GPurvis
Att: Hoyt Cagle- another reply
Fri Jul 13 16:57:54 2001


Hoyt, received this from Mr. Woodrick at the MDAH. I would say our sites are in good hands. you can contact Mr. woodrick at: jwood@mdah.state.ms.us : if you desire. What is ALA. doing in relation to the interstate construction?

George


Dear Mr. Purvis:
Mr. Chuck Bearman, Chief of Staff, Mississippi Secretary of States Office, recently forwarded your inquiry concerning the protection of Civil War resources in relation to highway improvement projects in the Corinth area. As the Civil War Sites Historian, Historic Preservation Division, please allow me to respond.

There are a number of methods employed by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to insure that all cultural resources, including prehistoric and historic sites, are protected, and we work closely with the Mississippi Department of Transportation in this effort. As the Department of Archives and History is designated as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the Department of Transportation must consult with the SHPO in order to protect these resources, according to provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act. In the Corinth area, of course, there are a number of existing Civil War earthworks and battlefield sites which deserve protection. As such, we not only work closely with the Department of Transportation, but also with local preservation groups, such as the Friends of the Siege and Battle of Corinth and the recently formed Friends of the Battle of Iuka, as well as the National Park Service, to identify and prioritize these resources. We have been greatly aided in this effort by a recent National Park Service GPS survey of all known Civil War sites in the Corinth region. Thus, we feel confident that, through our responsibilities as the SHPO, we will be able to protect our Civil War sites.

In addition to the National Historic Preservation Act, we in Mississippi are also fortunate to have a State Antiquities Law. This law, passed in 1972, gives the Department of Archives and History the authority to declare certain publicly-owned properties to be Mississippi Landmark properties. In order to be designated a Mississippi Landmark property, a property must be considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The Antiquities Law also establishes an additional review process for state agencies, thus giving additional protection to historic sites.

As Mr. Bearman mentioned, we also have a state agency whos specific mission is the protection of Mississippis Civil War sites. The Mississippi Civil War Battlefield Commission works hand-in-hand with the Department of Archives and History to identify Civil War resources across the state, and works with federal, state and local preservation groups to protect those sites. In fact, the Civil War Battlefield Commission and the Department of Archives and History joined together to apply for a Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) grant establishing a Mississippi Civil War Trail project. This project, which is funded through the Department of Transportation, will include approximately fifty counties statewide and will provide interpretation for dozens of Civil War sites along Mississippi highways. Thus, the Department of Transportation is not only aware of the need to protect Civil War sites but is actively engaged in their identification and interpretation through the TEA-21 program.

I hope I have been able to answer your questions regarding the protection of Civil War sites in Mississippi. If you need further information, I would be more than happy to speak with you. My phone number here is (601) 359-6940. In addition, if you send me your mailing address, I would like to send you a brochure entitled Protecting Historic Properties: A Citizens Guide to Section 106 Review, published by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Also, if you do not already have a