2. Petersburg National Battlefield Page 321 321 Inspection of battlefields authorized__. Name changed; land acquisition authorized_ An Act To provide for the inspection of the battle fields of the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, approved February 11, 1925 (43 Stat. 856) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a commission is hereby created, to be composed of the following members, who shall be appointed by the Secretary of War: (1) A commissioned officer of the Corps of Engineers, United States Army; (2) A veteran of the Civil War, who served honorably in the military forces of the United States; and Petersburg, Va., battle' created. 324 325 United States Civil War Confederate States Civil (3) A veteran of the Civil War, who served honorably in the military forces of the Confederate States of War veteran. America. SEC. 2. In appointing the members of the commission created by section 1 of this Act the Secretary of War shall, as far as practicable, select persons familiar with the terrain of the battle fields of the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, and the historical events associated therewith. SEC. 3. It shall be the duty of the commission, acting under the direction of the Secretary of War, to inspect the battle fields of the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, in order to ascertain the feasibility of preserving and marking for historical and professional military study such fields. The commission shall submit a report of its findings to the Secretary of War not later than December 1, 1925. SEC. 4. There is authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $3,000 in order to carry out the provisions of this Act. An Act To establish a national military park at the battle fields of the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, approved July 3, 1926 (44 Stat. 822) Qualifications of commission. Inspection and bility of preserving tea study, etc. report on feasi etc., for historical Amount auexpenses." thorized for National Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- Petersburg tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to commemorate the campaign and siege and defense of Petersburg, Virginia, in 1864 and 1865 and to preserve for historical purposes the Military Park, Established to preserve battle fields of, when title acquired. Acceptance of donations of lands, etc., authorized. Commission to have supervision of, etc. Duties of commission. Acceptance of gifts, etc., authorized. Proviso. Moneys to be deposited to credit of special fund. States may mark lines of battle of their troops. breast works, earthworks, walls, or other defenses or shelters used by the armies therein the battle fields at Petersburg, in the State of Virginia, are hereby declared a national military park whenever the title to the same shall have been acquired by the United States by donation and the usual jurisdiction over the lands and roads of the same shall have been granted to the United States by the State of Virginia-that is to say, one hundred and eighty-five acres or so much thereof as the Secretary of War may deem necessary in and about the city of Petersburg, State of Virginia. (16 U.S.C. § 423.) SEC. 2. That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to accept, on behalf of the United States, donations of lands, interests therein, or rights pertaining thereto required for the Petersburg National Military Park. (16 U.S.C. § 423a.) SEC. 3. The affairs of the Petersburg National Military Park shall, subject to the supervision and direction of the Secretary of War, be in charge of three commissioners, consisting of Army officers, civilians, or both, to be appointed by the Secretary of War, one of whom shall be designated as chairman and another as secretary of the commission. (16 U.S.C. § 423b.) SEC. 4. It shall be the duties of the commissioners, under the direction of the Secretary of War, to superintend the opening or repair of such roads as may be necessary to the purposes of the park, and to ascertain and mark with historical tablets or otherwise, as the Secretary of War may determine, all breastworks, earthworks, walls, or other defenses or shelters, lines of battle, location of troops, buildings, and other historical points of interest within the park or in its vicinity, and the said commission in establishing the park shall have authority, under the direction of the Secretary of War, to employ such labor and service at rates to be fixed by the Secretary of War, and to obtain such supplies and materials as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. (16 U.S.C. § 423c.) SEC. 5. The commission, acting through the Secretary of War, is authorized to receive gifts and contributions from States, Territories, societies, organizations, and individuals for the Petersburg National Military Park: Provided, That all contributions of money received shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States and credited to a fund to be designated "Petersburg National Military Park Fund," which fund shall be applied to and expended under the direction of the Secretary of War, for carrying out the provisions of this Act. (16 U.S.C. § 423d.) SEC. 6. It shall be lawful for the authorities of any State having had troops engaged at Petersburg, to enter upon the lands and approaches of the Petersburg Na Approval of by the Secre tional Military Park for the purpose of ascertaining and marking the lines of battle of troops engaged therein: Provided, That before any such lines are permanently Provisos. designated, the position of the lines and the proposed marking, etc., methods of marking them by monuments, tablets, or tary of War otherwise, including the design and inscription for the required. same, shall be submitted to the Secretary of War and shall first receive written approval of the Secretary, which approval shall be based upon formal written reports to be made to him in each case by the commis tion in desig sioners of the park: Provided, That no discrimination No discriminashall be made against any State as to the manner of nating lines. designating lines, but any grant made to any State by the Secretary of War may be used by any other State. (16 U.S.C. § 423e.) Penalty for deinjuring, etc., property. stroying, SEC. 7. If any person shall, except by permission of the Secretary of War, destroy, mutilate, deface, injure, or