The Second battle of Manassas is held 28 with the August 30th 1862 at the time of the American Civil War, she opposes the the United States to the confederated States and concludes herself by a victory from the latter.

Involved forces

  • Union:

Army of Virginia: general major John Pope.

  • 1 body: general major Franz Sigel.
    • 1 division: general sergeant Robert Cumming Schenck, then general sergeant Julius Stahel-Szamwald.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant J. Stahel, colonel A. Buschbeck.
      • 2 brigade: colonel Nathaniel Hakes Mac Lean.
    • 2 division: general sergeant Adolph Wilhem von Steinwehr.
      • 1 brigade: colonel J.A. Kolter (killed), then lieutenant colonel G.A. Mulleck.
    • 3 division: general sergeant Carl Schurz.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant Henry Bohlen (killed), then colonel A. Schimmelfennig.
      • 2 brigade: colonel Wladimir Kryzanowski.
      • independent Brigade: general sergeant Robert Huston Milroy.
      • Brigade of cavalry: colonel J. Beardsley.
  • 2 bodies: general major Nathaniel Prentiss Banks. Only the brigade of cavalry takes share to the engagements.
    • 1 division: general sergeant Alpheus Starkey Williams.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant Samuel Wylie Crawford.
      • 3 brigade: general sergeant George Henry Gordon.
    • 2 division: general sergeant George Sears Greene.
      • 1 brigade: colonel Charles Candy, colonel J.H. Patrick.
      • 2 brigade: colonel M. Schlaudecker, colonel T.B. van Buren.
      • 3 brigade: colonel J.A. Tait.
      • Brigade of cavalry: general sergeant John Buford.
  • 3 bodies: general major Irwin Mac Dowell.
    • 1 division: general sergeant Rufus King, general sergeant John To carry Hatch, then general sergeant Abner Doubleday.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant John To carry Hatch, then colonel T. Sullivan.
      • 2 brigade: general sergeant Abner Doubleday, then colonel W.P. Wainwright.
      • 3 brigade: general sergeant Marsena Rudolph Patrick.
      • 4 brigade: general sergeant John Gibbon.
    • 2 division: general sergeant James Brewerton Ricketts.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant Abram Duryeé.
      • 2 brigade: general sergeant Zealous Packsaddlled Tower, then colonel W.H. Christian.
      • 3 brigade: general sergeant George Lucas Hartsuff, colonel J.W. Stiles.
      • 4 brigade: colonel J. Thoburn (casualty).
    • 3 division (detached from the 5 army corps of Potomac): general sergeant John Fulton Reynolds.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant George Gordon Meade.
      • 2 brigade: general sergeant Truman Seymour.
      • 3 brigade: general sergeant Conrad Feger Jackson, colonel M.D. Hardin, then colonel J.T. Kirk, then lieutenant colonel Robert Anderson.
      • Brigade of cavalry: general sergeant George Dashiell Bayard.
  • Body of reserve: general sergeant Samuel Davis Sturgis.
    • Brigade: general sergeant Absam Sanders Piatt.

Detached units of the army of Potomac:

