Maintaining Trails on Hallowed Ground
By John "Bud" Cunnally
District Manger, Potomac Appalachian Trails Club

It takes a special PATC trails crew to engage in the labor of love of one's country and the members of the Manassas Bull Runners are certainly in that category. Working in the Manassas National Battlefield Park (MNBP) is a real challenge. It takes a special patriot to be fully cognizant of the events that took place on this field of battle. Several thousand Americans were killed or wounded in the First and Second Bull Run battles. First Manassas or Bull Run was the significant beginning of land battle of the American Civil War. The second and bloodiest engagement was the prelude for General Robert E. Lee to march his southern army north to the fields of Antietam, Maryland and the severest one day loss of Americans in our history. Being aware that every time you dig into the earth some artifact from these battles could surface.




Shown in the foreground removing dirt is left to right Bud Cunnally and Joanne Fenninger. In the background is Russ Muter

As pictured we are replacing twenty water bars that have decayed over the last twenty plus years on the First Manassas Trail. This area is near the stone bridge. This was where the southern troops were heavily entrenched awaiting the Union Army on the morning of July 21, 1861. The Yankees were coming east from Centerville, Va on the present RT 29 and the majority were assumed by the rebels to be crossing The Bull Run at the Stone Bridge. Instead General Irwin McDowell had the bulk of his army make an end run around the confederate left through Sudley Springs and down what is RT 234 today in order to outflank them.

The Confederates had a signal station in Manassas Junction and they sent a message " "Look out for your left, your position is turned." and Col. Nathan George "Shanks" Evans acted immediately to move the bulk of his force to meet the Union threat on Mathews Hill off Sudley Road. It saved the day for the Confederacy because more than likely they would have been encircled by the United States Troops.

Our goal is: That any dirt removed from the old water bars is carefully placed back on the tread way from whence it came. This is done after the new water bars are installed.



Barbara Kneeland and Russ Muter carefully placing the material within inches of the trail

Some skeptics may say it is just about one hundred and fifty years ago when these events took place. What could possibly survive after all of this time in the ground. The simple answer is there were lots of non-decomposing metals and in certain conditions some human remains can stay intact. We are guided by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, a US Code in everything we do as a trails crew. Yes it is daunting at times but well worth the extra care.




Charles Bennett removing and storing dirt from a water Bar

It is the Manassas Bull Runners challenge to make the battlefield accessible to all of the parks visitors without destroying our American heritage. The Bull Runners are maintaining the hiking trails within the Bull Run Battlefield as a wonderful place for a family excursion. They have over many weekday outings as well as our regular Saturday work crew days placed tons of wood chips on the tread for the First Manassas Trail. We have received many accolades for this remarkable preservative effort.



First Manassas Trail after spreading wood chips on the tread from Left to Right Gerry Ashby, LaCinda Gooder and Karen Klinkenberg

Future projects include the revitalization and re-designation of a part of the First Manassas Trail that was completed many years ago by the trail crews that preceded us. This scenic pathway follows the Bull Run up onto an overlook of a gorge that drops about one hundred feet to the rivers bank. The remnants show how native Virginia cedar wood was used to construct a cut and fill turnpike trail that has withstood countless rain deluges with many a runner and hikers footsteps wearing away the tread.

Our work for the Second Manassas trail system will have us engaged in restoring and building some new trails to tell that story. The National Park Service is preparing to commission a new visitors center at the site of the newly restored Brawner farm house where the conflict began on August 28, 1862. Also we will be completing the MNBP trail to the Snyder-Jones Trail and Conway Robinson State Forest.

The crew in the fall will be constructing a bridge over a small stream on the Snyder-Jones trail and performing some routine maintenance on this new corridor that was opened on 23 May 2009.

Would you like to join us in this endeavor? Please e-mail Bud Cunnally at: budcunnally@comcast.net. or call 703-939-4016



A special thanks goes to Janis Stone of "Photography By Stone" 703-346-5262 for our wonderful pictures. We caught Janis and her cameras in a picture with John Hedrick, Supervisor of Trails and Charles Hillon, District Manager for the Blue and White Crew