I’m in and out of town lately, up until school starts so I’ve pulled this post up from the comment section. Steve Randolph is the resident historian:
The old Brentsville C.H. was in news recently because of reported
ghost sightings there and there may be some, but the most famous
local ones I know of are connected to the War Between the States.
In fact, if your dishes shook and the dog started barking very early
this morning it might well have been because today is the 147th
anniversary of Stonewall Jackson’s raid on large Union
supply depot at Manassas just prior to the Second Battle of Bull Run.
“Jackson had spent the night of August 26-27 at Bristoe
Station, but he had no intention of holding that insignifigant
wayside and called for reveille at dawn … a little way ahead lay
Manassas Junction … as Jackson’s men crested the ridge west
of the junction they beheld a sight that boggled their hungry eyes.
Boxcar after boxcar, warehouse after warehouse – spread before
them.” (Return to Bull Run by John J. Hennessy)
Of course, with a large Union army forming quickly nearby,
Jackson and his troops had to eat and run and move west from
what is now Old Town Manassas to the battlefield.
Please note that local groups are planning to now to observe
the 150th anniversary of the events three years from now.
September 1, 2009 at 7:07 am
One funny side story to the raid was one unfortunate Confederate loaded up on one particular item, I believe it was mustard, with the thought of being able to “trade” it later on with his compatriots in exchange for an upgrade. Well, it seems nobody had a taste for the mustard and the poor fellow ended up with an overstock of an unwanted item. Poor guy, had just about everything at his disposal and picked the wrong item to take.
Can’t wait for the anniversary reenactment. I may have to dust off my old Confederate Uniform and take part in it.
September 1, 2009 at 1:54 pm
“In the name God and in behalf of the Manassas School Board,
I hereby declare this building dedicated to the furtherance of
the grand purposes for which it was founded – the training
of the young for usefulness as citizens and as workers for the
advancement of that learning for which our public schools
have ever stood. May God prosper the Manassas Agricultural
School ….Three words – work, think and pray represent the
activities of the child – the development of the physical, mental
and moral nature. This building stands as a monument to the
bodily labors, the mental musings and the spiritual aspirations
of our community.”
George C. Round (Manassas Journal – September 24, 1909)
The “classic and imposing temple of education which has gone up
on Bennett Hill”, now empty and waiting restoration sits between
the old and new courthouses. It was the forerunner of
Osbourn High School. Mr. Round noted that there had been
a construction delay due to the need to rebury “a number”
of bodies from the “Great War” that were found buried on
the site in unknown graves.
Also on the front page of the 9-24-1909 Manassas Journal
was a team picture of the Eastern College football team.
( A hundred years ago, we could have seen V.P.I. and
V.M.I. play right here in Manassas). Go Big Red! Go Eastern!
September 1, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Too bad Round fought for the wrong side. Boy, you can’t use that type of language in today’s public schools, so I guess Mr. Round was not all that bad. Those Confederates that were found while the school was under construction ended up being reburied in the Confederate section of the Cemetery on Center Street.
September 3, 2009 at 2:27 pm
While on the subject of Manassas Public School history:
-In an editorial on January 25, 1907 The Manassas Democrat called
for a return to fundmentals, “When will we get back to that system
of six hour’s work in the school room and an assigment of lessons
to be prepared at home? Enough new fangled fads! We need more
arithmetic and spelling and fewer paper flowers, more geography
and fewer fancies, more history and language lessons and fewer
devices for entertainment.”
-On September 24, 1915 the Democrat warmed up with “Discipline
is the greatest responsibility now resting upon the teacher, because
of the woeful neglect in the average home”, but also observed
“the child today lives in perpetual fear of coming examinations.”
– “The Crisis in the Manassas Schools”, a front page editorial by
Miss E.H. Osbourn in the April 22, 1921 Manassas Journal calling
for more financial support “before we lose our best teachers.”
– Manassas Messenger headline on January 9,1947 “Taxes and
Teacher’s Pay Are Major 1947 Problems”.
– And the Messenger banner headline November 14, 1947
“School Nearly Blows Up Again! Osbourn Students Evacuated
as Boilers Act Up.”
July 26, 2010 at 11:47 am
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