Deep Cut Restoration Project

Deep Cut Monument with dense tree cover around it. This picture shows the Monument and area prior to the 2007 restoration

NPS

Project Overview

During the Fall and Winter of 2007, Manassas National Battlefield Park removed approximately 140 acres of trees between the Deep Cut (Tour Stop #7) and the Brawner Farm (Tour Stop #1). These non-historic woodlands directly impacted interpretation of the Second Battle of Manassas, especially the fighting that occured on 28 August and 30 August 1862, as the lines of sight that dictated troop movements and patterns were blocked by the woodland.

This cleared area has been mainained as an early successional shrub and grassland mix; a habitat that is becoming increasingly rare. Many avian species of concservation concern have also utilized this area.

Historical Context

The Second Battle of Manassas was one of the few battles of the Civil War where Confederate artillery dominated the field. Over 30 guns belonging to Shumaker's and S.D. Lee's artillery battalions were concentrated near Brawner Farm. Another four guns of Chapman's Dixie Artillery delivered a destructive raking fire from Battery Heights into Deep Cut. Fitz John Porter's Union attack failed largely because of this heavy concentration of Confederate artillery fire. It was difficult for visitors to comprehend the advantage of the Confederate position with the woodlands blocking these historic views.