Franklin Battlefield Feasbility Study Transcript: Congressional Record November 15, 2005

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis), the cosponsor of the legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1972, the Franklin National Battlefield Study Act. It is fitting that we protect this piece of American history by preserving this battlefield, home to the Battle of Franklin. As Roberts Hicks and Julian Bibb of Franklin's Charge put it best:

"What happened on the late afternoon and evening of November 30, 1864, was an epic display of courage and valor as troops on both sides gave their lives for causes they believed worthy and just. But the battle was much more. In essence, the Battle of Franklin was one of the most significant events in national unity, peace, and the end of slavery."

The Franklin battlefield might be one of the smallest battlefields in the United States, but it is also among the bloodiest. A staggering 9,000 soldiers were killed or wounded at Franklin, including the largest number of generals ever lost in any American battle. It was the largest infantry charge ever conducted in North America. In the 5 tragic hours that make up the Battle of Franklin, more men died in those 5 hours than the 19 hours on D-Day. Eleven Congressional Medals of Honor were earned at the Battle of Franklin.

The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission designated Franklin as one of just 45 principal battles having a direct, observable impact on the direction, duration, conduct, or outcome of the war. Marking the beginning of the end for the Western Theater of the Civil War, it is now listed among the country's Top 10 Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields by the Civil War Preservation Trust. I strongly support Representative Blackburn's legislation to correct this injustice. The Battle of Franklin is considered the beginning of the defeat of the Confederacy.

I applaud the efforts of Save the Franklin Battlefield, Incorporated; Mayor Miller of Franklin; Franklin's Charge; the Williamson County Historical Society; interested city and county leaders; and leading preservationists and conservation organizations that have sought to make this legislation a reality. It has been a delight to work with the gentlewoman from Tennessee on this particular issue, which is in her home district, a county that we both share.

I believe it is our duty to preserve this historical battlefield, and we are bound by the respect and homage we must pay for those who died to preserve the Nation we hold so dear and revere today. But this is also for our children and grandchildren who will now be able to experience a chapter in our Nation's history in a way that a textbook cannot provide.