1st Battle of Manassas - Manassas National Battlefield (Manassas, Va)

What makes going to an old battlefield so attractive to the people? Is it because you can get a glimpse of what the familiar would look like back in the day? Is it because knowing that hundreds of men fought for their ideal of freedom and rights? Or is it just a morbid curiosity like visiting cemeteries to simply read the death dates?

I went to Manassas National Battlefield Park, expecting to see just a few little museums and kiosks talking about the field since there were no re-enacting going on. I figured I would just meander around for a while and look over the line of cannons, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I went with my coworker, W, who was interested in joining me on my Tuesday hikes whenever she can. She wants to get more active and, whenever we see each other, we talk about my latest adventures and fitness. I invited her on this trip since it was 5 miles and  I figured I would take several pictures along the way.

We met up at the Visitor Center and paid our fee -- a mere $3. The rangers were very informative about which trails to go on. We decided to do the First Battle of Manassas trail, blue blazed, which was the shorter of the two hikes. As stated so eloquently on the trail map, "This 5.4 mile walking trail leads visitors over the landscape where on a warm July day in 1861, the newly formed Union and Confederate armies clashed for the first time."

Upon leaving the visitor center, we rounded around behind to glance at the lines of cannon which mark the primary battle lines. The cannon were imposing to come upon, yet exciting. I started to be able to imagine the men who fought here, manning the artillery and sweating in the sun.

After the cannon, the trail leads up to the Henry Hill house, a wooden structure with a little cemetery in front that contains the remains of the only civilian killed during the battle. That civilian was the owner of the house, an 85 year old woman by the name of Judith Carter Henry who refused to leave her home. Could she have been unable to leave? At that age, she may have been too frail or invalid to leave.

After leaving the Henry House, we followed the Red and Blue blazed trail. We crossed route 29 at a crosswalk to continue on our journey. The cars passing by ruined the whole feel of being lost in time, but that was soon fixed once we crossed the street and stared at the Stone House.

The Stone House was supposed to be opened to visitors, but I'm sure that's only for the weekend. As seen on the kiosk, it was once a tavern turned into a hospital. I peeked inside and you can see the laterns and tables set up as a tavern. It was serene and I can see why it provided soldiers with an image of peace. Could a divine hand have made sure that building was spared in both battles?

Behinds the Stone House, we climbed up to the high ground of Mathews Hill. The view was stunning. The tall meadow grass swayed in the breeze, obscuring close by objects. Small yellow and white butterflies flitted among the late summer yellow flowers and pasture thistle while hawks and other larger birds rode the thermals above, looking for field mice. Some of the trees were starting to change color to golds and yellows.

Glancing around, it was hard to imagine the serenity of my surroundings could become a place of death and chaos. I couldn't imagine men stalking through the tall meadow grass, some of it was almost as tall as I am.

There were several places where the path went through ornate fencing meant to keep deer out of the battlefield as well as appear more rustic.

We looped around into the wooded area near Bull Run, a watershed of the Chesapeake Bay, flowed shallow and tranquil below us. We passed where a plantation once stood called Pittsylvania, but only a plaque showed where. During the second battle, it was burned to the ground with no remains.

I wanted to stop at the Carter Family Cemetery, but W decided that it wasn't for her which I can understand. I'm a little on the morbid side and walking through historic cemeteries are interesting to me. I decided to put it on my list to see the next time I go back.

We continued to follow Bull Run, through the woods. Eventually, we started to see the trenching and defenses that the armies used. At fist glance, it just looks like mini-hills through the woods and anyone who didn't know about the Civil War would miss the importance of these little hills. Unfortunately, with foliage on the trees, pictures were hard to come by.

While in the woods and elsewhere, we were greeted by large trees, branches rustling in the breeze, that had little wooden plaques with "Witness Tree" inscribed on them. Upon research, I found that these trees were old enough to witness the carnage of both of the Manassas battles. The park rangers would bore a tiny hole and extract a sample of the tree's rings to determine age. Some of these trees, Eastern Red Cedars mostly, were around 300 years old.

We stumbled out of the woods and headed towards the Stone Bridge where, according to the map, "the union forces deployed to divert Confederate attention from the main advance upstream". The Stone Bridge has been restored, but the center was once blown apart to keep the opposition from crossing.

Pasture Thistle 

We, then, walked through a little marshland before climbing up the side of another hill to the Van Pelt homesite where only a plaque remains of the building. Here, there were several benches to entice the weary to sit and listen to their surroundings for a while. The climb up was rather difficult, considering the terrain before was relatively flat.

We crossed route 29 again, this time being very careful as there was no crosswalk to stay on the trail. This part of the trail was also being shared with the horse trail so we had to watch where we put our feet. We crossed a tiny bridge into the woods again and followed the blue trail as it zigged and zagged over the bridle trail for horses as we headed to the last mile back to the Visitor Center.

Last set of cannon used before the Visitor Center

We emerged from the last mile to the Visitor Center where we found a shady spot and a bench to nibble on some of our treats. W brought cheese, apples, and a baggie of nuts to share while I brought beef and pork jerky and trail  mix. We discussed how we really enjoyed walking with each other and hope to plan another trip.

After W left, I decided that I wanted to try to check out the Second Battle of Manassas trail. The trail started on the other side of route 234, so I carefully crossed the street since there was no cross walk. Note to National Parks, maybe it would be nice to have these crosswalks!

Telling myself that I'm on the second trail

I walked about a mile and a half and didn't find the entrance to the trail. I kept walking until I got to an intersection that had the Hooe Family Cemetery (mad that I didn't take a picture) before I turned around since the sun was starting to set. The second trail is over six miles, so I didn't think I could make it. 

On my return, I saw that I had a little stalker in the woods. I could hear a little bit of rustling in the woods, but I thought it was just more birds. However, I glanced over because the rustling started to sound a little strange. There, in the trees, was a muskrat, staring at me with his beady little eyes. I could hear the slight chirping sound it was making before it ran off into the little brook. 

I see you! 

As the sun was setting, the battlefield started to change into another beautiful scene. The farmland, with its straw barrels, and the trees started to glow under the setting sun. I stood for a while, staring out at a set of trees that had a break through them. I, suddenly, realized that it was the entrance to the second trail. I had by-passed it on my way out by over a mile. Next time...

Finally, I made it back to the visitor center. I walked around to the opposite side to see a statue of a man on a horse. Was this the monument to Stonewall Jackson? I saw it when I first came in, but didn't pay any attention since I was ready for the hike. Now, thoroughly exhausted after 7.5 miles of walking, I trudged over the grass to the statue. Sure enough, it was Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

"There Stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!"

For those who are not familiar with the first real battle of the Civil War (1861-1865) after the start in Fort Sumter in South Carolina, you may find more information here. Also, I recommend coming to Manassas National Battlefield Park and taking a walk through the lines of cannon and read the plaques as you relive the war.

I plan on going back to do the Second Battle of Manassas/ Bull Run as well as maybe taking both trails for a grand adventure in American History. If you happen to go, let me know your thoughts and emotions as you walk through. I, personally, felt a mixture of emotions between being somber and peaceful.