History talk Jan. 15 on hospitals associated with Battle of First Manassas

RELIC is hosting the program Revealing the Carnage and Chaos of the Hospitals of First Manassas, a talk about how unprepared the Union and Confederate armies were to handle the deluge of wounded after the Battle of First Manassas.

Paige Gibbons-Backus, author and historic site manager with the Prince William County Historic Preservation Division, will give the talk beginning at 7 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Bull Run Regional Library in Manassas,

In all, Backus said, there were 15 hospitals, that included houses, churches, barns and even a post office in the area that were used to tend to roughly 3,500 wounded, and the doctors and staff were unready to take care of them, Gibbons-Backus said. “They were just unprepared with the medical staff, medical supplies and the locations to house all these wounded soldiers.”

The program is a good jumping off point for anyone interested in the Civil War or medical history, Gibbons-Backus said. “The talk is an opportunity for people to learn more about the Manassas area and how it was impacted during the Civil War, particularly after the Battle of First Manassas.”

RELIC, or the Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center, is a genealogy service offered by the Prince William County Public Library System. More information about RELIC is available at pwcgov.org/relic. Call 703-792-4540 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information and to make appointments.