Chapter 13

In This Chapter

A new command structure for the Union armies

John Pope arrives from out west

Lee and Jackson become a team

Déjà vu all over again at Manassas

A s President Lincoln attempted to create some order out of the mess that was the Eastern Theater, he brought in a new General from the Western Theater to help. John Pope, big-talking and swaggering, arrived to take care of Lee and his army. But Lee was not about to let Pope teach him any lessons about waging war. He therefore dispatched Jackson to provide Pope with a tutorial.

Jackson’s victory after a sharp fight at Cedar Mountain and the now predictable slowness of McClellan provided Lee with an opportunity to change the entire strategic picture in the Eastern Theater, and perhaps win the war. Using maneuver and deception, Lee placed Jackson’s entire command across Pope’s line of supply and communication at Manassas. With an enemy force between him and Washington, Pope made haste to clear away the threat. This set Pope’s army up for what was to become the famous one-two punch of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Reshuffling the Union Command Structure

Lincoln recognized that having the General in Chief also serve as a field commander had its drawbacks. McClellan was not only supposed to command the Army of the Potomac, but he was also supposed to deal with the day-to-day activities of all the Union armies. In effect, with McClellan gone from Washington, Lincoln and his Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, had to run the war effort. Just a few days after Malvern Hill, Lincoln brought Henry “Old Brains” Halleck to Washington to become the General in Chief of all the Union armies. “Old Brains” had just achieved an empty victory by capturing Corinth, Mississippi (the Confederates abandoned it long before Halleck’s 100,000-man force arrived).

Lincoln also made a decision concerning the scattered armies of Nathaniel (“Commissary”) Banks, Irwin McDowell, and John C. Frémont. These forces were combined into a single army, named the Army of Virginia. He gave command of this army to a friend, General John Pope, who had made a name for himself as an independent commander in the west after capturing a Confederate-stronghold called Island No. 10 on the Mississippi River. Frémont resigned in protest, angry that he had not been selected for the position.

Pope had a habit of stirring up bad blood, swaggering around, and bragging about his victories, implying that eastern soldiers were less courageous than western soldiers. Some of his subordinates called him “a bag of wind;” others called him, more simply, “an ass.” Nevertheless, he was willing to fight, a quality Lincoln valued, especially after his experience with McClellan. Perhaps as a way to show his aggressive nature, Pope began to address his daily reports with the unorthodox headline “headquarters in the saddle.” Once the Confederates got wind of this practice, many remarked that Pope seemed to have his headquarters where his hindquarters ought to be.

Pope certainly amused his enemies with his posturing, but they were less-than-amused with the Union General’s declaration that his army would forage for food and supplies in Confederate territory and his threat to kill any Southern civilians who disobeyed his orders. This was a frightening prospect of war against noncombatants, something that at this time was incomprehensible. Pope seemed willing to make his threat real. He moved the bulk of his forces to Warrenton, covering both the access to the Shenandoah Valley and the main road to Washington, while threatening Richmond and two key railroad junctions that connected western and southeastern Virginia.

Giving Lee an Opportunity: “Old Brains” Miscalculates

While Pope organized his new army, Halleck ordered McClellan to return to Washington. By giving this order, “Old Brains” handed Lee a golden opportunity. With McClellan’s army no longer a threat to Richmond, Virginia, Lee was now free to attack Pope or threaten Washington directly. Somehow this possibility had eluded “Old Brains,” the master of strategy. Once Lee understood what was happening, he ordered Jackson, with 24,000 men, to head for Gordonsville and develop the situation. In Jackson’s mind, this order meant one thing — attack. At Cedar Mountain, he found an isolated portion of Pope’s army, commanded by General Nathaniel Banks, one of Jackson’s opponents in the Shenandoah Valley in 1862. The outcome was the same as it had been in the valley. As Banks retreated, Jackson pursued until he ran into McDowell’s forces. Jackson hoped to bring on a fight, but none came. Instead, Lee, with the rest of the Confederate army of 30,000 commanded by Major General James Longstreet (see Figure 13-1), came via rail to join Jackson.

