View of Manassas National Battlefield Park Photo courtesy of Shannon Bell

The 300-acre tract bordered by Bull Run was the scene of two Confederate victories. The First Battle of Manassas, fought July 21, 1861, was the opening engagement of the Civil War and pitted Union Brigadier General Irvin McDowell's unseasoned troops against ill-trained but spirited Confederates under Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard. The naive, unprepared troops would soon have their hopes of a short war dashed as they came face to face with the horrors and carnage of war. The Union attack was repulsed by Confederates inspired by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and his Virginians, who stood against the enemy like a "stone wall," earning Jackson his famous epithet. By the day's end, nearly 900 men lay dead and dying on what the day before had been the peaceful farms of Northern Virginia.

The Stone House at Manassas National Battlefield Park National Park Service photo

Thirteen months later the same armies, now much larger and battle hardened, would again clash over the same ground. The Second Battle of Manassas, fought from August 28 to 30, 1862, cleared the way for General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North. This time, the destruction would be far greater, more than 23,000 killed, missing or wounded. The outcome of the second battle would lead to the Southern army's first full-scale invasion across the Potomac River into Maryland. Surviving landmarks include the Dogan House, a Union snipers' nest in 1862; the Stone House, a Union field hospital during both battles; and the stone bridge, blown up in 1861 but reconstructed in the 1880s.

The Manassas National Battlefield Park, administered by the National Park Service, is located along U.S. Rte. 29 in Manassas, the entrance to the visitors center is just south of Rte. 29 on State Rte. 234. It is open daily from 8:30am to 5:00pm, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call 703-361-1339 for further information or visit the park's website.

The Manassas National Battlefield Park is the subject of an online-lesson plan produced by Teaching with Historic Places, a National Register program that offers classroom-ready lesson plans on properties listed in the National Register. To learn more, visit the Teaching with Historic Places home page.

Main Street Home | List of Sites | Map| Learn More | Itineraries | NR Home | Next Site
Essays: Virginia Main Street | Agriculture and Industry| Commercial Architecture in Virginia| Transportation

Comments or Questions

JPJ/RQ/SB