A Youth's History of the Great Civil War
Van Evrie, Horton & Co., ©1866
Revised edition, ©2006 www.ronie-mooney-encs.us
The views expressed in the following document do not necessarily represent the views of www.ronie-mooney-encs.us. This document, originally published in 1866, has been provided to the public based solely on its potential value as a historical document.
CHAPTER XXIX, THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS OR BULL RUN
GENERAL Pope's reign of plunder and persecution was of short duration, as was also his insolent boasting. He had been reinforced by a considerable portion of Mc'Clellan's army and had certainly men enough under his command, if he had possessed the skill to handle them. But unfortunately for him General Lee had despatched Stonewall Jackson to look after him.
When Jackson's force lift Richmond for the Rappahannock again, which had already been the scene of so many of his victories, some of the Confederate officers sarcastically said: "Lee's short of rations again! Jackson's detailed to go to the commissary!"By the "commissary" was meant General Banks, for Jackson for some time supported his army off of stores taken from that general. Hence Banks was called "Jackson's commissary," by the Confederate soldiers.
And it so happened that, in this new campaign, Jackson first struck that portion of Pope's army which was stationed under Banks, at a place known as Cedar Mountain. A battle took place on the afternoon of the 9th of August, which, after a fierce fight, resulted in the total defeat and rout of the Federals, who however, were not followed more than two miles when Jackson ordered a halt for the night.
Jackson's force in this battle was 8,000. That of the Federal general was 15,000. The Confederates lost six hundred killed, wounded, and missing, while the Federals lost about two thousand. Jackson captured five hundred prisoners, fifteen hundred stand of arms, two Napoleon guns, twelve wagon loads of ammunition, and several wagon loads of new clothing. It was quite true that Banks had been acting as Jackson's commissary again.
General Pope, who had boasted that he should make his head-quarters in his saddle, was completely out-maneuvered and entrapped every way. One night General Stuart swept round his camp and burned it, capturing three hundred prisoners, and very nearly captured Pope himself. All of his public and private papers fell into Stuart's hands, not even excepting his coat and pantaloons.
I forgot to mention that in the battle of Cedar Mountain, that Jackson's victory was not gained without a great and irreparable loss, in the death of General Charles H. Winder, who was one of the bravest and most gallant men in the Confederate army.
The next heard of Stonewall Jackson after the battle of Cedar Mountain, was that, with a force of 20,000 men, he was far up the valley towards the head-waters of the Rappahannock River, where he had been sent by Lee on one of the most adventurous if not dangerous undertakings of the whole war. The object was to actually get in the rear of Pope's army, cut off his communications, and destroy his stores. The danger of this experiment was that it would place Jackson's army between two great Federal armies, Pope's on one side, and that of the immediate defences of Washington on the other. This very plan shows that Lee held the generalship of both Halleck and Pope in great contempt.
Jackson's army was marched with such secrecy and rapidity that his own officers could not comprehend the nature of the movement. "Said one of these: "Let us look facts fully in the face. Here we are marching in the rear of an enemy more powerful than ourselves, far from all supports, liable to be broken up by superior numbers from Washington, on the one hand, or literally annihilated should Pope face about." Another replied: "Tis just like him; no one can imagine what he is about; it was so in the valley and elsewhere-plenty of marching and fighting, and mighty little to eat, except what we chanced to capture." Replied a third: "As to rations, I know not what we shall do; we are on half allowance now, and tomorrow we shall have to fast and fight as usual. I heard that the commissary-general spoke to Jackson about it, but he simply replied, 'don't trouble yourself, the enemy have a superabundance-their depots are not far ahead.'"
Events proved that Jackson's estimate for abundance to eat was right, for a few hours' march brought his army to a place called Bristoe's Station, which was the first railroad depot connection with Pope's rear. On the sudden appearance of the Confederates, Pope's guards escaped towards Manassas, and spread the alarm. Manassas was an immense depot of Federal stores of all descriptions. In a few hours Jackson's army was luxuriating in this vast depot of abundance. Everything was captured without even a skirmish. Jackson found himself in possession of "nine cannon, seven full trains heavily laden with all kinds of stores, ten first-class locomotives, fifty-thousand pounds of bacon, one thousand pounds of beef, two thousand barrels of pork, five thousand barrels of superfine flour, vast quantities of hay, oats, corn, thirty thousand loaves of bread, an immense amount of hard bread, and all kinds of ammunition,etc."
