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(2nd Manassas)

2nd Manassas

After McClellan had acknowledged defeat by retreating to a fortified base at Westover on the James River, Lee was able to shift troops elsewhere.  He needed to, since John Pope was leading a substantial force (bravely named the Army of Virginia) down from northern Virginia.

Lee estimated McClellan wouldn't make any aggressive moves on Richmond, but he still needed watching.  So Lee wasn't free to use his whole army.  Yet he'd stripped the western part of the state when he brought Stonewall Jackson's Army of the Valley (really a weak Corps) east for the Seven Days Battles.  Lee struck a balance: Jackson would head back to deal with Pope, and the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia would follow as soon as conditions permitted.  McClellan and Lincoln helped this by gradually shifting the Army of the Potomac by sea back to Washington; some parts would eventually reinforce Pope, others would temporarily join the Washington garrison.

Pope had his army at Culpeper Court House by July 12; Jackson moved the next day.  Pope knew the strategic situation was changing.  McClellan was stymied, which meant that Pope was the great hope to take Richmond - yet at the same time he might have to take on all of Lee's forces.  He decided to move south with his 56,000-man field force (another 20,000 or so were tied down as garrisons) scattered around north-central Virginia. 

On August 9 Jackson switched to the offensive.  He moved up the line of the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, meeting Banks' Corps of Pope's army at CEDAR MOUNTAIN.  It wasn't Jackson's finest battle, and if he'd been fighting a better general than Banks he might have lost.

Then Lee was able to shift troops away from Richmond.  McClellan's army was being evacuated by water.  Lee sent Longstreet's Corps west, leaving only a token force to observe McClellan.  Lee himself took command on August 15 and soon found there was no possibility of a frontal attack breaking through Pope's troops behind the Rapidan.  Pope had packed his men into the triangle between the Rapidan, the Rappahannock, and the Orange & Alexandria - it was a strong position frontally, but Lee was inclined to swing to the flank.

But Pope acted correctly, and pulled back as far as the Rappahannock by the 22nd.  Lee probed various parts of the Union line for two days, at RAPPAHANNOCK STATION and elsewhere while Stuart swung out beyond Pope's right flank.

Stuart moved fast, and he raided Pope's headquarters at Catlett's Station.  They narrowly missed capturing Pope, but found his order book, which Lee read with great interest.  Part of the news was expected reinforcements for Pope, and Lee knew that he had to act fast or lose the campaign.  Pope would be too strong for the Army of Northern Virginia to attack, and Lee would have to fall back to Richmond, square in the face of a Union avalanche.  But if he acted quickly, he could still get around the Union flank.  It was risky in the extreme: Pope was stronger than the Army of Northern Virginia when it was concentrated.  He was about three times stronger than either wing when it was separated.

Stonewall moved fast, while Longstreet pinned Pope's attention to the front.  Jackson's men got around the flank, got into the Union rear undetected and unopposed.  They ambushed trains in the evening of August 26, rested overnight, then moved deeper into Pope's rear and destroyed what they could of the square mile of supplies stacked at MANASSAS STATION. 

That was enough for Pope to move - which is what Lee had in mind.  Pope knew now that half Lee's force was behind him, and he wanted to crush it.  He pulled back from the Rappahannock to find Jackson (who had prudently disappeared) while Longstreet took the opportunity to follow Jackson's route, although he had to fight a little at THOROGHFARE GAP.

This set up the two-day battle of SECOND MANASSAS.  Once Longstreet's charge broke the Union left, the bluecoats headed straight back to Washington.  Lee hoped to finish Pope off, and tried another of Jackson's hooks.  He couldn't get far enough around - in retreat the Union troops were wasting no time - and ran into two divisions at CHANTILLY.  Tactical victory there added to Jackson's reputation, and made sure that Pope would pull all the way back to Washington.

The road was open for Lee to move into Maryland.

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(2nd Manassas)