Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas)

Principal commanders and forces

• Confederate: Gen. Robert E. Lee with divisions under Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and James Longstreet.
• Union: Maj. Gen. John Pope leading the Army of Virginia, with elements from the Army of the Potomac present.

The battle took place along the Bull Run stream and around several crossroads and rail junctions near Manassas. It built on movements earlier in the summer as Lee sought to shift the fighting away from Richmond and to defeat Union columns operating in northern Virginia.

Course of the battle

1. August 28: Initial clashes and maneuvers as both armies sought advantageous ground and supply lines.
2. August 29: Jackson executed a strong defensive posture on a ridge, repulsing several Union attacks.
3. August 30: Longstreet launched a large counterattack against the Union left and rear, breaking Union positions and triggering a general retreat.

Confederate success owed to effective use of interior lines, bold dispositions by Jackson, and the timely massing of Longstreet's forces. Union command problems, miscommunications and piecemeal assaults contributed to the defeat. The fighting produced heavy casualties and numerous prisoners on both sides.

Significance and aftermath

The victory bolstered Confederate morale and cleared the way for Lee's subsequent invasion of Maryland later in 1862. It also damaged Northern confidence in Union leadership in the Eastern Theater and helped shape political and military decisions in Washington. For further reading see Second Battle of Bull Run.