After leaving the Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, we headed to Manassas (Bull Run) where the first battle of the civil war was fought. We stopped at the visitors center and watched a 45 minute movie on the impact this battle had on the civil war and its effect on the people who lost family members in this battle.
Not only was this the first battle of the civil war, it is also the battle in which a famous Confederate General earned a nickname that stuck with him until he died a few years later. Read more and find out who he was and how he earned his nickname.
It's the morning of July 21, 1861, Judith Carter Henry is bedridden and at home with her daughter and a black servant to attend to her needs. Blind and in her 80's, she spent much of her time remembering how beautiful the rolling hills were surrounding her home. Her son dropped by for a visit. It was a pleasant, sunny, Sunday summer morning.
Suddenly, the deep-throated roar of a 30 pound Parrott rifle shattered the morning calm and the first battle of the civil war began! Mrs. Henry's house was right in the middle of the action! Her son and daughter carried her out of the house - mattress and all. But, the old woman threw such a fit about leaving her house, they soon returned her to her home while the battle raged around them. However, while they were gone, the Union had moved several canons on the hilltop beside her home and Confederate sharp shooters were already inside her home. A canon blasted the Henry home and Judith Carter Henry suffered a mortal wound. She would be the first civilian killed in the civil war, and her house would eventually be completely destroyed.
This picture shows the position of the Union Canons atop Henry Hill and the Henry house in the background. The house was rebuilt to look as it did in July of 1861, and the battlefields were restored to look as they did then, also.
This is a close up shot of the restored Henry house with a monument in the back "to all the brave Patriots who died here".
Before the first battle, both Union and Confederates thought this would be the first and only battle of the civil war. Folks came to see the battle carrying picnic baskets, and were set to enjoy the colorful sites of the expected short battle. In just a few hours of heavy fighting on both sides, more than 900 men lay dead on the battlefield and it was obvious that this war was going to continue for a long time.
During this battle the Confederates were retreating when General Thomas J. Jackson arrived with fresh men. General Jackson stood his ground. Attempting to rally his men, Barnard Bee shouted, "There stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!" This rallied the Confederates to stand their ground and that's how General Jackson became known as Stone Wall Jackson. And now, as Paul Harvey would say, you know the rest of the story!
This is a monument to Stone Wall Jackson, with Captain Craig standing by.
In August 1862, the Union and confederate armies converged here to fight again known as the second battle at Manasses (Bull Run). General Lee was commanding the Confederate army and outsmarted the Union during the battle and sent the Union army retreating back to Washington DC. This victory gave Lee the idea that it was time to start fighting the civil war on Union soil and he made plans to move his army into Pennsylvania and would later be defeated at Gettysburg. See my blog dated September 14th, "Civil War Turning Point, Gettysburg, PA.
After we left the battle field, we stopped at an RV dealer and purchased some new water hoses. Ours were shot (and not by the Confederates or the Union) and needed to be replaced. Then we headed to Logan's Steak House for our 33rd anniversary dinner. I still can't believe we have been married 33 years already. I guess the old saying "Time Flies When You're Having Fun", is very true in our case.
Next, we will enjoy a visit from an old friend and later visit Arlington National Cemetery.
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