Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3725 To designate the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park comprised of certain National Park System lands, and by affiliation and cooperative agreements other historically significant resources, lo- cated in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland, that were part of the Civil War defenses of Washington and related to the Shen- andoah Valley Campaign of 1864, to study ways in which the Civil War history of both the North and South can be assembled, arrayed, and conveyed for the benefit of the public, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 11, 2019 Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To designate the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park comprised of certain National Park Sys- tem lands, and by affiliation and cooperative agreements other historically significant resources, located in the Dis- trict of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland, that were part of the Civil War defenses of Washington and related to the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, to study ways in which the Civil War history of both the North and South can be assembled, arrayed, and conveyed for the benefit of the public, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 3725 IH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical 5 Park Act’’. 6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 7 this Act is as follows: 8 Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings and purposes. Sec. 3. Redesignation. Sec. 4. Areas included in Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park. Sec. 5. Possible inclusion of additional areas. Sec. 6. National Civil War History Education Center report. Sec. 7. Administration. Sec. 8. Definitions. SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 9 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds and declares as 10 follows: 11 (1) It is fitting and helpful for Americans to re- 12 member the Civil War, 1861–1865, and to reflect 13 upon, and learn from, the storied history, valor, 14 heartbreak, and suffering of both sides in this tragic 15 war that so divided and scarred the young Nation, 16 but that also served as a crucible for the Nation to 17 secure itself as the United States and preserve the 18 Union, abolish the injustice of slavery, and become 19 the beacon of hope as a democracy that it has be- 20 come for the world. 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 3725 IH (2) The significance of the Civil War to the fu- 1 ture of the United States is incalculable. The war’s 2 lessons and meaning to the history of the United 3 States, what it stands for, and its place in the world 4 today must be remembered and conveyed to future 5 generations. The war pitted family against family, 6 brother against brother, friend against friend, Blue 7 against Gray. Its battlegrounds were consecrated 8 with blood that was shed by many who gave their 9 last full measure of devotion. The reunited democ- 10 racy that emerged, after such a heavy loss of life on 11 both sides and the difficult decades of healing that 12 followed, made the United States stronger. It helped 13 the Nation advance toward achieving the inalienable 14 rights and noble goals and values its founders 15 sought, but had not fully achieved, in their lifetimes. 16 (3) The defenses of Washington played a key 17 role in the outcome of the Civil War. They were con- 18 structed at the beginning of the war in 1861 as a 19 ring of fortifications in the District of Columbia, 20 Maryland, and northern Virginia, to protect the Na- 21 tion’s capital. By the end of the war, these defenses 22 included 68 forts, 93 unarmed batteries, 807 mount- 23 ed cannon, 13 miles of rifle trenches, and 32 miles 24 of military roads. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 3725 IH (4) The major test of the Civil War defenses of 1 Washington came with the Shenandoah Valley Cam- 2 paign of 1864 when Confederate Lieutenant General 3 Jubal Early marched from Richmond to Lynchburg, 4 Virginia, and through the Shenandoah Valley to 5 Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Frederick, Mary- 6 land. His major objective, as directed to him by 7 General Robert E. Lee, was to attack the Nation’s 8 capital from the north, causing Union Forces to be 9 withdrawn from threatening Richmond, the capital 10 of the Confederacy. He was delayed by Union Major 11 General Lew Wallace at the Battle of Monocacy on 12 July 9, 1864, and was stopped at the northern edge 13 of the District of Columbia at the Battle of Fort 14 Stevens on July 11–12, 1864. The Shenandoah Val- 15 ley Campaign ended when Union Lieutenant General 16 Philip Sheridan defeated General Early at the Battle 17 of Cedar Creek, Virginia, on October 19, 1864. 