|
Thomas' Legion |
American Civil War HOMEPAGE |
American Civil War |
Causes of the Civil War : What Caused the Civil War |
Organization of Union and Confederate Armies: Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery |
Civil War Navy: Union Navy and Confederate Navy |
American Civil War: The Soldier's Life |
Civil War Turning Points |
American Civil War: Casualties, Battles and Battlefields |
Civil War Casualties, Fatalities & Statistics |
Civil War Generals |
American Civil War Desertion and Deserters: Union and Confederate |
Civil War Prisoner of War: Union and Confederate Prison History |
Civil War Reconstruction Era and Aftermath |
American Civil War Genealogy and Research |
Civil War |
American Civil War Pictures - Photographs |
African Americans and American Civil War History |
American Civil War Store |
American Civil War Polls |
NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY |
North Carolina Civil War History |
North Carolina American Civil War Statistics, Battles, History |
North Carolina Civil War History and Battles |
North Carolina Civil War Regiments and Battles |
North Carolina Coast: American Civil War |
HISTORY OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA |
Western North Carolina and the American Civil War |
Western North Carolina: Civil War Troops, Regiments, Units |
North Carolina: American Civil War Photos |
Cherokee Chief William Holland Thomas |
HISTORY OF THE CHEROKEE INDIANS |
Cherokee Indian Heritage, History, Culture, Customs, Ceremonies, and Religion |
Cherokee Indians: American Civil War |
History of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Nation |
Cherokee War Rituals, Culture, Festivals, Government, and Beliefs |
Researching your Cherokee Heritage |
Civil War Diary, Memoirs, Letters, and Newspapers |
|
|
|
Second Battle of Manassas / aka 2nd Bull Run
2nd Battle of Manassas / Bull Run
Other Names: Second Bull Run, Manassas, Manassas Plains, Groveton, Gainesville,
Brawner's Farm
Location: Prince William County
Campaign: Northern Virginia Campaign (June-September 1862)
Date(s): August 28-30, 1862
Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. John
Pope [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee and Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson [CS]
Forces Engaged: Army of Virginia [US]; Army of Northern Virginia [CS]
Estimated Casualties: 22,180 total (US 13,830; CS 8,350)
Result(s): Confederate victory
Virginia Civil War Bull Run Map |
|
Battle of Bull Run Battlefield Map |
Description: In order
to draw Pope’s army into battle, Jackson ordered an attack on a Federal column that was passing across his front on
the Warrenton Turnpike on August 28. The fighting at Brawner Farm lasted several hours and resulted in a stalemate. Pope
became convinced that he had trapped Jackson and concentrated the bulk of his army against him. On August 29, Pope launched
a series of assaults against Jackson’s position along an unfinished railroad grade. The attacks were repulsed with heavy
casualties on both sides. At noon, Longstreet arrived on the field from Thoroughfare Gap and took position on Jackson’s
right flank. On August 30, Pope renewed his attacks, seemingly unaware that Longstreet was on the field. When massed Confederate
artillery devastated a Union assault by Fitz John Porter’s command, Longstreet’s wing of 28,000 men counterattacked
in the largest, simultaneous mass assault of the war. The Union left flank was crushed and the army driven back to Bull Run.
Only an effective Union rearguard action prevented a replay of the First Manassas disaster. Pope’s retreat to Centreville was precipitous, nonetheless. The next day, Lee ordered his army in pursuit.
This was the decisive battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign. During the war,
the North generally named a battle after the closest river, stream or creek and the South tended to name battles after towns
or railroad junctions. Hence the Confederate name Manassas after Manassas Junction, and the Union name Bull Run for the stream
Bull Run.
