Fairfax County Prepares for Civil War's 150th Anniversary

The Commonwealth of Virginia has more Civil War sites than any other state and several of those sites are here in Fairfax County.

Last week, some of those battles and skirmishes in the county and Northern Virginia area were highlighted at the monthly meeting of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association chapter 1159.

Dr. Elizabeth Crowell, manager of cultural resources, management and protection division of the Fairfax County Park Authority, said at the meeting that the focus of the Sesquicentennial in Virginia is to commemorate the Civil War "as a whole, not to celebrate the war, looking at life and material culture and not only the military aspects.”

Cromwell is also the co-chair of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee for Fairfax County and president of the Council of Virginia Archaeology.

The meeting’s presentation focused on battles in the Fairfax County and Northern Virginia area. Throughout the early years of the war from 1861-1862, there were 40,000 troops throughout Northern Virginia.

Cromwell spoke about several battles within the county including the battle of First Manassas/Bull Run on Jul. 21, 1861. This year, Jul. 21, 2011, the Commission and the National Park Service will commemorate this battle at the Manassas National Battlefield Park. Other battles in the area include the Battle of Ox Hill/Chantilly on Sept. 1, 1862 and the Battle of Dranesville.

Several events will commemorate these battles, with re-enactors contributing their talents and making connections to the present. For example, a blood drive will include a re-enactor playing Clara Barton, a Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross.

Fairfax County has developed a brochure, "Conflict and Courage in Fairfax County, Sites and Stories of the Civil War," with information, photos and a map with an overview of Fairfax County’s connection to the Civil War. One item of interest is the information about Captain John Q. Marr, the namesake of John Marr Drive, who was the first Confederate officer to die in combat. Marr was killed in a skirmish near the Courthouse on Jun. 1, 1861 and to commemorate him, a monument was erected on the grounds of the Old Fairfax Courthouse in 1904.

Residents have several opportunities to learn more about the Civil War throughout the state.

Last month an exhibition opened in Richmond at the Virginia Historical Society, "An American Turning Point: The Civil War in Virginia." Starting in 2012, this exhibition will tour in Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly created the Civil War Sesquicentennial in 2006 with the goal of developing programs to "understand our past, and embrace our future.” Conferences were held in 2009 and 2010 and this year's annual conference, "Military Strategy in the American Civil War," is scheduled for May 21, 2011 at Virginia Tech. 

For more information about Fairfax County's connection to the Civil War, visit http://www.fxva.com/150/. Below is a list of some events coming up soon in the Centreville area. Click on the links for more information.

• , March 10, Centreville
• , March 15, Cabell's Mill
• , March 26, Fairfax
• , April 14, Centreville
• Historic Manassas is to help out with the sesquicentennial event in July.
• The historic Stone House on the Manassas battlefield (just off Hwy 29) opens in April. Hours are on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After Memorial Day it will be open daily.