BRRP: “No Labor” Day

Monday, 5 September

That’s right … no labor for us on Labor Day! Up early, we had breakfast, went for a walk around the campground, and when we returned to the coach, sat our butts down in the comfy chairs in our screened shelter, and just chilled — again. If you know us at all, you know this is far from normal. There’s something about RV’ing, however, that seems to bring out the relax-mode in us. No complaints! After all, we’re going back to work tomorrow.

It’s another dull, grey day. So far, there’s no sign of the forecasted rain; apparently the front has stalled a bit. Keeping our fingers crossed that the wet stuff will delay until after we leave. It’s quiet; the crack, crack of shots that normally issue from the nearby firing range are silent. Squirrels chasing each other rustle the leaves every once in a while; crazy critters. Otherwise, even the birds are quiet.

We were expecting that the campground would be full over the holiday weekend, and perhaps more than a bit noisy with some campers in party-mode. We were pleasantly surprised with respect to the latter. I think it helps that the campground staff are on constant patrol at BRRP. Add to that a Fairfax County police cruiser driving through the loops once or twice a day, and that seems to have helped to keep down the noise factor. Not that people have not been out enjoying themselves. I’ve gone for several walks around the campground these past days and have seen lots of people having a good time outside their camping vehicles (or tents). But they were doing it quietly, respecting their neighbors. Win-win all around.

We’re past the 11:00a check-out deadline. The exodus of campers has slowed to a trickle. The only ones left in the campground are those who are here for a longer stay and those who have paid the $10 fee for late check-out (7:00p). We fall into the latter category, but we’ll be leaving well before the deadline. After all, we have a workweek ahead of us and a few things to do around the house before tomorrow rolls around.

So, nothing newsworthy from today. But I was thinking ahead to that yesterday when I decided to postpone sharing our outing to the Manassas National Battlefield Park (MNBP). The two battles — First and Second Manassas (aka First and Second Bull Run) — were fought early in the Civil War that saw brother fighting brother; friend fighting friend. Until the Battle of First Manassas, people had this odd little idea that the war would be over after a couple of skirmishes. Maybe a day or two; maybe a week tops. The heavy losses during First Manassas pretty much wiped away any such thoughts, and the Civil War lasted for many bloody years (1861-1865).

we explored the area circled in red.

Yesterday’s short outing was not our first visit to MNBP. We’ve been to the area around Henry House (near the visitor center) many times to stroll the grounds and check out good ole Stonewall bronzed for eternity. We’ve walked some of the longer trails, and most of the shorter ones. We’ve been to Stone House; and to Stone Bridge as well (post for the latter is here). These are some of the best preserved Civil War landmarks in the area, and also the ones that see the most visitors at the park. The canons strewn about the grounds are especially popular with families.

Henry House and the monument to "Patriots who fell at Bull Run — July 21, 1861.”
(April 2006)

This time we went to a section of the park that sees fewer visitors. When we visited this area in 2006, there wasn’t a soul around. When we pulled into the parking lot yesterday, we found the situation pretty much the same. There was only one other vehicle, and the driver, a heavily-tattooed gent from Tennessee, headed up to the 14th Brooklyn Monument atop the hill after chatting with us briefly.

Mui captures the photographer ...

... photographing the entrance gate and the landscape beyond.

And here's the other half of the gate, completing the words: "5th New York Volunteer Infantry."

The park brochure explains as follows:

On the afternoon of August 30 [1862], seeing the Union lines in disarray following the repulse of Porter, Longstreet pushed his massive columns forward and staggered the Union left flank. A brief, futile stand on this ridge by the 5th and 10th New York Regiments ended in slaughter. In five minutes the 5th New York saw 123 men killed, the greatest loss of life in any single infantry regiment in any battle of the Civil War.

Somehow, we ended up going neither up the hill to the monument, nor into the tree line where we knew there was a memorial to Duryée’s Zouaves (5th New York Volunteer Infantry), as well as a trail to other parts of the MNBP. Not sure what distracted us and sent us in a different direction, but here are a few photos from 2006 to show you what I might have stopped to photograph had we gone that-a-way.

