Members visit hallowed Civil War ground

Early on Saturday morning, June 18, a luxurious bus picked up 52 people in front of the National Press Club and transported us to the horrors of the Civil War.

It has been 150 years since the First Battle of Manassas. The tours of the battlefields, sponsored by the Civil War Trust, are remarkable and first rate. Special thanks to the Civil War Trust and the Club organizers, Pat Schoeni and Richard Meyer of the Travel Committee.

Our guide, or “interpreter,” Henry Elliott, made the bloody and terrible battles come alive, as he walked us through the fields, cannons, stone buildings, statues, and civil war fences.

Mary Goundrey Koik, editor of the Civil War Trust's magazine, “Hallowed Ground,” organized the tour for the Trust and was our leader. Her publications can be found on www.civilwar.org.

There are a series of events planned throughout the summer to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the battles of Manassas, or Bull Run. The Club trip was a special preview.

It is a short trip to the Manassas National Battlefield Park, taking about 45 minutes from downtown. The visit is a vivid reminder of some of the horrors this country has endured in order to become the United States of America.