carry out this Act; (4) identify alternatives to
avoid land use conflicts; and (5) include cost estimates for
actions associated with the alternatives, specifically
acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and
maintenance.
Subsection (c) requires that the study be submitted to the
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House
of Representatives Committee on Resources within 18 months
after the date funds are made available for the study.
Section 8 authorizes funds necessary to carry out this Act,
including $3 million for the construction of an interpretive
center that was authorized under section 602(d) of title VI of
Public Law 104-333, the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands
Management Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 430f-5(d)).
cost and budgetary considerations
The following estimate of costs of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, September 29, 1999.
Hon. Frank H. Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1117, the Corinth
Battlefield Preservation Act of 1999.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
S. 1117-Corinth Battlefield Preservation Act of 1999
Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO
estimates that the federal government would spend about $4
million to implement S. 1117 over the next five years. The bill
would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures would not apply. S. 1117 contains no
private-sector or intergovernmental mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would have no significant
impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
S. 1117 would establish the Corinth Unit of the Shiloh
National Military Park. The site of the new unit is currently
within the Siege and Battle of Corinth National Historic
Landmark in Mississippi and Tennessee. Initially, the unit
would consist of about 20 acres known as the Battery Robinett,
which is already owned by the National Park Service (NPS). In
addition, the NPS would be authorized to acquire other land by
donation provided that such property is owned by either a
public agency or a nonprofit organization and that it has been
identified in the Siege and Battle of Corinth National Historic
Landmark Study of 1991.
Section 7 of the bill would direct the NPS to conduct a
special resource study of land around the city of Corinth and
nearby parts of Tennessee to identify other significant
resources associated with the Civil War and recommend
alternatives for preserving them. Finally, section 8 would
authorize the appropriation of whatever amounts are necessary
to carry out the legislation, including an additional $3
million for the construction of an interpretive center
authorized by the Congress in 1996. This amount would
supplement an existing authorization for NPS to spend $6
million at the Corinth Unit.
We estimate that the agency would incur additional expenses
of about $1 million to prepare a special resource study over
the next 18 months, and implement other provisions of the bill.
The CBO staff contact is Deborah Reis. This estimate was
approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for
Budget Analysis.
regulatory impact evaluation
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 1117. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards of
significant economic responsibilities of private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from
enactment of S. 1117, as ordered reported.
executive communications
On July 29, 1999, the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of
the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget setting
forth executive views on S. 1117. These reports had not been
received at the time the report on S. 1117 was filed. When the
reports become available, the Chairman will request that they
be printed in the Congressional Record for the advice of the
Senate. The testimony provided by the National Park Service at
the Subcommittee hearing follows:
Statement of Denis P. Galvin, Deputy Director, National Park Service
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify on
S. 1117, to establish the Corinth Unit of Shiloh National
Military Park, in the vicinity of Corinth, Mississippi, and in
the State of Tennessee. The Department supports this
legislation.
S. 1117 would build on legislation Congress approved three
years ago to establish a National Park Service interpretive
center at Corinth Battlefield. The legislation would enable the
National Park Service to take the next step toward ensuring
permanent protection and recognition of Corinth's rich Civil
War heritage by acquiring, protecting, and interpreting
nationally significant resources associated with the city's
1862 siege and battle.
The city of Corinth, located in Mississippi near the border
of Tennessee, was the junction of the Confederacy's main north-
south and east-west railroads and, as such, its control was key
to control of the Confederacy's movement of troops and
supplies. Because of this strategic crossing, numerous
fortifications were constructed and battles were waged.
Scattered through the surrounding hills of Corinth are intact
military fortifications that attest to the crossing's
importance.
For six months in 1862, Corinth was second only to Richmond
in strategic importance. It is said that the Battle of Shiloh,
23 miles to the north, where General Johnston's Confederate
army surprised General Grant's Union army in April 1862, was
fought for control of the 22 square feet where the rail lines
met.
