Burying The Past With Technology

The Battlefield in Manassas, Virginia Awaits Irrelevance

In the sweltering heat of July 21, 1861, the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas, erupted in the verdant fields and rolling hills of Northern Virginia. It was a day that would forever alter the course of the American Civil War, a day when the raw, untested armies of the Union and the Confederacy clashed in a brutal and chaotic struggle for supremacy, perpetuity, and independence.

The First Battle of Bull Run fought near Manassas, Virginia, marked the first major land battle of the American Civil War. This clash between Union and Confederate forces unfolded with significant historical consequences, not only for the military strategies employed, but also for the human toll it exacted and the lessons it imparted on both sides of the conflict.

The battle took place in the rolling terrain around Bull Run, a small stream that meandered through Prince William County. Both the Union and Confederate armies converged on this area, each aiming to assert dominance and secure a decisive early victory. A rail station at Manassas was one of the objectives for the Union army. The Union army, under the command of Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, sought to advance toward the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, while the Confederate forces, led by Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard, aimed to defend their territory and maintain their strategic position.

With previous fights occurring earlier that morning, the main clash began near Matthew Hill, where Union and Confederate forces clashed in a brutal struggle for control of the high ground. Colonel Ambrose Burnside led Rhode Island troops against Louisiana and South Carolina troops on the hill to gain the high ground. Burnside said “Good God! Major Sykes; you regulars are just what we want: form on my left and give aid to my men who are being cut to pieces!” The fighting on Matthew Hill was fierce, with both sides suffering heavy casualties as they sought to gain the upper hand. Despite the ferocity of the fighting, neither side was able to secure a decisive advantage, and the battle raged on with no clear victor in sight. The Confederates were then pushed up Henry Hill.

General Thomas Jackson then took a stronghold position with artillery and infantry and literally stonewalled the Union forces attacking Henry Hill near the Henry House, a prominent landmark on the endangered battlefield. The fighting on Henry Hill was fierce, with both sides engaging in intense combat that tested the resolve and courage of the soldiers involved.

One of the key figures in the battle on Henry Hill was Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson, who would later become known as "Stonewall" Jackson for his steadfast leadership and bravery in the face of enemy fire. Jackson's actions on Henry Hill would become legendary, as he rallied his troops and held the line against repeated Union assaults, earning him the admiration of his comrades and the respect of his men.

Battle of Bull Run

One of the most notable aspects of the First Battle of Bull Run was the use of railroads to transport troops to the battlefield. This marked the first time in history that railroads were used on such a large scale to move troops and supplies, demonstrating the growing importance of railroads in modern warfare. The Confederate forces, in particular, benefited from the use of railroads, allowing them to quickly reinforce their positions and respond to Union advances.

The battle also witnessed the involvement of spies, who played a crucial role in gathering intelligence and providing valuable information to their respective commands. Among the spies involved in the battle were Rose O'Neal Greenhow, a Confederate spy who provided critical intelligence to Beauregard's forces, and Allan Pinkerton, a Union spy who conducted reconnaissance missions and gathered valuable information on Confederate troop movements.

In the end, the First Battle of Bull Run ended in a Confederate victory, as Union forces were forced to retreat in disarray all the way back to Washington DC, their hopes of a quick and decisive victory dashed. The battle served as a wake-up call for both sides, highlighting the brutal realities of war and the need for better preparation and strategy in the battles to come.

Now today, a local government plans to construct a 37 building data center on the western side of the Manassas or Bull Run Battlefield. David Duncan, President of The American Battlefield Trust, writes, “In an unprecedented, lame duck, marathon session, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors in Northern Virginia rezoned more than 1,750 acres. The controversial decision will allow the construction of what will be the world’s largest data center. The vote was 4-3 with one abstention despite overwhelming local opposition, and over objections from the National Park Services, county staff, and the County Planning Commission.”

