Chapter 152.
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CHAP. 152.— AN ACT To establish a national military park at the battle field of Guilford Courthouse. March 2, 1917.[[H. R. 8229](/us/bill/64/hr/8229).][[Public, No. 375](/us/pl/64/375).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,* That in order to preserve for Guilford Courthouse Military Park, N. C. Established.historical and professional military study one of the most memorable battles of the Revolutionary War, the battle field of Guilford Courthouse, in the State of North Carolina, is hereby declared to be a national military park whenever the title to the same shall have been acquired by the United States; that is to say, the area inclosed by the following lines:
Area described. Those certain tracts or parcels of land in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, Morehead Township, more particularly described as follows: First tract: Beginning at a stone on the west side of the Greensboro macadam road; thence north eighty-six degrees five minutes west eight hundred and seventy-seven and one-tenth feet to a stone; thence north seven degrees fifty-five minutes west four hundred and eight and eight-tenths feet to a stone; thence north seven degrees five minutes east one hundred and ninety and eight-tenth feet to a stone; thence north sixty degrees forty-five minutes east two hundred and sixty-five and four-tenths feet to a stone; thence north fourteen degrees fifteen minutes west seven hundred and one and six-tenths feet to a stone; thence north eight degrees forty-five minutes west three hundred and forty-eight and one-ten th feet to a stone; thence 997north seventy-one degrees thirty-five minutes east nine hundred and thirty-seven and eight-tenths feet to a stone; thence south fifty degrees forty-five minutes east one hundred and fifty-seven and two-tenths feet to a stone; thence north seventy degrees forty-five minutes east eight hundred and seventy-five and five-tenths feet to a stone; thence north twenty-seven degrees twenty-eight minutes west two hundred and two and nine-tenths feet to a stone; thence north twenty-seven degrees eight minutes west two hundred and twenty-six and eight-tenths feet to a stone; thence north sixty-nine degrees forty-five minutes east two hundred and sixty-five and nine-tenths feet to a stone; thence north sixty-eight degrees fifty minutes east three hundred and seventy and eight-tenths feet to a stone; thence south fifty- three degrees fifty minutes east eight hundred and ninety-two feet to a stone; thence south eighty-three degrees twenty minutes east two hundred and ninety-one and four-tenths feet to a stone; thence south twenty-nine degrees twenty minutes west six hundred and fifty-five and seven-tenths feet to a stone; thence south twelve degrees fifty-five minutes west eight hundred and forty-three foot to a stone; thence about west ten feet to a stone; thence south six degrees five minutes west one hundred and thirty-three and four- tenths feet to a stone; thence north sixty degrees west thirty-eight feet to a stone; thence north forty-nine degrees west fifty-two and six-tenths feet to a stone; thence north eighty-seven degrees ten minutes west one thousand four hundred and twenty-seven and three-tenths feet to a stone; thence north twelve degrees forty minutes east one hundred and ninety-six and five-tenths feet to a stone; thence south seventy-one degrees west two hundred and thirty-seven and nine-tenths feet to a stone; thence south three degrees fifty-five minutes west one thousand and eleven and three- tenths feet to the beginning.
Second tract: Beginning at a stone on the south side of Holt Avenue; thence south nine degrees forty-five minutes west one hundred and nine and eight-tenths feet to a stone; thence south eighty- four degrees forty-five minutes east two hundred and forty-nine feet to a stone; thence northeasterly to Holt Avenue; thence with Holt Avenue north eighty-seven degrees ten minutes west to the beginning, on which is located the Joe Spring. Together with all privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging.
The aforesaid tracts of land containing in the aggregate one hundred and twenty-five acres, more or less, and being the property of the Guilford Battle-Ground Company, according to a survey by W. B. Trogdon and W. B. Trogdon, junior, made June eighth, nineteen hundred and eleven. And the area thus inclosed shall be known as the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Sec. 2. That the establishment of the Guilford Courthouse National Acceptance of conveyance.Military Park shall ho carried forward under the control and direction of the Secretary of War, who is hereby authorized to receive from the Guilford Battle-Ground Company, a corporation chartered by the State of North Carolina, a deed of conveyance to the United States of all the lands belonging to said corporation, embracing one hundred and twenty-five acres, more or less, and described more particulary in the preceding section.
