The First Battle of Manassas

Henry Hill
Originally uploaded by ResQgeek.

I had to go out to my mother-in-law's this afternoon, to pick up the girls. I had all afternoon free, so I decided to make a stop on the way out at the Manassas battlefield. This ground was twice the scene of bloody combat during the Civil War, and its far to easy to drive past it without comtemplating the sacrifice of those who fought here.

I didn't spend a lot of time at the park today, but I did wander the grounds briefly, taking pictures and thinking about the battles fought here and elsewhere. Its really hard to conjure up the bloody chaos of battle on such a beautiful day. The blue skies, the peaceful quiet of a calm afternoon, all conspire to erase the smoke, noise and dirt of those battles. Time has erased the scars of the battles, but the monuments and cannons serve as reminders of a time when our nation was at war with itself.

My visit may have been brief, but it was a reflective stop. My oldest daughter has started asking questions about the Civil War. Maybe its time to bring her out her to visit...