MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2014 By: Senator(s) Wilemon, Collins, Lee, To: Rules Jackson (11th) SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 640 1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO COMMEMORATE THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY 2 OF THE BATTLE OF BRICE'S CROSSROADS AND TUPELO-HARRISBURG AND TO 3 RECOGNIZE THE GRAND REENACTMENT OF THIS IMPORTANT JUNE 10, 1864, 4 ENGAGEMENT. 5 WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi witnessed critically 6 important American Civil War military engagements on its soil, 7 including the Siege of Vicksburg, the Battle of Champion Hill, the 8 Battle of Iuka, the Battle of Corinth and the Battle of Brice's 9 Crossroads, and hosts historic sites related to these strategic 10 engagements which are nationally recognized centers of expertise 11 in the study of the American Civil War; and 12 WHEREAS, the records show that the State of Mississippi 13 contributed 49 regular Infantry Regiments, 25 regular Cavalry and 14 Artillery Regiments, 78,000 men in service of which 60,000 were 15 lost in action or by disease, the Commander-in-Chief of the 16 Confederate armies (President Jefferson F. Davis) and 33 Generals 17 of the Confederate Army whose remains lie in Mississippi soil; and 18 WHEREAS, visitors will be transported back in time during a 19 three-day event to commemorate the anniversaries of the Battle of S. C. R. No. 640 *SS01/R1222* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 14/SS01/R1222 PAGE 1 20 Brice's Crossroads and the Battle of Tupelo-Harrisburg on June 21 13-15, 2014. Cleburne's Division of Reenactors will host the 22 event on the 1500-acre Brice's Crossroads Battlefield located at 23 the intersection of Highway 370 and CR 833, and present two 24 full-scale scripted battles with historically authentic scenarios. 25 They will reenact the Battle of Brice's Crossroads as it really 26 happened as well as the Battle of Tupelo. Camps will be open to 27 the public beginning Friday when a children's discovery day will 28 be hosted by the reenactors; and 29 WHEREAS, both battles were part of the Federal's Atlanta 30 Campaign. General William Tecumseh Sherman's plan was to destroy 31 the Confederate army by dissecting the south and occupying 32 Atlanta, Georgia, while keeping General N.B. Forrest away from his 33 supply lines. At the beginning of June 1864, Major General Nathan 34 Bedford Forrest set out with his cavalry corps of about 2,000 men 35 to enter Middle Tennessee and destroy the Nashville and 36 Chattanooga Railroad, which was carrying men and supplies to 37 General Sherman in Georgia. On June 10, 1864, Forrest's smaller 38 Confederate force defeated a much larger Union column under 39 Brigadier General Samuel Sturgis at Brice's Crossroads. This 40 brilliant tactical victory against long odds cemented Forrest's 41 reputation as one of the foremost mounted infantry leaders of the 42 war. However, General A.J. Smith succeeded in beating Forrest's 43 charges in the July 14, 1864, Battle of Tupelo-Harrisburg. S. C. R. No. 640 *SS01/R1222* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 14/SS01/R1222 PAGE 2 44 Estimated casualties at Brice's Crossroads were 2,610 Union and 45 495 Confederate; and 46 WHEREAS, the sesquicentennial event will also provide family 47 entertainment and education as well as awareness of our local 48 history. In addition to realistic battles, an activities tent 49 will host a variety of presentations from sewing and music in the 50 Civil War to maneuvers used in the battle. "Engineering, medial, 51 and military demonstrations will be set up for spectators and 52 programs will run all day on the hour in the Activity Tent," said 53 Edwina Carpenter, curator of the center and event organizer. 54 Participants will be invited to visit stations or camps to learn 55 about different aspects of life as a Civil War soldier including 56 music, uniforms, weapons and food; and 57 WHEREAS, the Battle of Brice's Crossroads and 58 Tupelo-Harrisburg reenactment will be held on June 13-14, 2014, 59 and has the potential to not only honor Mississippi's rich Civil 60 War heritage, but draw many heritage tourists that are taking 61 advantage of the Mississippi Sesquicentennial of the American 62 Civil War: 63 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 64 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 65 we do hereby commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of 66 Brice's Crossroads and Tupelo-Harrisburg which occurred on June 67 10, 1864, and recognize and commend the organization and S. C. R. No. 640 *SS01/R1222* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 14/SS01/R1222 PAGE 3 68 participation of thousands of volunteers at the Grand Reenactment 69 to be held on June 13-14, 2014, on the actual battlefield site. 70 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted 71 to the Governor, the Mississippi Department of Archives and 72 History, the Mississippi Commission on the Sesquicentennial of the 73 American Civil War, the Mississippi Battlefield Commission and the 74 Brice's Crossroads Archives and History Museum to encourage the 75 education and participation of the citizens of the State of 76 Mississippi in this important event, and be made available to the 77 Capitol Press Corps. S. C. R. No. 640 *SS01/R1222* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 14/SS01/R1222 ST: Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the PAGE 4 Battle of Brice's Crossroads Tupelo-Harrisburg and recognize its reenactment. .