Senate Concurrent Resolution 640

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO COMMEMORATE THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BRICE'S CROSSROADS AND TUPELO-HARRISBURG AND TO RECOGNIZE THE GRAND REENACTMENT OF THIS IMPORTANT JUNE 10, 1864, ENGAGEMENT.

WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi witnessed critically important American Civil War military engagements on its soil, including the Siege of Vicksburg, the Battle of Champion Hill, the Battle of Iuka, the Battle of Corinth and the Battle of Brice's Crossroads, and hosts historic sites related to these strategic engagements which are nationally recognized centers of expertise in the study of the American Civil War; and

WHEREAS, the records show that the State of Mississippi contributed 49 regular Infantry Regiments, 25 regular Cavalry and Artillery Regiments, 78,000 men in service of which 60,000 were lost in action or by disease, the Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate armies (President Jefferson F. Davis) and 33 Generals of the Confederate Army whose remains lie in Mississippi soil; and

WHEREAS, visitors will be transported back in time during a three-day event to commemorate the anniversaries of the Battle of Brice's Crossroads and the Battle of Tupelo-Harrisburg on June 13-15, 2014. Cleburne's Division of Reenactors will host the event on the 1500-acre Brice's Crossroads Battlefield located at the intersection of Highway 370 and CR 833, and present two full-scale scripted battles with historically authentic scenarios. They will reenact the Battle of Brice's Crossroads as it really happened as well as the Battle of Tupelo. Camps will be open to the public beginning Friday when a children's discovery day will be hosted by the reenactors; and

WHEREAS, both battles were part of the Federal's Atlanta Campaign. General William Tecumseh Sherman's plan was to destroy the Confederate army by dissecting the south and occupying Atlanta, Georgia, while keeping General N.B. Forrest away from his supply lines. At the beginning of June 1864, Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest set out with his cavalry corps of about 2,000 men to enter Middle Tennessee and destroy the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, which was carrying men and supplies to General Sherman in Georgia. On June 10, 1864, Forrest's smaller Confederate force defeated a much larger Union column under Brigadier General Samuel Sturgis at Brice's Crossroads. This brilliant tactical victory against long odds cemented Forrest's reputation as one of the foremost mounted infantry leaders of the war. However, General A.J. Smith succeeded in beating Forrest's charges in the July 14, 1864, Battle of Tupelo-Harrisburg. Estimated casualties at Brice's Crossroads were 2,610 Union and 495 Confederate; and

WHEREAS, the sesquicentennial event will also provide family entertainment and education as well as awareness of our local history. In addition to realistic battles, an activities tent will host a variety of presentations from sewing and music in the Civil War to maneuvers used in the battle. "Engineering, medial, and military demonstrations will be set up for spectators and programs will run all day on the hour in the Activity Tent," said Edwina Carpenter, curator of the center and event organizer. Participants will be invited to visit stations or camps to learn about different aspects of life as a Civil War soldier including music, uniforms, weapons and food; and

WHEREAS, the Battle of Brice's Crossroads and Tupelo-Harrisburg reenactment will be held on June 13-14, 2014, and has the potential to not only honor Mississippi's rich Civil War heritage, but draw many heritage tourists that are taking advantage of the Mississippi Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Brice's Crossroads and Tupelo-Harrisburg which occurred on June 10, 1864, and recognize and commend the organization and participation of thousands of volunteers at the Grand Reenactment to be held on June 13-14, 2014, on the actual battlefield site.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Commission on the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, the Mississippi Battlefield Commission and the Brice's Crossroads Archives and History Museum to encourage the education and participation of the citizens of the State of Mississippi in this important event, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.