A decisive Confederate victory in the American Civil War where General Robert E. Lee's 50,000 troops outmaneuvered Union forces of 62,000 men near Manassas, Virginia, resulting in over 22,000 total casualties.

The Second Battle of Bull Run stands as one of the most significant conflicts of the American Civil War. Taking place from August 28-30, 1862 near Manassas, Virginia this crucial battle marked a decisive victory for Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee.

Coming just 13 months after the First Battle of Bull Run on the same ground the second engagement proved even more devastating. Confederate forces outmaneuvered and overwhelmed the Union Army of Virginia led by Major General John Pope. The battlefield's location along an important railroad junction made it a strategic prize that both armies desperately sought to control.

The Second Battle of Bull Run marked a decisive Confederate victory that demonstrated General Robert E. Lee's tactical brilliance. The battle unfolded through a series of strategic maneuvers across northern Virginia's terrain.

The battle took place from August 28-30, 1862, near Manassas Junction, Virginia. The fighting occurred across three key locations:

• Thoroughfare Gap: A strategic mountain pass
• Bristoe Station: A vital railroad depot
• Manassas Junction: The main battlefield spanning 500 acres

Battle Timeline	Events
August 28	Initial engagement at Bristoe Station
August 29	Major combat at Groveton
August 30	Decisive Confederate victory

The battle involved significant forces from both armies with experienced leadership:

Union Forces:

• Commander: Major General John Pope

• Army size: 62,000 troops

• Key subordinates:

• Major General Irvin McDowell

• Major General Franz Sigel

• Major General Fitz John Porter

• Commander: General Robert E. Lee

• Army size: 50,000 troops

• Key subordinates:

• Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson

• Major General James Longstreet

• Major General J.E.B. Stuart

Army Composition	Union	Confederate
Infantry	50,000	42,000
Cavalry	7,000	4,000
Artillery	5,000	4,000

The Second Battle of Bull Run emerged from a series of strategic movements in August 1862. Confederate General Robert E. Lee developed a bold plan to strike the Union Army of Virginia before it could unite with McClellan's Army of the Potomac.

Confederate forces executed a three-pronged advance through northern Virginia in mid-August 1862. General Stonewall Jackson's wing moved north through Thoroughfare Gap to cut Pope's supply lines at Bristoe Station. General James Longstreet's corps positioned themselves to support Jackson's flanking movement while General JEB Stuart's cavalry screened the Confederate advance. The Confederate army divided its 50,000 troops into mobile columns that struck key railroad junctions at Manassas Junction on August 26-27.

The Union Army of Virginia, under Major General John Pope, established defensive positions along the Rappahannock River. Pope concentrated his 62,000 troops between Warrenton and Waterloo Bridge on August 20-22. Union forces attempted to locate Jackson's wing while maintaining communication lines with Washington DC. When Confederate forces seized Manassas Junction, Pope redirected his army eastward toward Centreville on August 27, believing he could trap Jackson's isolated force.

Army Movements (August 1862)	Confederate Forces	Union Forces
Main Force Size	50,000	62,000
Distance Covered	25 miles	15 miles
Key Positions Taken	Thoroughfare Gap, Manassas Junction	Rappahannock River Line
Cavalry Strength	4,000	7,000

The Second Battle of Bull Run unfolded across three intense days of combat from August 28-30, 1862. Each day brought distinct military engagements that shaped the battle's ultimate outcome.

The battle commenced when Union forces under General Rufus King's division encountered Confederate troops led by Stonewall Jackson near Brawner's Farm. Jackson's forces launched an attack at 6:30 PM, engaging in a fierce artillery duel that lasted three hours. Confederate artillery fired 800 rounds while Union forces responded with 600 rounds. The engagement resulted in 1,100 Union casualties and 800 Confederate losses.

Union General Pope launched repeated assaults against Jackson's position along an unfinished railroad grade. Five distinct Union attacks occurred between 10 AM and 7 PM, with each assault repulsed by Confederate defenders. The fighting intensified when Longstreet's forces arrived at noon, positioning 30 artillery pieces on Commanding Ground. Union forces lost 4,000 troops in the day's fighting, while Confederate casualties numbered 2,800.

The decisive phase began at 3 PM when Pope ordered a massive assault against Jackson's line, involving 10,000 Union troops. Longstreet's forces executed a devastating counterattack with 25,000 men across a two-mile front, driving Union forces back to Henry Hill. The Confederate assault captured 12 artillery pieces and inflicted 10,000 Union casualties compared to 4,000 Confederate losses. By nightfall, Pope's army retreated across Bull Run toward Centreville.

