Lincoln’s Grand Review of 1861
In July of 1861 the Union Army was severely defeated at the battle of 1st Bull Run/Manassas. It retreated to the banks of the Potomac River overlooking Washington. A call went out from the War Department to Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan in western Virginia: “Charge General Rosecrans or some other officer with your command and come hither without delay”. McClellan did so and in so doing rebuilt what had been a militia force into the magnificent Army of the Potomac of Civil War legend. As part of this rebuilding effort he wanted the Union Army to see and feel its own strength as well as for the Washington political establishment, the media and foreign embassies to do the same. Now it turns out that following their victory at Manassas the Confederates had occupied Munson’s Hill just six miles west of the White House. Their large flag could even be seen with a telescope from the White House! This was a great embarrassment to the Lincoln Administration. So when the Confederates retired from Munson’s Hill back to Centreville and the Union Army occupied the Munson’s Hill/Bailey’s Cross Roads area it was decided to hold a Grand Review on the 200-acre plateau there in November. That November day some 70,000 soldiers formed into seven marching divisions passed in review in front of President Lincoln, the officials of his administration, distinguished guests, foreign embassy staffs, the newspaper media and the civilian population of Washington, all totaling some 30,000 spectators. It took some 10 hours for President Lincoln’s Grand Review. Maj. Gen. William Averill commented on the magnificent spectacle: “The Army was Born That Day. Everyone in and around Washington had felt the pulsations of momentous preparations and the throes of a tremendous and vigorous growth going on about them since the 1st of August, but on the day of the Grand Review at Bailey’s Cross Roads, the eyes of all spectators, and even of the army itself, were suddenly opened.” Among the distinguished guests was Mrs. Julia Ward Howe of Massachusetts. Inspired by the spectacle of 70,000 soldiers marching past — along with 100 pieces of horse-drawn artillery and thousands of cavalrymen — she returned to the Willard Hotel in downtown Washington and early the next morning awoke to write her immortal “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The New York newspapers called President Lincoln’s Grand Review at Bailey’s Cross Roads: “Brilliant Beyond Description.” Fast forward to 2006 when Bert and Maria Elena Schacknies decided to commemorate President Lincoln’s Grand Review for the upcoming Sesquicentennial. Sadly Bert died unexpectedly shortly thereafter. Maria Elena courageous decided to carry on in memory of her late husband and founded LATCRA (Lincoln at the Crossroads Alliance). The Alliance has been recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization, by the Combined Federal Campaign, the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, The Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission, the Fairfax County Historical Commission, etc. Since their founding they have held programs at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and at Goodwin House with Jim Getty as President Lincoln, a fund-raising dinner at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington (address by the Hon. Frank Williams, retired Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and noted Lincoln scholar) and by Civil War author William Styple, met with all their local Congressional representatives to seek support for November 2011 and have participated in a video interview for Fairfax Government Cable with Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross. Currently plans are under way for the production of a special 7-minute video concerning LATCRA and Lincoln’s Grand Review being produced by Emmy award-winner Jeffrey Kramer to be shown on WETA with the support of Mrs. Sharon Percy Rockefeller. This should be available in January. Also, on Feb. 5 a musical concert of Mr. Lincoln’s favorite songs featuring Elizabeth Brownstein (accompanied by MSG Laura Knutson from The U.S. Army Band) is being planned to be held at St. Katherine’s Greek Orthodox Church at Bailey’s Cross Roads. The next week on Feb. 11 a special Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Washington Peace Conference is planned where it was actually held in February 1861 at the Willard Hotel in Washington. An all-star speaker’s program includes Dr. James I. (Bud) Robertson, Professor William “Jack” Davis, the Hon. Frank Williams, Harold Holzer and Prof. Edna Medford of Howard University. The original Grand Review consisted of 70,000 soldiers marching in 10 divisions. The commemorative Grand Review will have 5,000 participants organized into five divisions. These divisions may be headed by a Medal of Honor recipient and will possibly include an honor guard and band from one of the military services along with a major Civil War honor guard and bands from the North and South. They will be joined by military veterans from each of our five past and current wars, civic organizations, scouting organizations, local school children and by various embassy staffs from Washington, D.C., whose citizens participated in the war. Each division will consist of approximately 1,000 participants. Because the commemoration of the Grand Review is being held a week before the annual Remembrance Day Parade LATCRA founder Maria Elena Schacknies has, from the beginning of planning, enlisted the support of George Lomas of Gettysburg, the organizer of the annual Remembrance Day Parade there. All Civil War reenactment and living history units and organizations should coordinate directly with Lomas in Gettysburg. At his suggestion a commemorative medal, certificate and flag streamer are being developed for the event. The Grand Marshal for the commemoration will be the noted retired Chief Historian of the National Park Service, and World War II Marine Corps Raider, Ed Bearss, who has been a supporter of the planned event since its inception. For further information please see the Web Site which is: www.LATCRA.org. The thousands of volunteer hours that have gone into planning this commemoration are being done in the spirit of Mr. Lincoln’s words: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”
Kim Holien is a professional military historian with over 30 years’ service. He is a veteran of the Civil War Centennial, narrator of many of the 125th Anniversary commemorations, author of Battle at Ball’s Bluff and of the forthcoming Manassas – The First Battle. He is on the LATCRA Board of Directors.
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