Henry Hill

On July 21, 1861, Union and Confederate troops clashed here in the First Battle of Manassas, the first major land battle of the Civil War. The heaviest and most sustained fighting took place on this ground and resulted in over 5,000 American casualties. Few had anticipated the devastation and ruin war would bring: inexperienced soldiers on both sides had predicted a swift victory, and civilian spectators came out to watch from distant hills. The battle shattered those naive expectations and exposed the sobering reality of the struggle ahead. Despite some changes to vegetation patterns, the landscape retains much of its wartime character, and this ground also reflects the experience of two local families caught in the crossfire of war.

Sudley, Virginia · United States