© CORBIS

Jackson appears, disappears, and reappears

Lee had waited until McClellan’s army safely boarded ships and headed for Washington. Lee now outnumbered Pope and intended to destroy Pope’s army before McClellan could get back into the picture. Pope had captured orders from Lee and understood his plans. Pope pulled his forces back behind a river to wait for Lee’s attack and reinforcements from McClellan to arrive. But Lee had no interest in attacking across a river or allowing Pope to be reinforced. He had also captured orders and knew what Pope intended to do. With no time to lose, he again detached Jackson, but this time Lee sent him on a long secret march to get behind Pope’s army and cut off his line of communication and supply at Manassas. With Jeb Stuart’s cavalry providing a screen, Jackson’s troops accomplished a nearly impossible feat — they marched 60 miles in two days, arriving at Pope’s supply depot at Manassas. There, the hungry, ragged, tired soldiers enjoyed one of the greatest bonanzas of the war. There were train cars filled with military supplies, food, ammunition, uniforms, and equipment, but there were also mountains of delicacies — candy, liquor, canned seafood, and cigars. The men carried off everything they could in wagons, knapsacks or pockets, and burned the rest.

Pope, learning of the disaster at Manassas, ordered a retreat. Ignoring the rest of Lee’s army, Pope became focused on destroying Jackson’s force in his rear. Jackson knew he had to take action in order to survive until Lee and the rest of the army, following the same route that Jackson had taken, arrived. He selected a wooded ridge near the main road to Washington, north and east of the original Manassas battlefield. The area provided concealment for his troops and allowed Jackson to observe the road that Pope’s army would have to travel. It also put him closer to the route that Lee and Longstreet would have to take to join him as planned.

Looking for Jackson: Pope advances

The Union army was scattered over the countryside looking for Jackson. Pope himself believed Jackson was retreating. When Jackson attacked and mauled a Union division on the main road to Washington, Pope ordered his forces to concentrate on the old Manassas battlefield. In the meantime, units from McClellan’s army began arriving, not sure what to do. Pope sent them looking for Jackson as well. Jackson had chosen to attack to draw Pope’s army to a place where the combined Confederate army could finish it off. Lee and Longstreet were not far away.

The following day, Pope sent his forces up the open slope into the woods to attack Jackson. The Confederates had chosen their ground well. An unfinished railroad bed, which served as a natural trench line for the defenders, was at the top of the ridge (see Figure 13-2). As the Yankees came through the woods, they were met by heavy gunfire. Throughout the day, brigade after brigade hurled itself against Jackson’s defensive line. But the defenders held, though just barely in some places. Lee and Longstreet arrived on the battlefield and began assembling forces for an attack. But Longstreet convinced Lee that a thorough reconnaissance was necessary before attacking. Lee allowed Longstreet to wait.

Pope’s army had fought poorly that day, suffering about 8,000 casualties. He had received reports that Longstreet’s troops were on the battlefield. Yet Pope was convinced that the Confederates were retreating. In a telegram to Washington the next day, he even claimed that he held the ground that the enemy had abandoned. He believed he could still, as he put it, “bag the whole crowd.” Pope spent the morning and early afternoon organizing a pursuit. But when he sent in two divisions of General David Porter’s corps, he was surprised to find the woods full of Confederates. The battle was intense; with their ammunition exhausted, some Confederate units had to resort to throwing rocks at their attackers. Confederate artillery fired into the flanks of the attackers, and broken up reserve units were sent in to support the attack.

Around the same time, Longstreet began his long-expected attack on the exposed Union left flank, headed for Henry House Hill and the stone bridge crossing Bull Run. If the Confederate troops could get around and behind the Union army, they could block the Union line of retreat to Washington at the stone bridge. Henry House Hill was a key piece of terrain that dominated the battlefield. With Confederate artillery on the hill, the Union army would be exposed to accurate and deadly fire from their rear. The Union troops, although initially disordered, rallied and stood firm late in the day. Longstreet’s attack ended in a terrible struggle for control of Henry House Hill as darkness fell. The following day, Pope left the field and headed for Washington. He did not get away easily, however. Lee again sent Jackson on a flank march in the hopes of trapping the Union army and destroying it. The result was a short but desperate battle fought in a raging thunderstorm. With Jackson’s maneuver halted, the rest of the Union army slipped into the safety of Washington’s defenses.

