manassas battlefield
we visited the manassas battlefields a few Saturdays ago. my children were not very excited because they remember the battlefields we visited in NC. when my oldest got out at the 3rd field trip, he said "it's just another field!!!"
but manassas was amazing! they had canons set up on the hill where the north and south fired on each other. the memorial was erected in 1865 by survivors of the battles. there were markers where the various groups were located during both battles.
but i think what struck me the most were the witness accounts, some by the wives of the soldiers fighting. this is in Virginia and an artillery group from VA was present for the first battle. one wife sat on a hill nearby, knowing her husband was engaged in battle, watching the plumes of canon smoke.
i have personally kissed my hubby goodbye, sending him off to war, but i didn't have to endure WATCHING the battle knowing my husband was fighting amongst the smoke. how heart wrenching that would have been. my prayer life would have been stellar! the more i learn about the civil war (we just happen to be doing that unit in homeschool when we moved here to MD) the more i am humbled. these men survived horrible conditions, many of the casualties were killed by the aftermath of the battle, not during battle itself. the soldiers were hungry, poorly clothed, and battle weary.
we also visited Gettysburg, but we didn't have time to adequately visit the whole battlefield. we agreed that we need 2 days for that one. so we will share pictures next time we hit that site.
but manassas was amazing! they had canons set up on the hill where the north and south fired on each other. the memorial was erected in 1865 by survivors of the battles. there were markers where the various groups were located during both battles.
but i think what struck me the most were the witness accounts, some by the wives of the soldiers fighting. this is in Virginia and an artillery group from VA was present for the first battle. one wife sat on a hill nearby, knowing her husband was engaged in battle, watching the plumes of canon smoke.
i have personally kissed my hubby goodbye, sending him off to war, but i didn't have to endure WATCHING the battle knowing my husband was fighting amongst the smoke. how heart wrenching that would have been. my prayer life would have been stellar! the more i learn about the civil war (we just happen to be doing that unit in homeschool when we moved here to MD) the more i am humbled. these men survived horrible conditions, many of the casualties were killed by the aftermath of the battle, not during battle itself. the soldiers were hungry, poorly clothed, and battle weary.
we also visited Gettysburg, but we didn't have time to adequately visit the whole battlefield. we agreed that we need 2 days for that one. so we will share pictures next time we hit that site.
I hate to even think about that...it is hard enough knowing they are out there, I can't imagine watching.
ReplyDeleteThe tragedies from the not so Civil War (is war ever civil?) are heartbreaking...so many men died, and I've always heard it was more from lack of food/supplies/unsanitary conditions that took so many that would have survived otherwise.