Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 28.djvu/680

 FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. Buss. III. Ch. S0. 1895. 651 sv. 80.-An Act T0 establish s national military park at Gettysburg, Penn- February 11.1895. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War is ,G¤l*{,¥¤Ll> *1*8 N·· hereby authorized to receive from the Gettysburg Battleiield Memorial ° °°° " ` Association, a corporation chartered by the State of Pennsylvania, a ,";*°°;,1;$,”ge{’,{ lg}? deed of conveyance to the United States of all the lands belonging to m0;lAssociation. ° said association, embracing about eight hundred acres, more or less, and being a considerable part of the battlefield of Gettysburg, together with all rights of way over avenues through said lands acquired by said association, and all improvements made by it in and upon the same. Upon the due execution and delivery to the Secretary of War of such deed of conveyance, the Secretary of War is authorized to pay to the said Battlelield Memorial Association the sum of two thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may'be necessary to discharge the debts of said association, the amount of such debts to be veriiied by the officers thereof, and the sum of two thousand dollars is hereby appro- sppnpmm. printed out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated to meet and defray such charges. Sec. 2. That as soon as the lands aforesaid shall be conveyed to the Secretary of wuts United States the Secretary of War shall take possession of the same, ""‘° P°"°"‘°“‘ °°°‘ and such other lands on the battletield as the United States have acquired, or shall hereafter acquire, by purchase or condemnation proceedings; and the lands aforesaid, shall be designated and known as nmgmnua. the “Gettysburg National Park." Sec. 3. That the Gettysburg national park shall, subject to the super- _ ¤·¤!=¤·;·j‘_$•*¤¤·¤*°l>• vision and direction of the Secretary of War, be in charge of the com- "°“` missioners heretofore appointed by the Secretary of War for the location and acquisition of lands at Gettysburg, and their successors; the said commissioners shall have their office at Gettysburg, and while on duty shall be paid 'such compensation out of the appropriation pro- cmrmuum vided in this Act as the Secretary of War shall deem reasonable and just. And it shall be the duty of the said commissioners, under the Duty- direction of the Secretary of War, to superintend the opening of such additional roads as may be necessary for the purposes of the park and for the improvement of the avenues heretofore laid out therein, and to properly mark the boundaries of the said park, and to ascertain and definitely mark the lines of battle of all troops engaged in the battle of Gettysburg, so far as the same shall fall within the limits of the ark. P Sec. 4. That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed W;}_j°m;*g{w“d‘*· to acquire, at such times and in such manner a be may deem best cal- ' culatod to serve the publicinterest, such lands in the vicinity of Gettys— burg, Pennsylvania, not exceeding in area the parcel shown on the map prepared by Maior-General Daniel E. Sickles, United States Army, and now on lilo in the office of the Secretary of War, which were occupied by the infantry, cavalry and artillery on the first, second and third days of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, and such other adjacent lands as he may deem necessary to preserve the important topographical features of the battlefield: Provided, That nothing contained *,;°m’·mt puh_ in this Act shall be deemed and held to prejudice the rights acquired ami by any State or by any military organization to the ground on which its monuments or markers are placed, nor the right of way to the same. S1·:c. 5. That for the purpose of acquiring the lands designated and Cg;=¤i;f3:°'¤(é’sj°j described in the foregoing section not already acquired and owned by Hen. B the United States, and such other adjacent land as may be deemed necessary by the Secretary of War for the preservation and marking of the lines of battle of the Union and Confederate armies at Gettysburg, the Secretary of War is authorized to employ the services of the commissioners heretofore appointed by him for the location, who shall proceed, in conformity with his instructions and subject in all things to his approval, to acquire such lands by purchase, or by condemnation