The Second Battle Of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the Civil War. It was the campaign waged by Confederate Gen.Robert E. Lee's Army of Virginia against Union Maj. Gen. John Pope's Army of Virginia, and a battle of much larger scale and numbers than the First Battle of Bull Run, fought in 1861 on the same land.
Following a march Gen. Thomas J. Jackson took the Union depot at Manassas, taking Pope's line of communications with Washington, D.C. retreating a few miles to the north, Jackson took a defensive position on Stony Ridge. On August 28, 1862, Jackson attacked a Union fleet resulting in a stalemate. On that same day, the wing of Lee's army commanded by Gen. Longstreet broke through light Union lines in the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap and approached the battle.
Pope thought that he had trapped Jackson and concentrated his army against him. On August 29, Pope launched a attack against Jackson's army along an unfinished railroad. The attacks were fought with heavy casualties on both sides. the next day, Longstreet arrived on the battle field and took position on Jackson's right side. On August 30, Pope remade his attacks, unaware that Longstreet was on the field. When Confederate troops destroyed a Union attack by Gen. Porter's, Longstreet's wing of men in five counterattacks in the largest, mass atack of the war. The Union left was crushed and the army was forced to retreat back to Bull Run. Only an Union rear action prevented a replay of the First bull run disaster. Pope's retreat to Centreville was nonetheless quick.
Willowcreek Middle School 4.9.13
Maxwell J.
Maxwell J.