Sunday, July 24, 2011 marks the 23^rd anniversary of the murder of Manassas City Police Sergeant John David Conner, III.

Colonel Douglas W. Keen, Chief of Police, along with the Manassas City Police Honor Guard will place a wreath at Sergeant Connor’s gravesite commemorating the life, career and ultimate sacrifice of Sergeant Conner. The service will be at the Quantico National Cemetery at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 18, 2011.

Sergeant Conner was on duty that Sunday evening in 1988 when he responded to a call of
shots fired on Laurelwood Court. Upon arrival to the rear of the townhomes, Sergeant Conner confronted a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle. Sergeant Conner repeatedly ordered the man to drop his weapon. Roy Bruce Smith opened fire, striking Sergeant Conner numerous times.

Other officers apprehended Smith a few minutes later to the rear of his town house. Sergeant Conner was rushed by ambulance to Prince William Hospital. He was later flown to Fairfax Hospital by helicopter, where he died.

Smith was tried and convicted of Capital Murder and was sentenced to death. Smith was put to death by lethal injection in 1998.  Persons wishing to attend the service are asked to arrive at Quantico National Cemetery by 9:45 a.m.

New Civil War Exhibit Supplemented by Online Content

An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia

At The Manassas Museum July 16 through September 4

A new exhibit at The Manassas Museum explores Virginia’s role in the Civil War and offers visitors the opportunity to learn more through instant online interaction.

An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia, an exhibit on loan from the Virginia Historical Society, opens at the museum on July 16, just in time for the city’s extensive Sesquicentennial of the Civil War commemorations.

In introducing the exhibit, the Virginia Historical Society describes the central role of the state in the Civil War. “From 1861 through 1865, Virginia stood at the center of a military
and social revolution. How we define freedom, liberty, patriotism, and the nation today is directly related to the diverse experiences of the individuals who participated in the war.”

The exhibit uses panels to tell the story of the Civil War and its effect on the people of Virginia.  Themes of the panels are Why War?; Speed or Strength?; The Confederate
Interior; The Campaigns; Who Freed the Slaves?; Refugees; Men of Color to Arms?; The Confederate Frontier; The First Modern War?; and Did the Civil War End at Appomattox?.

An American Turning Point features a companion website designed specifically for use on mobile devices. Accessible through a URL or QR-Code, the website includes videos, 360-degree renderings of original objects, and additional content to enrich the exhibit viewing experience. Those without mobile devices can access the web site at a later time.

Museum Curator Roxana Adams says the new exhibit has significance for this area. “Although almost 150 years old, the striking images and stories of the courage and tragedy of the Civil War still haunt us today. This exhibit will bring some of those stories home to
Manassas,” Adams says.

The exhibit was made possible by the Virginia Historical Society in partnership with The Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The exhibit runs through September 4 and will then circulate throughout Virginia.

An American Turning Point is included with regular admission to The Manassas
Museum, 9101 Prince William Street in Manassas. The museum is open seven days a
week from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. through Labor Day, and extended hours from July
21-24.