TOPIC: Stone Bridge, Manassas Battlefield Park

A popular and interesting remain of the two Civil War battles in Manassas, Virginia is the Stone Bridge.  It had an interesting role in both of the battles, although on the edge of the battlefield.

Perhaps hard to see, the bridge is located on the right of the map seen here, with the bold black line.

The Old Stone House, featured in a previous post, is just to the left of the bold black line, at the intersection about in the middle of the map.  The road connecting the two landmarks was then called the Warrenton Turnpike.

Interestingly, and a bit weird, when news got out about the First Battle of Bull Run, scores of Washingtonians packed picnic lunches and their carriages and rode out to "see the wah..."  They parked on the hill just above and to the left of the bold black line.  The crowd included Congressmen, Washington bureaucrats, war officials and their families and other well to do's.

The Union had barracks in Centreville, about three miles to the right of that bold black line.  The edge of the green on that map is only about 1.5 miles from the Stone Bridge.

Because of the near Union barracks, the Confederates had cut down many of the trees to give them a better sighted cannon shot and to see the Union troops if they approached and crossed the bridge.

This is how the bridge appears 10 April 2010, and how it probably appeared before the war.  The picture to the right shows the roadway over the bridge.  It is only 13 feet wide.  This view above looks directly toward where the Confederate cannons were set up to shower the bridge!  Only three miles behind this photo are the Union barracks in Centreville.  The bridge spans Bull Run Creek, which you see here.  My two relatives used this bridge, no doubt, on their approach to the battle.  Only one returned to cross it after wards.

Bull Run Creek was used by both sides to wash their wounds and it is said to have run red with blood.

Setting up their picnics on the hill in the distance, the "wah" got too close and the viewing gallery ran for their lives.  They had to return over that narrow, 13' wide bridge!  It was quite the traffic jam!  From this point the return to Washington is about 25 miles.

The bridge was virtually destroyed by the battle.  So much so that the Confederates spanned it with wood so they could send guerrilla forays toward Centreville to harass the Union troops.  After the Second Battle of Manassas the Union troops angrily burned the wooden portion as they retreated.

Great pics Jay. I spent many years in VA 1976-1991 and went to many of the battlefields
and monuments. I also visited as a kid due to many relatives in VA and WV.

Geez, Jeff, we were here.  Why didn't you stop by?

Well Hells Bells Jay, I drove by but the light wasn't on. ;D

It is some beautiful country. Kids today that have never been to these sights need
to go and understand what folks sacrificed for them. The casualties were horrendous.

There is so much cool stuff to see in Virginia, and Maryland.  I sometimes take mental health breaks and just go do something, even if I have done it a hundred times before, like Mt. Vernon, Antietam, Monticello, Ash Lawn, Montpelier, you name it.  All that is within a couple hours of my house.

Sometimes we just walk over the Manassas Battlefield trails.  There is a feeling there, weird, but peaceful too.  I have a relative buried somewhere there.