Sec. 3. That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed Adjacent lands.to acquire at such times and in such manner such additional lands adjacent to the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park as may be necessary for the purposes of the park and for its improvement. Sec. 4. That the affairs of the Guilford Courthouse National Military Commission created to control.Park shall, subject to the supervision and direction of the Secretary of War, be in charge of three commissioners, one of whom shall be an actual resident of Guilford County, State of North Carolina, one 998an actual resident of the State of Maryland, and one an actual resident Appointments and terms.of the State of Delaware.
They shall be appointed by the Secretary of War, the actual resident of Guilford County, State of North Carolina, so appointed to serve, unless sooner relieved, for a term of four years. The resident commissioner shall act as chairman and as secretary of the commission. One of the other commissioners so appointed shall serve for a term of three years, and the other for a term of two years, unless sooner relieved. Upon the expiration of the terms of said commissioners the Secretary of War shall, in the manner hereinbefore prescribed, appoint their successors, to serve, unless sooner relieved, for a term of four years each from the date of their respective Office and compensation.appointments.
The office of said commissioners shall be in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina. The resident commissioner shall receive as compensation $1,000 per annum, the nonresident commissioners $100 per annum each, and they shall not be entitled to any other pay or allowances of any kind whatsoever. Duty and authority of commission. Sec. 5. That it shall be the duty of the commission named in the preceding section, under the direction of the Secretary of War, to open or repair such roads as may be necessary to the purposes of the park, and to ascertain and mark with historical tablets or otherwise, as the Secretary of War may determine, all lines of battle of the troops engaged in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and other Regulations for care, etc.historical points of interest pertaining to the battle within the park or its vicinity; and the said commission in establishing this military park shall also have authority, under the direction of the Secretary of War, to employ such labor and services and to obtain such supplies and material as may be necessary to the establishment of said park, under such regulations as he may consider best for the interest of the Government, and the Secretary of War shall make and enforce all needed regulations for the care of the park.
Marking positions of troops. Sec. 6. That it shall be lawful for any State that had troops engaged in the battle of Guilford Courthouse to enter upon the lands of the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park for the purpose of ascertaining and marking the lines of battle of its troops engaged *Proviso.* Approval of Secretary of War.therein: *Provided,* That before any such lines are permanently designated the position of the lines and the proposed methods of marking them, by monuments, tablets, or otherwise, shall be submitted to and approved by the Secretary of War; and all such lines, designs, and inscriptions for the same shall first receive the written approval of the Secretary of War.
Penalty for mutilations, etc., of property in. Sec. 7. That if any person shall, except by permission of the Secretary of War, destroy, mutilate, deface, injure, or remove any monument, column, statues, memorial structures, or work of art that shall be erected or placed upon the grounds of the park by lawful authority, or shall destroy or remove any fence, railing, inclosure, or other work for the protection or ornamentation of said park, or any portion thereof, or shall destroy, cut, hack, bark, break down, or otherwise injure any tree, brush, or shrubbery that may be growing upon said park, or shall cut down or fell or remove any timber, battle relic, tree, or trees growing or being upon said park, or hunt within the limits of the park, any person so offending and found guilty thereof before any justice of the peace of the county of Guilford, State of North Carolina, shall, for each and every such offense, forfeit and pay a fine, in the discretion of the justice, according to the aggravation of the offense, of not less than $5 nor more than $50, one-half Half of fine to informer.for the use of the park and the other half to the informer, to be enforced and recovered before such justice in like manner as debts of like nature are now by law recoverable in the said county of Guilford, State of North Carolina.
Approved, March 2, 1917.