Manassas Trip
March 2010
Fort Ward
Clive Rice scouted and arranged the tour. Fort Ward was part of a
system of forts built after 1st Manassas to defend Washington, DC that
made the capital virtually impregnable. The fort has been
restored to its wartime appearance.
The Rice clan, left to right, Clive, then Clive's cousin from
Connecticut Michael Rice, then Betty Rice, then Michael's wife
Carol.
Pat and Al Baril with Deanne Cebulash.
First Manassas
Peekabo, Ed Bearss sees you!
The Stone Bridge - Union troops fled across this bridge at the close of the battle.
Watch out, Ed. It might be loaded.
The recent statue of Stonewall Jackson depicts a superhero
version of the general complete with cape and massive doses of
steroids.
Soon after the battle, the Confederates placed the first monument on
the battlefield on top of this rock, now wedged among three trees.
This original monument was soon vandalized by Union troops.
The Henry House was caught in the crossfire, and Mrs Henry died.
The Stone House still shows evidence of the battle.
Dinner
Hotel towel art.
Ed Bearss spoke after dinner and was presented with a plaque, his
second from the Roanoke Civil War Round Table. A veritable
walking encyclopedia, Ed noted that this one was made of lighter wood.
Chapman's Mill at Thoroughfare Gap
Chapman's Mill was recently the target of an arsonist. It is the
tallest masonry structure in the country that doesn't have mortar.
During the 2nd Manassas campaign, the Union army lost an
excellent opportunity to block Longstreet's corps at nearby
Thoroughfare Gap, which would have isolated Jackson's corps near
Manassas.
Second Manassas
The area around Brawner Farm and SD Lee's guns has recently been
cleared of trees, restoring the landscape to its wartime appearance.
The guns here enfiladed the attacking Union troops at Deep Cut.
Soon after the battle, the Federals erected two monuments on the
battlefield. This one commemorates the second battle of
Manassas at Deep Cut, where the Union V Corps attacked the Confederates
defending an unfinished railroad cut.
Ed Bearss models the new Roanoke Civil War Round Table cap, available
for $15. A Virginia sequicentennial pin is $5 and gets you
discounts at various locations.
Ed Bearss meets Phil Sheridan.
That evening, we conducted a seance
to ask Gen Bee if his statement, "There stands Jackson like a stone wall", was
meant to be complimentary or derogatory. Gen Bee said that he would reveal that
only to Ed Bearss IN PERSON in 100 to 150 years.
Chantilly or Ox Hill
The battle at Chantilly occured the day after 2nd Manassas. Lee
sent Jackson on a march to cut off the Union retreat. Little
remains of the battlefield, but its loss to development in the 1980s
spurred the creation of the Association for the Preservation of Civil
War Sites, now the Civil War Preservation Trust.
Dinner
Larry Gordon spoke after dinner on the last night.
Ball's Bluff
Our guide at Ball's Bluff was James Morgan, who wrote a book on the battle.
The new Round Table cap reminds us all that RoanokeCWRT.org is well worth a visit.
These are the bluffs and the view of the Potomac from them.
The Potomac
The National Cemetery
Sue Ann Boothe
After two days of struggling to keep up with the world's coolest
octagenarian, Round Table members were passed on the Ball's Bluff trail
by a girl on crutches.
Group photo.
Photos by John Graham, Clive Rice, Philip Sheridan, and Dick Uplinger.