U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander Wednesday announced that he introduced legislation that would expand the boundary of Shiloh National Military Park to include three Civil War battlefields in Tennessee and designate Parker’s Crossroads as an affiliated area of the National Park System. U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Brentwood) introduced similar legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year.
“As Americans, we have a special obligation to preserve and protect our heritage,” Senator Alexander said. “Including these Civil War battlefields in the National Park System will honor that commitment, while providing an opportunity to attract more visitors to Tennessee and encourage the local economies.”
"I am pleased to be working with Senator Alexander in preserving this important piece of our national history,” Rep. Blackburn said. “Tennessee played a vital role in the Civil War and it’s important that we remember those who lost their lives on these hallowed grounds while fighting for what they believed in. This legislation will preserve our history for future generations and encourage all to travel to West Tennessee to see it firsthand.”
The legislation would designate battlefields at Davis Bridge and Fallen Timbers in Tennessee and Russell House (which is in Tennessee and Mississippi) as part of Shiloh National Military Park. It will also include Parker’s Crossroads of Tennessee in the National Park System. The National Park Service has already determined these battlefields are nationally significant and in need of preservation and protection, and the majority of the land included in this legislation is currently owned by the State of Tennessee or the Civil War Trust, which would speed the process of including these areas in the system.