Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5979, the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument Act, legislation that I introduced that directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument as a unit of the National Park System.

On January 19, 1862, the small Kentucky town of Logan's Cross Roads erupted in a blast of artillery and musket fire as Confederate and Union forces clashed in the Battle of Mill Springs.

When the smoke cleared, it was clear that the Union was victorious and had secured its first significant victory in the Civil War. To honor the site, the Mill Springs Battlefield in Pulaski and Wayne Counties in Kentucky was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark district in 1994.

Realizing the need to preserve and protect the battlefield for the future, the Mill Springs Battlefield Association was founded in 1992. That association currently owns more than 900 acres of the battlefield that they have pieced together over the years with their own money and grant money from various sources. They even built a $1.7 million, 10,000- square-foot visitor center and museum at the site, which is adjacent to the Mill Springs National Cemetery, which, of course, was started by the deaths from this battle.

Mr. Speaker, while the association is currently doing an exemplary job in maintaining the battlefield, it simply does not have the financial resources to adequately preserve and maintain this site in perpetuity.

To ensure that the Mill Springs Battlefield is protected for future generations, I introduced this legislation to add the battlefield to the National Park System. This will ensure that the battlefield where the Union first tasted victory is protected, preserved, and promoted well into the future.

Mr. Speaker, this effort is supported by the Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, as well as the National Park Service.

It is also supported by many in Kentucky, including our Governor, our friends in our congressional delegation, and countless local and regional leaders.

It is also supported by the Battlefield Association which is willing to donate their property, some 900 of the acres, to make this national monument a reality.

I am particularly grateful to Chairman McClintock, Chairman Bishop, and their staff who worked closely with us to bring this bill to the floor. I can't thank the chairman enough for the great work that he does.

I would also like to specifically thank my friend and colleague, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is ushering companion legislation through the Senate.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the men and women of the Mill Springs Battlefield Association. Without their decades of work to piece together and preserve this important site, none of this would be possible today. They stage an annual reenactment of this battle which is realistic to the nth degree, and I would invite everyone to attend the annual reunion of this battle in January of next year.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument Act.

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