The Battle Of Bull Run/Manassas

Since we were at Bull Run/Manassas, it was only fitting to see the battlegrounds too. We learned a lot about the Civil War this trip. I am well versed about WWII, but am still very much a novice when it comes to the history of the Civil War.

Our first history lesson was at Bull Run, or Manassas. One of the things I learned was that most of the battles have two names, one from the Confederates (The Southern States) and one from the Union Army (The Northern States). Most often, in unfamiliar territory, the Confederates named their battles after the closest town, whereas the Union soldiers tended to name the battles after streams of running water that ran through the battlefield. Bull Run/Manassas got its name Bull Run because of the stream that ran through the battlefield by the Union Army, and Manassas by the Confederates because the town of Manassas was only about 30 miles outside of Washington D.C. This battle was significant because it was the first actual full-scale battle of the Civil War. This battle was the start of a very long, four-year bloody battle. This round was a Confederate victory. Sadly 22,000 men lost their lives in this bloody battle. The grounds of Bull Run/Manassas are very hallowed grounds, as are so many of their grounds in the Eastern states.

We are in Virginia, which was one of the major battleground states for the Confederates. We are in the South at the moment. Later on into the trip, we were in the northern territory of the Union soldiers. We got the history and perspectives of the war from both sides.

This is a memorial to the fallen Confederate soldiers.

The Civil War Museum of Manassas.

The price of freedom is NEVER free. Freedom is something we have to fight for and defend at all times, at all costs. Throughout history, far too many people have made the ultimate sacrifice so others can live free.