  • 3 bodies: general major Samuel Peter Heintzelman.
    • 1 division: general major Philip Kearny.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant John Cleveland Robinson.
      • 2 brigade: general sergeant David Bell Birney.
      • 3 brigade: colonel O. Mr. Poe.
    • 2 division: general major Joseph Hooker, then general sergeant Grover Vat.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant Grover Vat, then colonel R. Cowdin.
      • 2 brigade: colonel N. Taylor.
      • 3 brigade: colonel J.B. Carr.
  • 5 bodies: general major Fitz John To carry.
    • 1 division: general major G.W. Morell.
      • 1 brigade: colonel C.W. Roberts.
      • 2 brigade: general sergeant C. Griffin. Does not take share with the engagements.
      • 3 brigade: general sergeant Daniel Butterfield, colonel H.S. Lansing, colonel H A. Weeks, then colonel J.C. Rice.
    • 2 division: general sergeant George Sykes.
      • 1 brigade: lieutenant colonel R.C. Buchanan.
      • 2 brigade: lieutenant colonel W. Chapman.
      • 3 brigade: colonel G.K. Warren.
  • 6 bodies.
    • 1 division.
      • 1 brigade: general sergeant George William Taylor (killed), then colonel H.W. Brown. Takes share with the engagements only on August 27th.
  • 9 bodies: general major Jesse Lee Reno.
    • 1 division: general major Isaac Ingalls Stevens (killed), then colonel B.C. Christ.
      • 1 brigade: colonel B.C. Christ, lieutenant Serious colonel F.
      • 2 brigade: colonel D. Leasure, then lieutenant colonel D.A. Leckey.
      • 3 brigade: colonel A. Farnsworth, then lieutenant colonel D. Morrison.
    • 2 division: general major Jesse Lee Reno.
      • 1 brigade: colonel J. Nagle.
      • 2 brigade: colonel E. Ferrero.
    • Kanawha Division.
      • 1 brigade: colonel E.P. Scammon. Takes share with the engagements only on August 27th.

Confederation:

Army of Virginia of North: general Robert Edward Lee.

  • Body of the general major James Longstreet, (forming the right wing).
    • Division of general major Richard Heron Anderson.
      • brigade of the general sergeant Lewis Addison Armistead.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant William Mahone.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Ambrose Ransom Wright.
    • Division of the general sergeant David Rumph Jones.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Robert Augustus Toombs, colonel Henry Lewis Benning.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Thomas Fenwick Drayton.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant David Rumph Jones, colonel George Thomas Anderson.
    • Division of the general sergeant Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Roger Atkinson Pryor.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Winfield Scott Featherston, then colonel Carnot Posey.
    • Division of the general sergeant Beautiful John Hood.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Beautiful John Hood.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant William Henry Drives out Whiting, colonel Evander Mac Ivor Law.
    • Division of the general sergeant James Lawson Kemper.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant James Lawson Kemper, colonel Corsica M.D., then colonel W.R. Terry.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Micah Jenkins, then colonel J. Walker.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant George Edward Pickett, colonel E. Hunton.
      • Brigade independent of the general sergeant Nathan George Evans.
  • Body of the general major Thomas Jonathan Jackson, (forming the left wing).
    • Division of general major Thomas Jonathan Jackson, general sergeant William Booth Taliaferro, then general sergeant William Edwin Starke.
      • 1 brigade: colonel W.S.H. Baylor (killed), then colonel A.J. Grisby (casualty).
      • 2 brigade: major J. Seddon, colonel B.T. Johnson.
      • 3 brigade: colonel A.G. Taliaferro.
      • 4 brigade: general sergeant William Edwin Starke, colonel L.A. Stafford.
    • light Division: general major Ambrose Powell Hill.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Lawrence O' Bryan Branch.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant William Dorsey Pender.
      • Brigade of colonel E.L. Thomas.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Maxcy Gregg.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant James Jay Archer.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Charles William Field, then colonel J. Mr. Brockenbrough.
    • Division of general major Richard Stoddert Ewell, then of the general sergeant Alexander Robert Lawton.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Alexander Robert Lawton, then colonel M. Douglass.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Isaac Ridgeway Trimble, then captain W.F. Brown (killed).
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Jubal Anderson Early.
      • Brigade of the general sergeant Harry Thompson Hays, colonel H. Forno, then colonel H.B. Strong.
    • Division of cavalry: general major James Ewell Brown Stuart.
      • Brigade of cavalry of the general sergeant Beverly Holcombe Robertson.
      • Brigade of cavalry of the general sergeant Fitzhugh Lee.

