CivilWarTalk Throwback Thursday, 10-26-17

[James N.]

Although this photo from my 1964 graduation trip with my friend Mike ( @mkyzzzrdet ) admittedly doesn't look like much, and has neither him nor me in it, I wanted to post it anyway as part of a then-and-now sequence to illustrate the change that was made for the Sesquicentennial of Second Manassas versus this Centennial-era shot taken fifty years earlier. This is the so-called Groveton Monument, one of the oldest erected to commemorate the Civil War, dedicated in July, 1865, at the same time as its better-known "twin" that stands on Henry House Hill. The inscription on it reads, "In MEMORY of the PATRIOTS who fell at Groveton Aug 28 - 29 & 30, 1862". At the time of our visit, this is what NPS Historical Handbook Series No.15 - Manassas (Bull Run) had to say about this area of the battlefield:

"8. 'DEEP CUT.' ... Here the troops of Fitz-John Porter suffered terrific losses in gallant but vain attempts to penetrate Jackson's defenses. Heavy woods have now grown up in what was then open land largely obscuring the shaft of reddish brown stone erected to the memory of the Union troops who fell there. Most of the land of the 'Deep Cut' is not at present owned by the park."

Happily, in the past several years almost all of the battlefield at Manassas has been added to the park holdings and the Deep Cut area has been cleared for the Sesquicentennial. In 1964, the only access to the monument was along a trail that marks the line of the Unfinished Railroad, behind which the Confederate battleline was posted. Above, looking out from the Confederate viewpoint toward the Union lines the monument again stands unobscured and the terrain looks much as it did in 1862; the view below is from the perspective of Porter's attacking Federals with the monument barely visible on the top of the embankment created by the Unfinished Railroad. In 1964, the woods extended all the way to the road behind this point.

Be sure to share your throwback photos!!!

 

[Pat Young]

Nice shots. I saw it from both perspectives and it is a big improvement.

 

[James N.]

Nice shots. I saw it from both perspectives and it is a big improvement.

The thing I was aware of as I hiked from the parking area far to the left of the monument, then along the Unfinished Railroad all the way back to the previous tour stop, passing the monument about halfway, was how rapidly the woods are returning - this entire area already seriously needs to be clear-cut again to prevent the Deep Cut from being once again engulfed by vegetation.

 

[JOHN42768]

Let there be light, and there was. Thanks

 

[JPChurch]

That's off Featherbed Rd. Really nice back that way, paved road turns into gravel. I've seen flocks of turkey crossing the road and a coyote once too. The satellite image of the area shows the monument. Really cool. All the area off Pageland Lane off Groveton Rd is preserved now also. That was all slated to be commercially developed years ago, fortunately the Dept. of Interior purchased the land. Doubt the same and the NPS has it within their funds/budget to do anything more to clear the land on the Battlefield and restore it to what it looked like back in 1861-62. NPS is so strapped financially now that they're raising the rates for certain parks' entrance fees.