Manassas Battlefield Park and Bull Run

Our next trip was to explore our Manassas Battlefield, and to look back into our Civil War past.  We packed up our picnic and water bottles and headed down the road. It is only 20 minutes from our house.  I really just love how much history is so close to us here.  It was a beautiful day and the weather was great, which is to say we didn't sweat too much with the high humidity.

We learned that day that this was the site of the first battle in the Civil War and where the confederates won and General Thomas Jackson got his name.."Stonewall Jackson".  There were two battles fought in this location. What was so interesting to us was that at this first battle people packed picnics and set out blankets to watch and thought this would be the first and last battle of the conflict and boy were they wrong!  I can't imagine going to watch a battle like I was going to my kids soccer game.  Crazy!

We walked the grounds overlooking the site where the Union set up their cannons and then over to were the Confederate army set up theirs.

This house set in the very middle of the fighting and the old lady that lived here refused to leave and became one of the first to die in the war when a bomb and bullets went through her house.

 Stonewall Jackson's Statue

This is the marker for the gave site for the Confederate soldiers.  The union soldiers were buried in Arlington Nation Cemetery, but the confederate solders were left on the ground and not taken care of or cared about.  We felt this was a very interesting part of our history that my dad and I never knew about!

A ladies organization from the confederate side raised money for this maker and paid people near by for any confederate body to be brought back and be put into the mass grave.  Each section is marked by the state the soldier came from. Most all the soldiers that would be found could only be identified by there state, with the exception of a few that could actually be identified and were given a individual gave marker.  We just found it so interesting to learn things about our history that we never would have unless you go to these sites. 

The Old Stone House

Cannon balls from the war had been found after and used to decorate the house.  The kids thought this was awesome and had fun looking for them.  I think there was three;)

Bull Run

 The Bridge at Bull Run

It was the only way to get across the water easily and was a great asset for either side.  It was blown up many times to make sure that which ever side was controlling it couldn't use it.

Fact I learned from my travel book:

During the war, the North generally named a battle after the closest river, stream, or creek.  The South would name battles after towns or railroad junctions. Hence the Confederates name Manassas after Manassas Junction and the Union named it Bull Run for the stream seen here, Bull Run.

~July 11, 2014~