Friday, July 22, 2011

Manassas

This was taken at the Manassas battlefield in the mid '60's when brother Don and his family came back to Virginia to visit. MaryBeth was a little girl with red shoes. I doubt that Jon had any thoughts that he would be participating in the 150th anniversary of the Battle at Manassas as he will be doing this weekend. It was the first major battle of the Civil War and many expected it to be a skirmish that would end the hostilities. Over 1,000 spectators went out from Washington, D. C. just to watch and were caught up in the retreat of the Union Soldiers. I have advised Jon to use caution in his reenactment activities since the weather is to be very hot. He doesn't have to be out in the heat "like a stonewall" as General Jackson of the Confederate Army was described. 

1 comment:

  1. When General Bee looked over and saw the Virginians under General Thomas Jackson standing there, unmoving, he is credited with saying, "There is Jackson standing like a stonewall."

    Recent historians belief that it may not have been such a compliment. Rather than complimenting the man for standing firm, he may actually have been criticizing the man, basically saying in modern vernacular, "I wish that man would get off his ***, and give me a bit of help, rather than just standing there!!"

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