This plays out as an assault on the history of the United States, the history of the Civil War, and on the soldiers who died there fighting for the Union and the Confederacy. The territory where the Civil War had its first land battle now foresees the construction of drab eight-story concrete buildings and large areas of this battlefield overshadowed by horrendous views of data buildings which will produce annoying sounds of fans and air conditioning units over the battlefield. These monstrosities could surely stand somewhere else. Not on hallowed ground.

In August of 1862, a second battle was fought at the same location. The armies had gained much more experience and General Robert E. Lee, one of the most daring officers in American history, created a plan to defeat the armies of General John Pope. These grounds saw the fighting of famous individuals and army units in the Civil War. Robert E. Lee, JEB Stuart, James Longstreet, and Thomas Jackson fought on the Confederate side, and John Reynolds, George Greene, George Meade, and Nathaniel Banks fought for the Union. These are just a few of the men who fought there. Virginia’s First Brigade, later named the Stonewall Brigade, and JEB Stuart’s cavalry brigades saw desperate fighting on these fields in Northern Virginia.

A second national foundational event, beside the American Revolution 1775 to 1783, commenced with the two battles fought at Manassas. The fight to save the constitutional Union established by the founding fathers and the moral fight to end slavery came full circle on this great and historic battlefield. Our country had a second birth conceived on this field in 1861. Even though the Union and Lincoln’s generals could not outmaneuver General Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, and Stewart, eventually a man, and a battle would catch up with the Confederate forces at a town called Gettysburg where Union troops led by a Pennsylvanian, General George Meade, defeated Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia.

How can Manassas become overshadowed by noisy operational data buildings. For people wanting to track the successive battles which led to Antietam and Gettysburg, the Manassas Battlefield stands shinning as the beginning point of the journey. How can this beginning point be desecrated by industry when it’s just unnecessary?

At the Second Battle of Manassas in 1862, the 21st Georgia Infantry Regiment lost 184 of its 242 soldiers in dead and wounded. This represented 76% of the regiment. This was only one example of the bloodshed.

Manassas was the first major battle on American soil since the War of 1812. The Union Army had 35,000 soldiers: 1,011 wounded, 481 killed, and 1,216 missing; while the Confederates had 29,188 soldiers with 1,582 wounded, 387 killed, and 13 missing.[

In the Second Battle of Bull Run in late August of 1862, Union forces present on the field on August 29–30, 1862, numbered about 70,000, while the strength of Lee’s army on the same dates was about 55,000. Total casualties for the battle topped 22,000, with Union losses numbering 13,824. Confederates killed, wounded, or missing numbered 8,353 men.

Taking the geographic context from this battlefield is a slap in the face to citizens of this country who still want to learn and experience the Civil War time period in United States history. The personal stories of courage, bravery, and determination have inspired many people over the years to bring this content to classrooms, museums, and on battlefield tours. The further desecration of United States history will be enhanced with this technology project along with the continued successful efforts by leftist progressive radicals to “reinvent” American history.

When I was a middle school teacher I had the personal experience to take my American history class to Gettysburg for field classroom lessons where students took such a great interest in the terrain and in the biographies of the soldiers who fought there. Many parents stated to me that they had never learned about these places or people before, especially when we stood on the spot where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address in November of 1863 and we recited his words. After the first three years of the trip, parents followed the two coach busses to Gettysburg because they heard about the trip and wanted to learn along with their children. What a time.

If you are interested, go to the American Battlefield Trust website and read more about the many battles fought during the Civil War. You can also make a donation to the Trust to help with their legal fights to save grounds on battlefields.

Sources:

- James M. McPherson, "Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era" (Oxford University Press, 1988)

- Shelby Foote, "The Civil War: A Narrative" (Vintage Books, 1986)

- Bruce Catton, "The Army of the Potomac: Mr. Lincoln's Army" (Doubleday, 1962)

-Sarah Bierle, Emerging Civil War: Echoes of First Bull Run: Words of Battle, https://emergingcivilwar.com/2023/07/22/echoes-of-first-bull-run-words-of-battle/ (July 22, 2023)