In a bend of the highway as it passes through here, it points out the history of an area that saw a number of Civil War encounters between the two armies. The mountain pass is part of the Bull Run Mountains.
The main marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Just west is Thoroughfare Gap, where Union and Confederate armies clashed during the Civil War. In July 1861, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston marched eastward through the gap to join Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard in the First Battle of Manassas. Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson passed by here on 26 Aug. 1862 to attack the Federal supply depot at Manassas Junction. Two days later, Gen. Robert E. Lee and Maj. Gen. James Longstreet surprised and repelled Union cavalry under Col. Sir Percy Wyndham and an infantry division under Brig. Gen. James Ricketts. Ever after, Union troops occupied the gap whenever Lee's army was near." This is marker C-50 and it was erected in 1995 by the Department of Historical Resources.
Accompanying the marker is a caption sign. It points out the nearby Beverley's Mill which was used by sharpshooters on both sides to attack or defend the gap. It was damaged by arsonists in 1998.
[Review 1028 of 2025 - 1513 in Virginia - 24582 overall] read more