Left: the memorial to the ZOUAVES was erected in 1906.
right: image from signage depicts the slaughter of the 5th New York Volunteer
Infantry on that fateful day in august 1862.

Leaving the car in the parking lot, we walked a short distance up Lee Highway (Rte 29) and crossed the road to visit the Confederate cemetery instead. But first, we continued a little ways up from the cemetery to the Lucinda Dogan House, described in the park brochure as: “The small, white frame house ... all that remains of the wartime village of Groveton and one of only three Civil War-era houses remaining in the park.”

Originally built as an overseer’s cabin, the house became the Dogan family’s primary
dwelling after the main house, “Peach Grove,” burned down in 1860.

Confederate General Longstreet was a dinner guest at the Dogan House.

Backtracking from the house, we headed over to the Groveton Confederate Cemetery. Established by the local women two years after the Civil War ended in 1865, the cemetery contains the remains of 260+ Confederate soldiers, all but two of which are unidentified. It is an example of one of the earliest efforts to pay tribute to those who lost their lives and mark the general locations of battlefields.

Unknown or not, at least these men received a proper burial. As noted on the park signage outside the gate, “Hundreds of soldiers received no burial at all.” In most cases, battlefield graves were unmarked, or simply identified with sticks, headboards, or branches.

As the signage further explains:

Heavy fire often kept either side from claiming the dead, and after both battles [First and Second Manassas] the armies had to maneuver quickly. Some of the wounded lay for days in the blistering sun.

After the fighting, burial details dug shallow, unmarked mass graves. The process took weeks. Autumn rains soon washed away the thin cover of soil, exposing the remains.

[collage of historic images from nearby signage]

After visiting one such mass grave, a Harper’s Weekly correspondent wrote:

In the long, luxuriant grass one strikes his foot against skulls and bones, mingled with the deadly missiles that brought them to the earth. Hollow skulls lie contiguous to the hemispheres of exploded shells.”

The obelisk was erected in 1904 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Detail from the obelisk that stands in the center of the Confederate Cemetery.

There are only two headstones at Groveton — one for each of the identified remains. For the rest of the 260+ men buried here, a ring of markers bearing the names of the 13 Confederate states serves as a collective remembrance.

Left: A portion of the markers that ring the monument.
Right: James Jerman palmer, from Charleston, South Carolina, was only
22 years old when he died during the battle of second Manassas.

The second identified headstone belongs to a 20-year old Virginian.

And that’s the story of yesterday morning’s brief outing. As is usual when I get going with photo processing and blog writing, time has flown by. Mui’s calling me to lunch. More later ...

P.S. For those interested, this post from 2009 has a link to a pictorial journal of a visit to the oft-visited areas of MNBP.

... Later: At Home

The rain showers, which should have come through overnight and this morning, began just as we were taking down the screen shelter. But of course the weather got soggy — Mother Nature was crying because it was time for us to pull up stakes and go home. We waited a bit for the rain to let up, but it was still drizzling when we finished the last of our departure preparations. By 4:30p, the Phaeton was tucked into storage and we were on our way home. With surprisingly little traffic on the freeway, we made it home in no time, stopping to grab a quick bite to eat before we pulled into the garage.

A short workweek is ahead of us. Then, we go back out Friday afternoon. This time we’ll be heading to Pohick Bay. The weather forecast is for isolated and scattered t-storms. What’s the difference anyway; either might ruin plans for outdoor activities. Oh well; we’ll make the most of whatever Mother Nature dishes out.

P.S. We didn’t have to wait until we’re at a full hook-up site next week to test the dishwasher. With 25% of the tank still empty, we decided to use it last night, and again today. Not only is the machine operational once again (thanks, Mui), but it uses less water than I do when washing the dishes by hand. Output increased the grey water by just 4-6%, depending on the cycle used. That’s a good thing!