The Battle of First Bull Run
We’re staying in Fairfax, Virginia now. Last night on our ride into the state we passed a freeway exit for a place called Manassas. By coincidence, or maybe not, I had just been reading about Manassas in the Civil War chapter of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to American History by Alan Axelrod “…When it began, the battle the South would call First Manassas and the North would call First Bull Run was a picnic. On July 21, 1861, Washington’s fashionable folk rode out to nearby Centreville, Virginia in carriages filled with baskets of food and bottles of wine. Through spy glasses they viewed the action three miles distant. The Union troops seemed similarly carefree as they marched to battle. They frequently broke ranks to pick blackberries.”
But by the end of the day, 2950 Union soldiers (North) and 1750 Confederate soldiers (South) were dead.
Sure doesn’t sound like much of a picnic.
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We were hearing you interviewed one of our waitresses last night. That is so cool. We hope your stay is nice. Just a side note, for the record, virginia is a Commonwealth, not a state. We get that a lot though! We hope you enjoy Tuesday where America shows the world that it can have a peaceful transfer of power between opposing parties! Go USA!
Comment by Josh — January 18, 2009 @ 9:30 am
I stand corrected, Josh. Thanks for taking the time to educate us all. Best regards to you in the Commonwealth!
Comment by Annie — January 27, 2009 @ 6:34 pm
thanks annie. that picture of katelyn is hilarious! hope you enjoyed your trip. let me know if you come back in the area and i’ll send you a couple gift cards.
josh
Comment by Josh — January 28, 2009 @ 9:13 am
The rest of our trip was beyond incredible. http://blog.anniefox.com/2009/01/20/14-inauguration-day-part-1/
Quite likely we will return to the area and if so, we’d be delighted to revisit Coyote Grille and Cantina. Thanks!
Comment by Annie — January 28, 2009 @ 9:24 am