remove any monument, column, statues, memorial structures, or work of art that shall be erected or placed upon the grounds of the park by lawful authority, or shall destroy or remove any fence, railing, inclosure, or other work for the protection or ornament of said park, or any portion thereof, or shall destroy, cut, hack, bark, break down, or otherwise injure any tree, bush, or shrubbery that may be growing upon said park, or shall cut down or fell or remove any timber, battle relic, tree or trees growing or being upon said park, or hunt within the limits of the park, or shall remove or destroy any breastworks, earthworks, walls, or other defenses or shelter or any part thereof constructed by the armies formerly engaged in the battles on the lands or approaches to the park, any person so offending and found guilty thereof, before any United States commissioner or court, justice of the peace of the county in which the offense may be committed, or any other court of competent jurisdiction, shall for each and every such offense forfeit and pay a fine, in the discretion of the said United States commissioner or court, justice of the peace or other court, according to the aggravation of the offense, of not less than $5 nor more than $500, one-half for the use of the park and the other half to the informant, to be enforced and Recovery. recovered before such United States commissioner or court, justice of the peace or other court, in like manner as debts of like nature are now by law recoverable in the several counties where the offense may be committed. (16 U.S.C. § 423f.) be prescribed. SEC. 8. The Secretary of War, subject to the approval Rules, etc., to of the President, shall have the power to make and shall make all need ful rules and regulations for the care of the park, and for the establishment and marking of lines of battle and other historical features of the park. (16 U.S.C. § 423g.) Report to Congress on acquisition of the land. SEC. 9. Upon completion of the acquisition of the land and the work of the commission, the Secretary of War shall render a report thereon to Congress, and thereafter Superintendent the park shall be placed in charge of a superintendent at a salary to be fixed by the Secretary of War and paid out of the appropriation available for the maintenance of the park. (16 U.S.C. § 423h.) to be appointed. Authorization for expenses. Post, p. 1140. Petersburg Military Park, may be trans- Vol. 44, p. 822. Petersburg Va. Additional land. SEC. 10. To enable the Secretary of War to begin to carry out the provisions of this Act, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated not more than the sum of $15,000, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be available until expended, after the United States has acquired title, and disbursements under this Act shall be annually reported by the Secretary of War to Congress. (See 16 U.S.C. § 423i.) Excerpt from "An Act To authorize appropriations for construction at military posts, and for other purposes," approved February 25, 1929 (45 Stat. 1301, 1305) SEC. 4. That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to transfer to the Petersburg National Military Park such portion of the Camp Lee Military Reservation, Virginia, as in his discretion may be required in connection with the establishment of the Petersburg National Military Park, as authorized by the Act of Congress approved July 3, 1926. An Act To add certain surplus land to Petersburg National Military Park, Virginia, to define the boundaries thereof, and for other purposes, approved September 7, 1949 (63 Stat. 691) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress asMilitary Park, sembled, That the Department of the Army is hereby authorized and directed to transfer to the Department of the Interior, without reimbursement, two tracts of land, comprising two hundred six acres, more or less, situated on either side of Siege Road adjacent to Petersburg National Military Park, Virginia. Upon completion of such transfer, all lands, interest in lands, and other property in Federal ownership and under the administration of the National Park Service as a part of or in conjunction with Petersburg National Military Park, in and about the city of Petersburg, Virginia, and comprising one thousand five hundred thirty-one acres, more or less, upon publication of the description thereof in the Federal Register by the Secretary of the Interior, shall constitute the Petersburg National Military Park. (16 U.S.C. § 423a-1.) SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior is further authorized to adjust the boundary of the Petersburg National Military Park through purchase, exchange, or transfer: Provided. That in doing so the total area of the park will not be increased and that such changes will become effective upon publication of the description An Act To change the name of the Petersburg National Military Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Petersburg National Military Park, Petersburg established under authority of the Act of July 3, 1926 Battlefield. (44 Stat. 822; 16 U.S.C. 423a, 423b-423h), and enlarged pursuant to the Act of September 7, 1949 (63 Stat. 691; 16 U.S.C. 423a-1, 423a-2), is redesignated the Petersburg National Battlefield. Designation. SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior, in furtherance of the purposes of the Acts referred to in section 1 of this Act, may acquire by purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange, transfer, or by such other means as he deems to be in the public interest, not to exceed twelve hundred acres of land or interests in land at the site of the Battle of Five Forks for addition to the Petersburg National Battlefield. Lands and interests in lands acquired by the Secretary pursuant to this section shall, upon publication of a description thereof in the Federal Register, become a part of the Petersburg National Publication Battlefield, and thereafter shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the provisions of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes," approved August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1, 2, 3), as amended and supplemented. in F.R. SEC. 3. There are hereby authorized to be appropri- Aprropriation. ated such sums, but not more than $90,000, as are necessary to acquire land pursuant to section 2 of this Act. |