Spend The Day At Manassas National Battlefield Park — COPY

Our city of Manassas has a deep and rich history. Some parts of our history are bright while other parts strike a more solemn tone, but still, they deserve to be explored. The story of the Manassas and the Civil War is filled with tales of heroism and of loss. At Manassas National Battlefield Park, you can take a deep dive into the two battles of Manassas and explore how they changed the course of the war.

The Battle of First Manassas

The Battle of First Manassas is also called the First Battle of Bull Run. It involved 35,000 Union troops under the command of General Irvin McDowell. Their mission was to capture Richmond, Virginia, and end the Civil War quickly. Just past the railroad crossings of Manassas and over the stream, known as Bull Run, the Union troops encountered their rivals --- 22,000 Confederate troops under the command of General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. The battle that commenced ended in a Union retreat and proved to the nation that the quick war they had hoped for was unlikely.

Exploring the First Battle

At the Manassas National Battlefield Park, you can explore battlefield communications, what the winter camp at Manassas looked like, and even read the letters soldiers wrote to their families.

The Second Battle of Manassas

After the initial Union defeat, General George McClellan reorganized the Union forces into what became known as the Army of the Potomac. The second attempt to capture Richmond started with an advance by water. The two armies engaged in a series of several battles surrounding the Chickahominy River and Richmond. The Manassas junction once again became a central point in the battle when the Union supplies at the depot were seized by Confederate forces. The forces engaged in yet another series of encounters surrounding Manassas and again, the Confederate forces were victorious.

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Exploring the Second Battle

To learn more about the many encounters, important locations, and events of the Second Battle of Manassas, you can spend a day at the Manassas National Battlefield Park exploring the Army of Virginia. Here you can take a closer look at the first day of the battle or explore why the Manassas Junction was so important to the war efforts.