Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 30.djvu/879

 FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. 111. Ch. 176. 1899. 84] CHAP. 1'I6.——An Act To establish a national military park to commemorate the February 21.1899. campaign, siege, and defense of Vicksburg. im; Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to commemorate Nntioml Military the campaign and siege and defense of Vicksburg, and to preserve the his- §?j,lf;,,,VQ,,fl§}§,§‘,:,’,{{'g• tory of the battles and operations of the siege and defense on the ground where they were fought and were carried on, the battleheld of Vicksburg, in the State of Mississippi, is hereby declared to be a national military park whenever the title to the same shall have been acquired by the United States and the usual jurisdiction over the lands and roads of the same shall have been granted to the United States by the State of Mississippi; that is to say, the area inclosed by the following lines, Lmumr or so much thereof as the commissioners·of the park may deem necessary, to wit: Beginning near the point where the graveyard road, now known as the City Cemetery road, crosses the line of the Confederate earthworks, thence north about eighty rods, thence in an easterly direction about one hundred and twenty rods, thence in a southerly direction, and keeping as far from the line of the Confederate earthworks as the purposes of the park may require and as the park commission, to be hereinafter named, may determine, but not distant from the nearest point on said line of Confederate earthworks· more than one hundred and sixty rods at any part, to a point about forty rods south and from eighty to one hundred and sixty rods east of Fort Garrott, also known as the “Square Fort;" thence in a westerly direction to a point in the rear of said Fort Garrett, thence in a northerly direction across the line of the Confederate earthworks and to a point about two hundred feet in the rear of the said line of Confederate earthworks, thence in a general northerly direction, and at an approximate distance of about two hundred feet in the rear of the line of Confederate earthworks as the conformation of the ground may require, to the place of beginning. This to constitute the main body of the park. In addition thereto a strip of land about two hundred and sixty-four feet in width along and including the remaining parts of the Confederate earthworks, namely, from the north part of said main body of the park to and including Fort Hill or Fort Nogales on the high hill overlooking the national cemetery, and from the south part of said main body of the park to the edge of the bluff at the river below the city of Vicksburg; and also in addition thereto a strip of land about two hundred and sixty-four feet in width, as near as may be, along and including the Federal lines opposed to the Confederate lines herein and above named and not included in the main body of the park; and in further addition thereto such points of interest as the commission may deem necessary for the purposes of the park and the Secretary of War may approve; the whole containing Llmlwfcosrabout one thousand two hundred acres, and costing not to exceed forty thousand dollars. Sec. 2. That the establishment of the Vicksburg national military secretary of www park shall be carried forward under the control and direction of the °°‘“""“" l"""· Secretary of War; and the Secretary of War shall, upon the passage -:0 acquire title, su. of this Act, proceed to acquire title to the same by voluntary convey- ance or under the Act approved August first, eighteen hundred and V<>l.25.p.357- eighty-eight, entitled “An Act to authorize the condemnation of land V"' 1**** 3°°‘ for sites of public buildings, and for other purposes/’ or under Act approved February twenty-second, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, entitled “An Act to establish and protect national cemeteries? as he may elect or deem practicable; and when title is procured to all of the lands and roads within the boundaries of the proposed park, as described in section one of this Act, he may proceed with the establishment of the park; and he shall detail an officer of the Engineer Corps of the Army to assist the commissioners in establishing the park. Sec. 3. That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to enter into —w ¤¤·;;¤ {lm? ¤ agreements of leasing upon such terms as he may prescribe, with such °°°“P°" ° ` occupants or tenants of the lands as may desire to remain upon it, to