18 (5) The Battle of Fort Stevens was the second 19 and last attempt by the Confederate Army to attack 20 Washington. The first major effort to surround or 21 capture the Nation’s capital ended at Gettysburg in 22 July 1863. After that historic battle, in his address 23 at Gettysburg Cemetery on November 19, 1863, 24 President Abraham Lincoln redefined what was at 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 3725 IH stake: ‘‘a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedi- 1 cated to the proposition that all men are created 2 equal . . . that this nation, under God, shall have 3 a new birth of freedom—and that government of the 4 people, by the people, and for the people shall not 5 perish from the earth.’’. 6 (6) The Battle of Fort Stevens was the only 7 verifiable time that a sitting United States President 8 (Abraham Lincoln) came under hostile fire during a 9 battle while in office. Nearly all the individual forts 10 in the defenses of Washington (on both sides of the 11 Potomac and Anacostia Rivers) were involved in 12 stopping General Early’s attack. Had that one battle 13 at the very edge of Washington been lost, the Na- 14 tion’s capital, the Presidency, the Union Govern- 15 ment, and emancipation all would have been poten- 16 tially lost and the history of the United States dra- 17 matically changed. The victory at Fort Stevens not 18 only saved the city and the national government, but 19 also led to the October 1864 victories for the Union 20 in the Shenandoah Valley, which ensured Lincoln’s 21 re-election and preservation of the Union at that 22 critical moment. 23 (7) After the end of the war, most of the Civil 24 War defenses of Washington were returned to pri- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •HR 3725 IH vate land owners, but many were retained by the 1 military or the lands were repurchased later by the 2 United States. Of the remaining fortifications in 3 public ownership, 19 sites (including Battleground 4 Cemetery) are owned by the Federal Government 5 and managed by the National Park Service, four are 6 owned by local units of government in northern Vir- 7 ginia, and one is owned by Montgomery County, 8 Maryland. 9 (8) In 1902, the Senate McMillan Commission 10 issued a Report on the Improvement of the Park 11 System of Washington (U.S. Senate Committee on 12 the District of Columbia, Senate Report No. 166, 13 57th Congress, 1st Session). The Report called for 14 development of a ‘‘Fort Drive’’ to connect the Civil 15 War defenses of Washington in the Nation’s capital. 16 Congress appropriated funds to purchase lands for 17 the Fort Drive during the 1930s, but it was never 18 fully completed. 19 (9) Most of the remaining Civil War defenses of 20 Washington contain significant natural and rec- 21 reational resources, and some offer sweeping vistas 22 overlooking the Nation’s capital. With the lands ac- 23 quired for the Fort Drive, they provide a linkage of 24 urban green spaces that contribute to the history, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 7 •HR 3725 IH character, and scenic values of the Nation’s capital 1 and offer educational and recreational opportunities 2 along with their natural and important historical 3 values. 4 (10) Sites associated with the Civil War de- 5 fenses of Washington that are in Federal ownership 6 within the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 7 of Virginia, and the State of Maryland are managed 8 under three separate units of the National Park 9 Service (Rock Creek Park, National Capital Parks– 10 East, and the George Washington Memorial Park- 11 way). Action by Congress is needed to protect and 12 aid the educational benefits of the unique place in 13 history of these sites through proper management, 14 stabilization, maintenance, development, use, and, 15 importantly, interpretation. 16 (11) It is fitting and proper that, as Americans 17 reflect upon the legacy of the Civil War, we more 18 fully understand and appreciate the roles of the bat- 19 tles in the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Vir- 20 ginia, and Maryland related to the defenses of 21 Washington. Taken together, these battles were piv- 22 otal to the outcome of the war and therefore to its 23 impact on the promise of the United States. It is 24 therefore in the national interest that these histori- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 8 •HR 3725 IH cally important sites and resources be protected 1 from further damage or loss and that they be pre- 2 served, enhanced, and interpreted for the use, enjoy- 3 ment, and education of present and future genera- 4 tions. 