Following the Union victory at Shiloh, the Confederate army
retreated to its base in Corinth. Not wishing to be surprised
again, Union forces next planned a much more cautious advance
on Corinth. These maneuvers began in early May and constitute
the ``Siege of Corinth.'' Several weeks later, after numerous
skirmishes, rather than risk capture, the outnumbered
Confederate army abandoned Corinth. An abortive Confederate
attempt to retake the city in October resulted in the ``Battle
of Corinth.'' Union armies then resumed an occupation that
featured construction of some of the most advanced
fortifications of the time to prevent the recapture of Corinth.
After the Union secured Corinth, newly emancipated slaves
from Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama sought refuge there. By
March 1863, over 3,500 former slaves were housed at a camp in
Corinth. Two of the first African-American Union infantry
regiments were raised there.
The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission identified the 1862
Corinth battle site as a ``priority 1'' battlefield, one with
critical need for coordinated nationwide action by the year
2000. Although the Commission reported that the sites represent
an area that had a decisive impact on a military campaign, and
a direct impact on the course of the war, the Corinth siege
sites were rated a ``priority 4'' battlefield more because of
their linear, fragmented nature than because of the integrity
of their individual components. An important step toward
recognition and protection of Corinth occurred in 1991, when
areas associated with the Siege and Battle of Corinth were
designated as a National Historic Landmark. Another important
move occurred in 1996, when Congress authorized the
interpretive center as part of the Omnibus Parks and Public
Lands Management Act (Public Law 104-333). We agree with
Senator Lott that it is time to take a further step to provide
protection and interpretation for the significant historical
events and resources at Corinth.
S. 1117 would establish a unit of Shiloh National Military
Park comprised of the 20 acres containing the Battery Robinett,
which will also be the site of the National Park Service
interpretive center for Corinth, currently in the early stages
of planning. The Corinth Unit could also contain other areas
that the Secretary of the Interior determines to be suitable
for inclusion, but only if they are already owned by a public
entity or nonprofit organization and have been identified by
the Siege and Battle of Corinth National Historic Landmark
Study (January 8, 1991).
Normally, the Department would be reluctant to support
authorizing the addition of a new area to the National Park
System without first conducting a special resource study. In
this case, however, Congress in a sense has already authorized
this unit by authorizing the National Park Service to construct
and manage an interpretive site there and to acquire the
property necessary for the site. Linking the two sites for
interpretive as well as management purposes would enable the
National Park Service to more fully tell a story that goes
beyond the battle tactics that are interpreted so well as
Shiloh Battlefield--the broader story of the Civil War's causes
and its impacts on civilian life.
We anticipate that there would be no land acquisition costs
to the Federal government associated with the establishment of
the Corinth Unit. The 20-acre Battery Robinett has already been
donated to the National Park Service by the City of Corinth
under authority of the 1996 law establishing the center. S.
1117 specifies that land can be added to the unit only if it is
already owned by a public or nonprofit entity and can be
acquired only by donation if it is owned by state and local
governments or by the organization called the Friends of the
Siege and Battle of Corinth. The Siege and Battle of Corinth
National Historic Landmark Study identified about 448 acres of
land in 15 noncontiguous sites, in addition to the 20-acre
Battery Robinett site already owned by the National Park
Service, for National Historic Landmark status. The ``Friends''
organization currently owns about 210 acres that would be
eligible for donation to the unit. If the local government and
the ``Friends'' organization were to acquire and donate all of
the eligible land--not likely, but possible--the Corinth Unit
would be about 468 acres.
S. 1117 would also authorize a study of land in and around
the city of Corinth and nearby areas in Tennessee that have a
relationship to the Siege and Battle of Corinth in 1862 to
determine whether additional lands, beyond those included in
the unit by this bill, are appropriate for inclusion in the
unit. This would enable the National Park Service to recommend
the inclusion of lands that are significant to the site but
that do not meet the criteria for inclusion to the Corinth Unit
under this legislation.
Also, in an acknowledgement of the important role that
organizations and individuals outside of the National Park
Service have had and will continue to have in assisting in the
protection and interpretation of Corinth, S. 1117 allows the
Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements for such work
with colleges and universities, historical societies and other
nonprofit organizations, and State and local agencies. It also
allows the Secretary to provide technical assistance for
protection, interpretation, or commemoration.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my remarks. I will be pleased
to answer any questions you or other members of the
Subcommittee may have.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no
changes in existing law are made by S. 1117, as ordered
reported.