Second Battle of Bull Run

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ruins of Stone Bridge at Bull Run Creek, Manassas, Virginia, March 1862.

Date	August 28 – August 30, 1862
Location	Prince William County, Virginia
Result	Confederate victory

Combatants

United States of America

Confederate States of America

Commanders

John Pope

Robert E. Lee
James Longstreet
Stonewall Jackson

Strength

63,000

54,000

Casualties

1,747 killed
8,452 wounded
4,263 captured/missing

1,553 killed
7,812 wounded
109 captured/missing

Northern Virginia Campaign
Cedar Mountain – 1st Rappahannock Station – Manassas Station Ops. – Thoroughfare Gap – 2nd Bull Run – Chantilly

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or the Second Battle of Manassas, was waged between August 28 and August 30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War.

It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Major General John Pope's Army of Virginia, and a battle of much larger scale and numbers than the First Battle of Bull Run. The result of the battle was an overwhelming Confederate victory, but the Union army was left largely intact in comparison to Irvin McDowell's army after the First Battle of Bull Run/Manassas.

1 Background
2 Battle
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Background

During late June and early July 1862, Robert E. Lee's army was able to break a Union stranglehold on the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia, and drive George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac back into the Virginia Peninsula. Having lost the initiative, McClellan embarked his army on naval transports back to Washington. In the meantime, Lee undertook a campaign against John Pope's Army of Virginia, which was perched threateningly along the Rapidan River. If Pope's army were allowed to link up with McClellan's, their combined force would exceed 180,000 men—far too many for Lee to defeat with his army of 60,000.

On August 9, Confederate Major General Stonewall Jackson narrowly defeated Union Major General Nathaniel P. Banks at Cedar Mountain, opening the series of tactical maneuvers that would culminate in the confrontation near Bull Run. After this engagement, Lee sent 30,000 men under Major General James Longstreet to reinforce Jackson and soon arrived himself to assume command of the combined force. A cavalry raid on Pope's headquarters at Catlett Station on the night of August 22 to August 23 yielded the Union general's tent, dress coat, $350,000 in cash, and—most importantly—his dispatch book.

In the details of the dispatch book, Lee's fears were confirmed: elements of McClellan's army were seeking to link up with Pope's. The Confederate general immediately sought to defeat the Army of Virginia before it could be reinforced. On August 25, he sent Stonewall Jackson and 24,000 men on a wide flanking movement around Pope's right. While the Union commander remained oblivious at the Rappahannock River, Jackson's men poured through Thoroughfare Gap and captured a significant store of Federal supplies at Manassas Junction. The food and clothing they obtained provided a welcome reward for their 36-hour forced march. The Confederates then burned what they could not take.

On August 27, Pope realized his untenable position and moved to intercept Jackson from the southwest, while Union Major General and general-in-chief Henry W. Halleck directed Federal forces in Alexandria to move against Manassas Junction and Gainesville from the east. Meanwhile, at Bristoe Station, Jackson's rearguard under Major General Richard S. Ewell held off Pope's advance forces under Major General Joseph Hooker. With Pope's army approaching from the west, Jackson decided to withdraw his command during the night to a railroad bed running roughly parallel to the Warrenton Turnpike, then curving off to the north as it ran eastward.

[edit] Battle

[edit] August 28

The engagement began as a Federal column, under Jackson's observation near Brawner Farm, moved along the Warrenton Turnpike. In an effort to prevent Pope from moving into a strong defensive position around Centreville, Jackson risked being overwhelmed before James Longstreet could join him. Jackson ordered an attack on the exposed left flank of the column and, in his words, "The conflict here was fierce and sanguinary." The fighting continued until approximately 9 p.m. (some sources say midnight), at which point the Union withdrew from the field. Losses were heavy on both sides.

Pope believed he had "bagged" Jackson and sought to capture him before he could be reinforced by Longstreet. Pope's dispatch sent on the evening of the 28th to Major General Philip Kearny stated, in part, "General McDowell has intercepted the retreat of the enemy and is now in his front … Unless he can escape by by-paths leading to the north to-night, he must be captured."

[edit] August 29

Jackson had initiated the battle on August 28 with the intent of holding Pope until Longstreet arrived with the remainder of the Army of Northern Virginia. August 29 would test if his men were able to hold their positions in the face of a numerically superior enemy, long enough to be reinforced.

Beginning about 10:15 a.m., Union forces launched a series of disjointed assaults against Jackson's position. The fighting was intense, and casualties were heavy on both sides. The battle continued until Federal forces ceased the offensive in late afternoon.

Longstreet's corps arrived on the field at approximately 11 a.m. and took up positions on Jackson's right. His arrival apparently went unnoticed by Pope until late in the afternoon when a portion of Longstreet's command repulsed a Union advance. In the wake of Longstreet's arrival, the Confederate line was extended by more than a mile southward. Pope's left flank was unprotected, beckoning Longstreet's fresh troops to attack it.

[edit] August 30

Early in the morning, Jackson's troops pulled back from forward positions gained while repulsing the assaults. Pope viewed this as evidence of a retreat and, although he was now aware that Longstreet had joined Jackson, was determined to push forward. His order was, "The ... forces will be immediately thrown forward in pursuit of the enemy, and press him vigorously during the whole day ..."

Following skirmishing throughout the day, Pope moved against Jackson's position in force at about 3 p.m. Jackson described the assault, "In a few moments our entire line was engaged in a fierce and sanguinary struggle with the enemy. As one line was repulsed another took its place and pressed forward as if determined by force of numbers and fury of assault to drive us from our positions."

While the Union forces were engaged with Jackson, Lee ordered Longstreet forward. Longstreet's forces, consisting of 28,000 troops led by John B. Hood's brigades, drove forward and crushed the Union left flank as Jackson held it in place. As Longstreet's men pushed forward, the Army of Virginia was rolled up and sent reeling from the field.

In Jackson's words, "As Longstreet pressed upon the right the Federal advance was checked, and soon a general advance of my whole line was ordered. Eagerly and fiercely did each brigade press forward, exhibiting in parts of the field scenes of close encounter and murderous strife not witnessed often in the turmoil of battle. The Federals gave way before our troops, fell back in disorder, and fled precipitately, leaving their dead and wounded on the field."

Elements of Pope's army made a stand on Henry House Hill—ironically, where Stonewall Jackson's Virginia brigade had made its own stand during the First Battle of Bull Run—and held off determined attacks until darkness brought a final close to the battle. The Union forces withdrew from the field, in a generally organized manner compared to the aftermath of First Bull Run.

Unable to escape blame for this debacle, Pope was relieved of command. On the contrary, the hopes of the Confederacy were gleaming brighter than ever. Within one week, the vanguard of the Army of Northern Virginia would cross the Potomac River in the Maryland Campaign, marching toward a fateful encounter with the Army of the Potomac at a creek called Antietam.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

National Park Service battle description
Reports from the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion:
- Report of Lieut. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, C.S. Army, Commanding Second Corps, Battle of Second Manassas, dated April 27, 1863.
- Report of General Robert E. Lee, C. S. Army, Commanding Army of Northern Virginia, Battle of Second Manassas
- Report of Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet, C. S. Army, commanding First Corps, of the Battles of Groveton and Manassas dated October 10, 1862.
Langellier, John, Second Manassas 1862: Robert E. Lee's greatest victory, Osprey Campaign Series #95, Osprey Publishing, 2002, ISBN 1-84176-230-X.
Ropes, John C., The Army Under Pope, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1901.