150th Anniversary Battle of First Manassas Part 1

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<div class="divcap">One of our goals on the visit to Manassas National Battlefield was to capture scenes in the final hours of daylight on July 21st, the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Manassas. The location is Henry Hill. The monument to Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson is on the left. The 1870 Henry House is in on the right. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:15 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

The Gettysburg Daily decided on Thursday, July 21, 2011 that after finishing their tours at Gettysburg to drive to Manassas. The goal was to stand on the ground on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of First Manassas, to document the scene, and to avoid the crowds. 

In today's post we show the structures that were put in place for the commemoration ceremonies of the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of First Manassas (First Bull Run).

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<div class="divcap">This is the National Park Service Map of Manassas National Battlefield. Most of the map shows areas concerning the Second Battle of Manassas, which was fought from August 28-30, 1862. Today, we are concerned about the First Battle of Manassas, which was fought on July 21, 1861. This battle centered around the Henry Hill area, shown in the bottom right of the map. <span class="photo_stamp">This map was scanned facing north at approximately 11:00 AM on Friday, July 22, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">This is the National Park Service Map of the area around Henry Hill for the 150th anniversary period. Large tents, tractor trailers, Coca Cola trucks, Pepsi trucks, food stands, etc... dot the hill of the first major land battle of the American Civil War. So if you had thoughts of going to the battlefield and to be transported back in time 150 years ago, that was difficult. <span class="photo_stamp">This map was scanned facing north at approximately 11:00 AM on Friday, July 22, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">This is the welcome tent located at the entrance to Henry Hill. The Manassas-Sudley Road is in the right background.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 8:30 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Near the top of the hill was the Civil War 150 HistoryMobile Exhibition. The HistoryMobile consists of four sections: Why War?, Battlefront, Homerfront, and Slavery. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 8:15 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The Pepsi and Coca Cola trucks on top of Henry Hill made a nice addition to the scene. We guess to give visitors another view of which purpose the soldiers were fighting. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing south at approximately 8:30 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The Manassas National Battlefield Visitors Center was constructed in 1942. This week it was surrounded by more tents. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:30 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The large white tent on the left is a theater tent showing a 3-D Video that includes more than twenty stereographs taken in the Manassas area in 1862. The presentation lasts six and a half minutes. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 8:30 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">This tent, selling hot dogs, water, and sandwiches made us feel like we were right back in the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors Center.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:30 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The small yellow tent is a "Cooling Tent." Much needed since temperatures/heat index reached over 100 degrees at Mannasas on this day.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Plenty of Port O Potties were spread around the Henry Hill area.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Visitors during the day were required to park in the Chinn Ridge area. This shuttle bus, usually used at Harpers Ferry, transported them to Henry Hill. In the right background is the "Family Reunification" Tent. In the left background is the First Aid Tent. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The Visitors Center was still open when we arrived.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 6:45 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">We exited the Visitors Center on the back porch. The First Aid Tent is located here. The C-SPAN satellite truck is in the left background.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">On the back of the Visitors Center, a huge state was erected for the commemoration ceremonies which took place earlier that day.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">There was plenty of seating for visitors. The Stonewall Jackson statue is in the center background. The light colored monument in the right background is to Barnard Bee. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:45 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">There were multiple stages around the seating area. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Speaking of what happened here 150 years ago, here's a witness tree from the time of the battle. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The National Park Service is attempting to prolong its life with cables. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The trunk of the tree has already had multiple branches "pruned" over the years. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing south at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The tree is not too far from the Visitors Center.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">We'll now start to walk towards the Henry House through the lines of Rickett's Battery.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Not too far from the Visitors Center is a wayside exhibit for Rickett's Battery.<span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Captain James B. Ricketts commanded Battery I, 1st United States Artillery. He was wounded four times and captured at the Battle of First Manassas when his battery was overrun by Confederate infantry. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing east at approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Behind one of Ricketts' guns is a plaque and a small marker. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The 7th Georgia was in George T. Anderson's Brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg. At Gettysburg they fought on the south end of the battlefield in the area known as South Cavalry Field. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing west at approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Here's the marker showing where they captured Ricketts' Battery. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The 7th Georgia belonged to Colonel Francis S. Bartow's Brigade. They charged out of the woods in the left background towards Ricketts' Battery. We'll show you more about Bartow at Manassas in a later post. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">The position of the gun limber and the caisson and its limber marking the position of Ricketts' Battery in reltionship to the Visitors Center. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Behind Ricketts' Battery is another plaque. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">First Lieutenant Andrew Douglas Ramsay was a son of Captain William Ramsay, United States Navy. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the First United States Artillery June 7, 1855. On the eve of the Civil War he served at Fort Duncan, Texas under then Captain William H. French. He was promoted to first lieutenant on February 25, 1861 and left Texas on the S.S. Daniel Webster on March 19, 1861. At the Battle of First Manassas, Lieutenant Ramsey was killed by a Confederate sharpshooter while attempting to recover the guns of the wrecked battery during a Union counterattack. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Ricketts' Battery consisted of six ten-pounder Parrots. Here is the relationship of the Ramsay marker to the battery and the Visitors Center. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">Down the slope from the Ramsey marker are the tents for the support personnel who were attempting to keep order during the Manassas events. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>

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<div class="divcap">In our next Manassas post, we'll show you the activity around the Henry House. <span class="photo_stamp">This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 21, 2011.</span></div>