Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-08-03
MANASSAS JUNCTION

Like many other renowned battle-felds. Man,Ss,
was an unmportant place previously to the battle &c
Sunday, July 90 1861. 1t was only the MOI.
where the Manassa Gap Railroad united temporaraH
with the Orange and Alexandria Railroad TSyy
Manassa Gap Railroad was originated as a medinD'
OF communication between the city Of Alexandr,
and either the Ohio River or Staunton. thus afFrJ
ing to the valley of Virginia market for the whast
which Its fertile limestone lands so abundantly nro
duce. The road, however, is incomplete be;
finished and in running order only about eighty 6vs
miles, namely, from ManaSsa junction at the nor,i
ern extremity TO Mount jackson, at the soutbarn
The unfinished route on the north, between Man.os.
junction and Alexandria, would, if finished run
almost parallel with the o. & A. R. R.. and notbin
would be gained by the completion of it excent;D,so
the use of a road which the Manassa Gap RaiIro.S
Company would be able to CONTROL in preference ~
running their cars on another company's ro,5,
which, owing to the pressure of the times nea,I
ever since the Manassa Road was commenced h.,
been given up for the sake of applying its funds to
the extension OF the road southwark, which the
company has done, greatly to its credit: ayoidino
in n commendable manner useless or unnecesc.nse
expenditures
Thousands Of passengers on the Orange and AI.r
andria Railroad have passed by Manassa on tbo.
way from Alexandria to Gordonsve immedi.,aI,
through the battle-ground, or very near it, wtbon
knowing or noticing it The land in the pe,pbSor
hood is not noted for its fertility, and nothing gave
business to ManasSa or the neighboring places
Until it became an encampment for Confederata
troops it consisted of single depot and store under
one roof and car shelter under another, and a
house occupied by the baggage master Of the Ma
naSSa Railroad cars. These three houses made nm
Manassa Junction. The Railroad Agent and Post,
master at Manassa junction, Mr.. Brauner worthy
and reliable man, bad residence less than a miis
of, where he was not unfrequently called upon to
nrtnr RI ain -rrAo IL
all night in travelling from the Valley of Virginia
by Manassa to Richmond. Finding it inconyenent
to carry on his house of entertainment so far from
the depot, Mr. B. built a small hotel quite n neat
and tasty house, very near the depot thus adding
a fourth house to this place. now so famous. Bnf
unfortunately, the car house of the Manassa Rail.
road Company was burned some time since, leaving
the place with but three houses until very recently
store has been added, making up the fourth again
These four, the depot, the baggagcmasters, Braun.
ers and the store, ManasSa junction, excepting
what the troops placed there.
The name of ManaSSa descends to u.s. of course
from the land of Canaan and family of Jacob where
ii is spelled ManasSah, the brother of Ephram. one
of the sons of Joseph, the son of Jacob But the
application of the of Manassa to the Railroad
appears 10 be in consequence of the fact that It
passes through the Blue Ridge near Manassas Gap
There was once little bank on this Railroad called
The Bank of Manassa," but from some cause its
career was short one-probably because its vault
was lean one; for surely, if fine water power,
good wheat land and excellent pastures sustain
business establishments the line of the Manasaa
Gap Railroad ought TO do so. This road passes
through a healthy, moral and fine country truly
southern and hospitable and to the wortbiness of
its people, and especially the Jairer portion, its
mountain girls, the writer of this can bear the
strongest and most tender of all testimonies.
How strangely do the ways of an inscrutaole Prov
idence work. The little by-place, unimportant and
unobserved has become famous for one of the hot
test battles, Of the most signal victories, one of
the graEdest triumphs ever achieved on the globe;
and the name of the little depot-let its name be
graved high and deep in,.he group of Waterloo and
Bunker Hill and the name of Beauregard with those
of Wellington and Washington.
HENRY HARDIE.