Manassas National Battlefield will permanently re-route a section of the Matthews Hill bridle (equestrian) trail beginning March 1, 2023 . The new bridle trail will run approximately .52 miles along the open, eastern field edge of Matthews Hill, replacing .5 miles of bridle trail in the woods. “The rerouting of this trail will ensure the long-term preservation of the Matthews House site by preventing further erosion and damage to it” said Manassas National Battlefield Park Cultural Resources Program Manager Andrew Bentley. “The new trail connection will also provide equestrian visitors a better view and experience as they ride through the fields of Matthews Hill, where the intense morning fight occurred during the First Battle of Manassas.”
Approximately 18,000 United States soldiers engaged and routed 3,000 Confederate States troops on Matthews Hill in the opening phase of the Battle of First Manassas on July 21, 1861, in the first major land battle of the American Civil War.
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