5 (12) There is a genuine need and compelling 6 reason for the United States to rededicate itself to 7 and honor the vision and ideals of democracy as re- 8 flected in the Constitution by commemorating and 9 interpreting through this National Historical Park 10 the epic story of the American Civil War and the 11 profound and lasting impact of the war on the val- 12 ues, capabilities, and strengths that the United 13 States reflects through the ideals that it stands for 14 in the world today. 15 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 16 (1) to protect, preserve, enhance, and interpret 17 for the benefit and use of present and future genera- 18 tions the cultural, historical, natural, and rec- 19 reational resources of the Civil War defenses of 20 Washington located in the District of Columbia, Vir- 21 ginia, and Maryland; and 22 (2) to study and consider creative and cost-ef- 23 fective ways that the storied history of the Civil 24 War, including the defenses of Washington and the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 9 •HR 3725 IH Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, can be as- 1 sembled, arrayed, and effectively conveyed to and for 2 the benefit of the public. 3 SEC. 3. REDESIGNATION. 4 The Civil War defenses of Washington are hereby re- 5 designated as the Civil War Defenses of Washington Na- 6 tional Historical Park. 7 SEC. 4. AREAS INCLUDED IN CIVIL WAR DEFENSES OF 8 WASHINGTON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. 9 (a) AREAS UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE 10 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.—The National Historical 11 Park shall include all areas associated with the Civil War 12 defenses of Washington that are currently owned by the 13 Federal Government and under the administration of the 14 National Park Service, each as depicted on appropriate 15 maps maintained by the Secretary of the Interior, includ- 16 ing the following: 17 (1) The following fortifications and associated 18 lands: 19 (A) Battery Kemble. 20 (B) Fort Bayard. 21 (C) Fort Bunker Hill. 22 (D) Fort Carroll. 23 (E) Fort Chaplin. 24 (F) Fort Davis. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 10 •HR 3725 IH (G) Fort DeRussy. 1 (H) Fort Dupont. 2 (I) Fort Foote. 3 (J) Fort Greble. 4 (K) Fort Mahan. 5 (L) Fort Marcy. 6 (M) Fort Reno. 7 (N) Fort Ricketts. 8 (O) Fort Slocum. 9 (P) Fort Stanton. 10 (Q) Fort Stevens. 11 (R) Fort Totten. 12 (2) The following affiliated National Park 13 Areas: 14 (A) Fort Circle Drive. 15 (B) Battleground National Cemetery. 16 (C) Fort Washington. 17 (D) Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm. 18 (b) POTENTIAL AFFILIATION OF ELIGIBLE AREAS 19 OWNED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.—Any site associated 20 with the Civil War defenses of Washington that is owned 21 by a unit of local government in Virginia, Maryland, or 22 the District of Columbia, may become affiliated with the 23 National Historical Park pursuant to a cooperative agree- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Jul 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3725.IH H3725 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 11 •HR 3725 IH ment entered into between the unit of local government 1 concerned and the Secretary, including the following: 2 (1) In Virginia: 3 (A) Fort Ward, City of Alexandria. 4 (B) Fort C.F. Smith, Arlington County. 5 (C) Fort Ethan Allen, Arlington County. 6 (D) Fort Willard, Fairfax County. 7 (2) In Maryland: Battery Bailey, Montgomery 8 County. 9 SEC. 5. POSSIBLE INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL AREAS. 10 (a) AFFILIATION AUTHORITY.—Any site associated 11 with the Civil War defenses of Washington that is owned 12 by a private individual or organization or a unit of local 13 government in the District of Columbia, Virginia, or 14 Maryland, other than those listed in section 4, that the 15 Secretary determines is eligible for affiliation with the Na- 16 tional Historical Park, may be affiliated with the National 17 Historical Park pursuant to a cooperative agreement en- 18 tered into between the site owner and the Secretary. The 19 Secretary may purchase such properties from willing sell- 20 ers, subject to the availability of private sector donated 21 funding or appropriations. 22 (b) CONSENT REQUIRED.—No non-Federal property 23 may be included in the National Historic [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]