Battle Statistics	Union Forces	Confederate Forces
Day 1 Casualties	1,100	800
Day 2 Casualties	4,000	2,800
Day 3 Casualties	10,000	4,000
Artillery Rounds (Day 1)	600	800

The Second Battle of Bull Run resulted in substantial casualties on both sides with the Union forces bearing the heavier losses. The battle's outcome significantly impacted the trajectory of the Civil War's Eastern Theater operations.

The Second Battle of Bull Run inflicted severe casualties across both armies, totaling 22,180 men.

Army	Killed	Wounded	Missing/Captured	Total Losses
Union	1,747	8,452	4,263	14,462
Confederate	1,553	7,812	109	9,474

The Union Army lost 323 officers with 1,997 men captured. The Confederate forces lost 275 officers with significant losses among Jackson's divisions during the defensive actions on August 29.

The Confederate victory at Second Bull Run created immediate strategic advantages for the South. General Lee's army eliminated the threat to Richmond from the north while securing control of the vital Manassas railroad junction. The defeat forced the Union to withdraw to the Washington defenses, consolidating the Army of Virginia with the Army of the Potomac under General George McClellan's command.

Key strategic consequences included:

• Opening Maryland to Confederate invasion
• Shifting military operations away from Richmond
• Disrupting Union railway supply lines
• Strengthening Confederate morale in Virginia
• Demonstrating the effectiveness of Lee's offensive-defensive tactics

The battle's outcome prompted Confederate leadership to launch the Maryland Campaign, leading directly to the Battle of Antietam in September 1862.

The Second Battle of Bull Run transformed the strategic landscape of the American Civil War in 1862. Confederate success at Bull Run shifted military momentum in Virginia, enabling General Robert E. Lee to launch an offensive into Maryland. This victory established Lee's reputation as a tactical genius among both Confederate and Union leadership.

Key strategic outcomes included:

• Forced reorganization of Union command structure
• Boosted Confederate morale after recent setbacks
• Opened northern Virginia to Confederate control
• Demonstrated effectiveness of Lee's offensive tactics
• Led directly to the Maryland Campaign of September 1862

The battle's impact on military operations:

• Created a template for future Confederate offensive strategies
• Exposed weaknesses in Union command coordination
• Changed Union defensive posturing around Washington D.C.
• Influenced development of large-scale battlefield tactics

Battle Statistics Impact	Union	Confederate
Territory Lost (sq mi)	2,800	0
Supply Lines Disrupted	4	0
Strategic Points Lost	7	1
Command Changes	3	0

Political ramifications included:

• Decreased Northern public confidence in the war effort

• Strengthened Confederate diplomatic positions

• Influenced European perspectives on Confederate viability

• Accelerated Lincoln's development of the Emancipation Proclamation

• Created pressure for Union military leadership changes

• Enhanced focus on cavalry reconnaissance

• Improved artillery coordination techniques

• Advanced flanking maneuver strategies

• Reformed command communication protocols

• Modernized logistics management systems

• The Second Battle of Bull Run occurred from August 28-30, 1862, near Manassas Junction, Virginia, marking a significant Confederate victory.
• Led by General Robert E. Lee, Confederate forces (50,000 troops) successfully outmaneuvered Union forces (62,000 troops) commanded by Major General John Pope.
• The three-day battle resulted in heavy casualties: 14,462 Union soldiers and 9,474 Confederate soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured.
• The battle's location at an important railroad junction made it strategically valuable, with fighting occurring across three key locations: Thoroughfare Gap, Bristoe Station, and Manassas Junction.
• This Confederate victory opened Maryland to invasion, shifted military operations away from Richmond, and led directly to the Battle of Antietam in September 1862.

The Second Battle of Bull Run stands as a testament to Confederate military prowess and strategic innovation. General Lee's tactical brilliance turned what could have been a crushing defeat into a decisive victory that shifted the momentum of the Civil War in the South's favor.

The battle's outcome reverberated far beyond the immediate military consequences affecting both political landscapes and public morale. It reshaped Union military leadership and opened new opportunities for Confederate forces while demonstrating the critical importance of coordinated command structures and effective battlefield communication.

The lessons learned at Bull Run would influence military doctrine for generations to come making it one of the most significant engagements of the American Civil War.