147 Years Ago....

today the Battle of Bull Run was fought near Manassas, Virginia. It was the first major battle of the Civil War. It is named so after a stream that flows along the now famous battle ground. Many also refer to the this famous battle as the Battle at Manassas.

Three unseasoned Brigadier Generals, Irvin McDowell, (Union Army), Joseph E. Johnston, and P.G.T. Beauregard (both commanding the Confederate Army), led their troops into battle for a cause that each believed was paramount to this nation. One side striving to keep this young and growing nation intact...the other striving to tear it apart.

The Battle of Bull Run lasted less than a full day and was heavy in losses on both sides. Reports claim casualties on the union side ranged around the 3,000 mark for dead, wounded and captured. The Confederate's fared only slightly better with around 2,ooo.

Though this battle took place nearly 150 years ago, there are those who are still fighting this war. This became evident to me on a trip to Georgia several years ago. I found myself visiting the town of Kennesaw, Georgia (the one place where homeowners are required by law to possess a firearm). This is also the town where you can visit The General , the famous locomotive that was highjacked during the Civil War.

I was dumbfounded by the number of places I visited that displayed what I will call propaganda about the 'North' and those 'Yankees' (not the baseball team). It was a type of bigotry I had never experienced. And the anger that still existed in some places at having 'lost' the war was at times palpable. It was eerie. I was very glad to return to my 'northern' roots.

So take some time today and learn a little history. You might find you will learn something you did not know...afterall, the Civil War was not fought over slavery...did you know that?