Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Manassas

At the end of our third week of classes, we made our way to Manassas. Dr. Guelzo couldn’t join us, but we managed to arrive in one piece somehow. And, despite early signs of inclement weather, we were fortunate enough to avoid rain!

After joining our leader and guide Jim Burgess, we toured a variety of sites related to the First and Second Battles of Bull Run (Manassas), including Blackburn’s Ford, Signal Hill, the so-called “Liberia House” used as headquarters by Beauregard, and the Ben Lomond House (where were learned about everything from a French-hating presidential pet to forensic blood analysis technique).

After lunch, Jim Burgess took us through the phases of the 1st Battle of Bull Run, beginning with the Stone Bridge. We then walked up to the area demarcated as Farm Ford, and Jim Burgess explained that its real location is likely a couple hundred yards farther up. (I thought his presentation of this was a really interesting example of historical detective work. Really fun!) After looping around the trail back to the Stone Bridge, we hopped on the bus to Sudley Church, which Hunter’s division passed on the way to its attempted flank attack on the left of McDowell’s line. We then drove to Matthews Hill, where Burnside’s and Porter’s brigades engaged with the outnumbered Col. Evans. (And where the 2nd Rhode Island fought alone for the better part of a half hour and was able to push back the Confederates!) After that, we stopped (and posed) at the Stone House, used as a field hospital during the battle.

Our final stop was Henry House Hill, where we were all greatly distracted by the overwhelmingly disproportionate monument to Stonewall Jackson. (The muscles of his wildly inaccurate horse seem to blend with those of his wildly inaccurate legs and torso. Something is clearly very strange here.) In any case, we heard from Jim Burgess about the action and ultimate Confederate victory at Henry House Hill – and the physical and psychological aftermath of the First Battle of Bull Run for both sides. As the clouds began to break, we departed Manassas in high spirits – and began to look forward to Antietam in two weeks!