Battlefield Guide Services

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Bloggers and Buffs Gather on the Plains of Manassas for 150th Commemoration

One word is to be universal in describing the 21st of July at Manassas: HOT! It got hotter than most would have imagined, but it didn't keep thousands of enthusiasts away from the anniversary commemoration.
The following is a photo essay of the friendly encounters which took place 150 years to the day after nearly five thousand casualties resulted from the Civil War's first major land engagement.
One of the first on the scene was preservation spokesman and Confederate
in the attic, Robert Lee Hodge. Friends of the Fredericksburg Area
Battlefields board member Ed Bell listens in at center.
Photo by James Anderson.

signs my copy of his new book, Manassas Battlefield Then & Now.
Photo by James Anderson.

Fellow blogger and Antietam Park Ranger Mannie Gentile came down
to lend a hand with the day's events.

Friends of the Fredericksburg Area Battlefields treasurer James
Anderson and I were caught trying to escape the heat at the Marine display.

Robert Quinn, great great grandson of Captain Lewis E. Lindsay of the
 4th Alabama, killed at 1st Manassas, July 21, 1861.


NPS historians from Fredericksburg, Greg Mertz, and Frank A. O'Reilly,
chat it up with James Anderson of FoFAB, on Henry Hill.

Owner and curator of the White Oak Museum,
D. P. Newton, came down to be a part of the moment.

Fellow blogger Jared Frederick and I met inside the Henry House.

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania's Cultural Resource
manager, Eric Mink, put in time to help the visitors get around.

Chief Historian at Fred/Spot, John Hennessy was on hand to share
his expertise on the Manassas Battlefield.

Veteran volunteer Kevin Leahy takes a pause to cool down.

Fellow blogger and newspaper columnist Clint Schemmer was taking in the events.

Consummate battlefield trekker Chris Conti made the rounds.

The preceding photographs are all copyright 2011 by John F. Cummings III.
Fair use is allowed only when proper credit is provided.

2 comments:

Todd Berkoff said...

John - thanks for the pics of the anniversary weekend. I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend the festivities as I am still in Tampa on business, although I'm back in one month. Looks like a "who's who" list of the CW community and it was good to see Kevin Leahy in his snazzy blue volunteer shirt! Ha!

Jared Frederick said...

Pleasure meeting you as well!