"My God, what a slaughter! No one appeared to know the object of
the fight, and there we stood for one hour, the men falling all around..." Captain George Fairchild, 7th Wisconsin;
referring to the Battle of Second Manassas
2nd Battle of Manassas Map |
|
Second Battle of Manassas Civil War Map |
29 August 1862
0500 |
Sigel's Corps with Reynold's Division pressed westward and became engaged
in a series of disjointed attacks against Jackson's position along the railroad |
1000 |
Sigel called off attacks. |
0900-1000 |
Longstreet's Corps began arriving south of Jackson's line and completed its
deployment about 1100. Hood's Division was on both sides of the turnpike near Pageland Lane. Wilcox's Division was echeloned
to his left rear, while Kemper's Division was echeloned to his right rear. D. R. Jones' Division extended from Kemper's farther
south across the Manassas Gap Railroad and Robertson's Cavalry screened toward Manassas. Jones engaged elements of Morell's
Division; Porter's Corps was engaged in desultory fighting all afternoon. |
1100 |
Heintzelman's Corps (Kearny's and Hooker's Divisions) and Reno's Corps (Reno's
and Stevens' Divisions) arrived near the Stone House. |
1200 |
The Federal attack was renewed. Schurz's Division seized part of Jackson's
railroad position and held it until relieved at 1400 by Heintzelman's Corps. |
1400-1500 |
Period of regrouping and rest with some skirmishing. |
1500 |
Grover's Brigade, Hooker's Division made a successful bayonet attack against
the center of Jackson's line; lost 500 men in 20 minutes, was not supported and was forced back. |
1700 |
Kearny attacked on Jackson's extreme left (north) and began to roll up that
part of the line held by A. P. Hill's Division. Two brigades of Confederate reinforcements were rushed from an unthreatened
portion of their line and repulsed Kearny's men. |
1700 |
Wilcox's Division was shifted by Longstreet to support D. R. Jones toward
Manassas; it soon returned when no threat developed. Fitz-John Porter's presence to the south had fixed Longstreet's right
wing all afternoon. The Confederate did not want to commit himself until he had determined Porter's intentions. |
1730 |
Hatch's (formerly King's) Division arrived at the Stone House and was ordered
to attack westward along the Pike. |
1830 |
Hatch's Division collided with Hood's Division, which was probing eastward
along the Warrenton Pike. Fighting endured around Groveton until about 1915. Reynolds' Division south of the Pike had been
prevented from supporting effectively by Longstreet's artillery. |
c. 1830 |
Pope ordered Porter to bring his corps to Groveton. Pope felt Jackson was
retreating and disregarded Porter's reports of Longstreet's presence south of the Pike. Longstreet was freed for the next
day. |
30 August 1862
1200 |
Federals began to move into attack positions; Reynolds shifted to Chinn's
Ridge. |
1500 |
Butterfield's and Hatch's Divisions with Sykes' in support commenced the main
attack. They pushed to the railroad held by Jackson's men but were enfiladed by Longstreet's artillery on their left (south).
Meanwhile Heintzelman's units pressed farther north. |
1500 |
Reynolds was pulled from his position to support Porter. Only Warren's Brigade
(Sykes' Division) and Anderson's Brigade (Reynolds' Division) remained south of the Pike. |
1530 |
Longstreet attacked, pivoting on Jackson's position. Hood's Division advanced
along an axis formed by the Pike while Longstreet's other units advanced in an arc north-northeast. |
1600 |
Warren's position was overrun. Pope placed more troops on Chinn's Ridge: Ricketts',
along with Schurz's and parts of Schenck's Division were rushed in; Sykes' Division went to Henry Hill farther east and was
joined later by Reynolds with two of his brigades. Reno and Heintzelman delayed north of the Pike against Jackson, who conformed
to Longstreet's advance. |
1800 |
Chinn's Ridge was taken. Fighting shifted to Henry Hill. Sykes and Reynolds
held until relieved by Stevens' Division of Reno's Corps, which halted the last Confederate attack. |
2030 |
All quiet. |
2300 |
Schurz's Division evacuated a bridgehead west of Stone Bridge. |
31 August 1862
0100 |
Turnpike Bridge was blown up; Federals drew into Centreville positions. (The
stone bridge had been destroyed 9 March 1862 by Confederates. The bridge destroyed 31 August was a temporary wooden span.) |
(Related reading below.)
Sources: National Park Service; Manassas
National Battlefield Park; Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C.; Official Records of the Union
and Confederate Armies.
|
|
|
|
|
|