Second Manassas Battlefield

[John M. Brooke]

Thought I would share some interesting photos of a recent visit to Second Manassas Battlefield and the Groveton Monument.

The Groveton Monument at the time of its dedication in 1865 (note the various types of artillery shells at the base of the monument)
 






The monument as it appears today.



The Deep Cut directly behind the Groveton Monument and the position of Jackson's line.



The View of the Confederate artillery position near Brawner's Farm. The unfinished railroad cut is in the distance at the tree line.



This 3-inch Ordnance Rifle on display at Brawner's Farm took a direct hit at Cedar Creek in 1864.

[Garret]

What were the circumstances for the removal of the artillery shells from the monument? 

[John M. Brooke]

The shells on the monument were the actual shells recovered from the Deep Cut and the surrounding area in 1865. Early vandals took shells home as souvenirs.

[gflower]

When I was a much younger man the area around he second battle was in private hands and my father and I use to hunt it. Found a good amount of 1812 buttons there amongst all the other goodies. I guess the boys were using NOS!  Those were the god old days! Gary

[Roy A]

I'll have to go check that cannon out on Brawner Farm, never knew it had battle damage!

I also heard that the shells displayed on the Henry Hill monument (1st Manassas) were found to be live when the monument was restored.

[Garret]

John,
Thanks for sharing the then and now pics.  Sad that people over the years decided to steal history from a monument that was dedicated to the sacrifice that soldiers made for their country. 
Garret

[Lamar]

I was at the Visitors' Center in January, & took these photos

 

[Garret]

Wow!  Wouldn't have happened if Carl did the disarming.     Any idea where the 8" Parrotts were recovered?  Charleston or Fort Fisher? 

[CarlS]

Thanks.  Not sure I can say that but we've been pretty fortunate for quite some time now.  We are just a few short of 800 drilled.

That 200-lber pictured didn't seem to go off strongly based on the size of the frags and the balls still being in good shape. 

Regarding the shells on the monument having been used in the area, those are some awfully big cannon needed to fire those an have hauled into battle at Manassas.  And I don't think Bull Run Creek is sufficient for Navy access to bring a gun boat up.   

[redbob]

It possibly got water inside of it which froze and cracked it so that when they drilled, it just fell apart. I have a 200# which suffers from freeze cracks in approximately the same locations.

[CarlS]

That makes a lot of sense.  Sitting fuse up taking in water while situated in (relative to my Georgia home) the great white north there is probably a good chance that could happen.

[John M. Brooke]

I'm sure the 200s were acquired outside battlefield property.
The Civil War Preservation Trust has an article by Gary Adleman titled "The Deep Cuts missing piece"
In which it states "artillery projectile's still lying plentiful around the battlefield were placed on the monument in 1865."