Context

In June 1862, whereas the army of the Union is victorious on the western face, the situation is less encouraging in the east. The general McClellan was pushed back towards his camp of Harrison' S Landing after the battles of the seven days and his attempt to walk on Richmond. Thomas " Stonewall" Jackson beat the federal troops in the valley of the Shenandoah, thus causing in North fear to see Washington attacked.

To try to restore the situtation, Lincoln calls upon the general John Pope, one of the winners of the Western face. This one must reorganize the northerner troops by gathering them under the new banner of the army of Virginia which is composed of the three bodies of Siegel, Banks and McDowell, as well as reserve of Sturgis.

Initially confined with the defense of the capital, Pope affirms that it can beat confederated and go on Richmond. Lincoln, in search of a fast solution, grants its confidence to him.

In July, Pope leaves Washington and travelled towards the capital Southerner. Lee then sends the body of Jackson to delay Pope. Then realizing that the army of McClellan remains passive, it goes up towards North by leaving a minimum of men to defend Richmond. August 9th, Jackson meets the body of Nathaniel Banks and forces it to fold up it after the battle of Cedar Mountain, but without to have succeeded in destroying it.

Preparations

Pope then gathers its troops in defense along the Rappahannock river. The troops of Lee give an opinion vis-a-vis them while Jackson is sent by the side towards Thoroughfare Gap in order to threaten the northerner lines of provisioning and to draw the attention of Pope. When it penetrates on August 26th in the valley of Manassas, Pope bites with the soft food and leaves its positions of Rappahannock for Manassas Junction, without meeting Jackson, which was folded up after having plundered the federal warehouses. Only a rear-guard fights in Bristoe Station to slow down the soldiers of the Union.

The battle

When Jackson tackles the division of King with Groveton, Pope still falls into the trap and rameute all its troops, leaving the free track to the Southerners of the body of Longstreet to go on Manassas.

August 29th, the general launches his men to the attack of Confédérés of Jackson cut off along the unfinished way of railroad. At the evening, in spite of the fury of the engagements, they always hold their position. Longstreet then comes to place line of Jackson on the right, in right angle, but Pope, which continues to be baited against the body of " Stonewall" , seems to be unaware of their presence. The 30, Jackson fall to court from ammunition. To support it, of the pieces of artillery, laid out in the angle which form the two bodies, shoot in rows at the attackers Yankees.

In end of the afternoon, Lee launches an attack with divisions of Longstreet which crush the left side of the northerners, forcing them to beat a retreat. But the things do not remain about it there. The Southerners want to strike the federal army in retirement.

Consequences

September 1st, the rebels start a movement towards North, by Sudley Ford, Jackson at the head, to come to fold back itself on the backs of the enemy who folds up himself and to lock up it in a bow net. But they are blocked by the division of Stevens on OX Hill, close to Chantilly, which is reinforced soon by the men of Kearny. The adversaries fight under a beating rain without none of both taking the advantage before fallen the night. Pressed by the policies to regain Washington to ensure its defense, the Yankees fold up themselves the morning of the 2.

The Pope general leaves the battle discredited after having lost approximately 14.000 men on few the 63.000 committed ones. Lee loses nearly 9.000 soldiers out of 54.000.

Vis-a-vis a federal army in full retirement, Lee sees the occasion there to carry the war in the States of North and share towards the Maryland where will take place later a fifteen or so days the Bataille of Antietam…

Sources

  • description of the battle by the National Park Service
  • Official reports:
    • Carryforward off Lieut. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, C.S. Army, Commanding Second Body, Battle off Second Manassas , dated April 27, 1863.
    • Carryforward off General Robert E. Lee, C.S. Army, Commanding Army off Northern Virginia, Battle off Second Manassas
    • Carryforward off Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet, C.S. Army, commanding First Body, off the Battles off 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 Sounds, 1901.

External bonds

  • Second Battle of Bull Run — Guided visit
  • National Manassas Battlefield site of the park
  • Order of battaille

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