Manassas, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Manassas
A Critical Junction
If you had been here in July 1861, you could have seen Confederate soldiers jumping down from one train after another at the junction half a mile in front of you. The trains were bringing Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army from the Shenandoah Valley on the Manassas Gap Railroad to join Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard's army here at Manassas Junction. They arrived just in time to tip the balance of the battle.
A small collection of railroad shops, a telegraph office, a hotel, and a few farms were clustered around the junction. The few residents' lives revolved more around the rhythm of the seasons than the train schedule. One-third of Prince William County's population was enslavedmen, women, and children whose labor brought comfort and profit to their owners. Except for the occasional train, life here was quiet.
With war, that all changed as the rail lines that intersected here made Manassas strategically important. The Orange & Alexandria Railroad linked Manassas by roundabout route to Richmond and also offered the Union army a promising avenue of advance into Virginia from Washington, D.C. The Manassas Gap Railroad connected
this page online
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Communications • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, and the Virginia Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1861.
Location. 38° 44.925′ N, 77° 28.295′ W. Marker is in Manassas, Virginia. It can be reached from Prince William Street just west of Main Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9101 Prince William Street, Manassas VA 20110, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: War on the Landscape (a few steps from this marker); Manassas Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Wartime Manassas (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Occupation or Liberation (about 300 feet away); Burning of Manassas (about 400 feet away); Manassas 1905 - The Great Fire (about 400 feet away); Liberty Street (about 400 feet away); The Brown School (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manassas.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Manassas Museum (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Wartime Manassas (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 516 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 30, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