The telegraph was found to be in good working condition, and the rejoicing Confederates telegraphed to Alexandria, which was the largest Federal depot of war stores, calling for and immediate supply of artillery and wagon harnesses, with other like things which the Confederates most needed. The Federal commandant, having no suspicion that the despatch was from Stonewall Jackson's men, sent forward a heavily laden train, with all the articles called for, and these all fell into the hands of the Confederates.
All this mischief had been done by Stonewall Jackson, when Pope had no suspicion that he was within sixty miles of the place. In the mean time General Lee was hurrying the march of the main body of his army to support the new position gained by his advance, under General Jackson, on the very spot at Manassas, where the first great battle of the war had taken place two years before.
General Pope also had been aroused to the true state of things, and at once hurried forward his whole force to the same point. In a characteristic bombastic speech to his army, he boasted that he should "bag Jackson this time!"
Jackson had made the best of the brief time in throwing up defensive works, and preparing for the fierce conflict which he knew must soon come. It was no part of his plan to retreat, and indeed it was Lee's instruction for him to keep his position until he should arrive with the main army.
On Wednesday, the 27th of August, 1862, a portion of Pope's advance, without knowing, came within reach of Jackson's guns at Manassas Junction, and was driven back in confusion. All the next day Pope's army was pouring around him. That night Jackson removed his whole force from Manassas Station to the old battle-field of Manassas, where he was a little nearer to Longstreet's division, which he knew to be approaching in the direction of Thoroughfare Gap, and where he would also have a better position for either attack or defence. There was skirmishing and a good deal of pretty serious fighting, all day Friday, August 29th, but the decisive battle did not take place until Saturday morning. Lee's whole army had arrived and was in position for another terrible battle on the old blood-stained field of Manassas.
General Pope threw forward a heavy force upon Lee's right, when that wily commander at once fell back with that portion of his army for the purpose of leading General Pope to suppose that he was retreating. The shallow Pope fell into the trap, and in his great joy, telegraphed to Washington that Lee was "retreating to the mountains." The news was flashed all over the North, and the bulletins of the newspapers were blazing with tidings of a great victory won by Pope over Lee.
In the meantime Pope drove forward what he supposed to be a pursuit of the flying Confederates; but, as the result proved, drove his own army into the jaws of destruction. He had gone in this pursuit but a short distance, when he met the most deadly fire from nearly all Lee's artillery, which was concealed in the forest. Instead of retreating, Lee had simply withdrawn his left flank, while his right remained intact, and therefore the commencement of General Pope's pursuit was really the beginning of the most dreadful and decisive battle of the campaign. The conflict was bloody but short. It was Bull Run over again. Speaking of the way the Confederates fought, a Northern correspondent says: "They came on like demons emerging from the earth." The Federal army was not only defeated-it was routed, and the disorganized mass of soldiers had to trust for safety to their own heels or horses.
General Pope did not stop his flight until he was safe within the defences of Washington. A correspondent in his army for a Baltimore paper put his loss at 32,000 men, killed, wounded and missing. Lee paroled 9,000 prisoners.
Thus ended poor Pope. Never did a man set out with so much bombast and swagger, and never did any man fall so fast and so low. Even the brutal school of abolitionists who had placed such hopes in him, and who had rejoiced so much at his inhuman programme for the war, were heartily ashamed of him. He fell to rise no more. He is to this day the laughing-stock of men.
Return to History of the Great Civil War
RELATED ARTICLES
Battle Summary: Cedar Mountain, VA Cedar Mountain Civil War battle summary
Nathaniel Banks’s corps tangled at Cedar Mountain with the Federals gaining an early advantage
General Halleck
Major General Halleck pictured in the field in a superb portrait in an original 1862 Harper's Weekly Civil War Newspaper
General John PopeYou Found It!
An incredible biography and portrait of Union General John Pope in the Civil War.
George Brinton McClellan Biography
McClellan, George Brinton, McClellan's Own Story; Hassler, Warren W., Jr., General George B. McClellan: Shield of the Union; and Myers, William Starr, ...
Robert Edward Lee Biography
Information about Lee, a respected general officer offered command by both the north and the south.
Army of Virginia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Army of Virginia was organized as a major unit of the Union Army and ... Banks' corps of the Army of Virginia fought with Stonewall Jackson at the ...
Stonewall Jackson Biography
A chronology of key events.Stonewall Jackson Biographical Information. A chronology of key events.