Battle Captain’s Report

The Battle of Second Manassas (Second Bull Run), August 29–30, 1862

Confederate Victory

Commanders: Union — Major General John Pope, Army of Virginia; 70,000 men (including reinforcements from McClellan’s Army of the Potomac). Confederate — General Robert E. Lee Army of Northern Virginia; 55,000 men.

Phase I: Pope faces Lee’s army at the Rappahannock River in a good defensive position, awaiting McClellan’s army, which has departed Richmond by ship, to join him upon its arrival in Washington. Lee knows he outnumbers Pope and must defeat this army before McClellan arrives. Lee divides his army, sending Stonewall Jackson on a wide flank march to place his force in between Pope’s army and Washington, cutting Pope’s line of supply and communications. Jackson swiftly marches and captures Pope’s undefended supply depot at the rail junction at Manassas. Pope immediately moves to Manassas to catch and destroy Jackson’s small force and then turn and defeat the remainder of Lee’s army.

Phase II: Jackson occupies excellent defensive ground not too far from the old Manassas battlefield of 1861. He awaits Pope’s army. In the meantime, Lee and the rest of the Confederate army under Longstreet move along Jackson’s route to the battlefield. There, Lee hopes to catch Pope in a vise-like attack that leads to his destruction. Jackson makes his presence known on August 28, fighting the first elements of Pope’s army. The following day, Pope launches attack after attack against Jackson’s line, but his attacks are poorly coordinated and badly led by his inept corps commanders. Amazingly, at the end of the day Pope believes it was Jackson, not his own army that had failed. He believes Jackson is retreating. Meanwhile, Lee and Longstreet have arrived on Jackson’s right flank, but no attack is made that day. Longstreet has convinced Lee that further reconnaissance is necessary.

Phase III: Pope dithers all morning on the 30th organizing a pursuit. With reinforcements from McClellan, Pope begins another movement toward Jackson’s lines. Again a desperate fight takes place along the unfinished railroad, a natural defensive strongpoint. Jackson’s worn-out troops snatch rifle cartridges from the dead and wounded, and some throw rocks in a last-ditch effort to hold the line. At last, Longstreet begins his attack on Pope’s exposed left flank. Perfectly timed, it throws the Union army into disarray. Only determined and heroic fighting at the base of Henry House Hill, as the sun goes down, prevents the Union army from being overrun. Pope is able to retreat from the battlefield the next day.

Casualties: Union — 14,000. Confederate — 9,000.

The Aftermath of the Battle

Lincoln’s plan to put separate armies under one commander (Pope) and to appoint a separate General in Chief (Halleck) demonstrated his growing understanding of a critical fact of warfare--one commander must be in charge of the total effort. But Halleck and Pope both failed him in this situation. By withdrawing McClellan to Washington, Halleck allowed Lee to take the initiative again. Pope began his campaign well but faltered when he was faced with Lee and Jackson’s capabilities to maneuver forces. Pope never clearly understood what the enemy was doing. Lee took advantage of this and succeeded in damaging Pope’s army, but not destroying it as he had planned.

Pope talked big but failed to deliver and was clearly out-fought by a commander of superior skill. Upon his arrival from the west, Pope was seen as a rising star. Some thought he would be the man to replace McClellan, who had fallen into disfavor among the Republicans in the administration. But Pope’s spectacular failure ensured that McClellan would remain the top dog in the Union army, at least for a while longer. As the beaten units of Pope’s army slunk into Washington, Lincoln and Stanton had no one else to turn to. No other general was capable of restoring the army to fighting trim. Swallowing their pride, the president and secretary of war went to McClellan to ask that he again take over the reins and rebuild the Union army. The news of McClellan’s return was like a tonic to the dispirited soldiers — they sent wave upon wave of cheers to the Young Napoleon whenever they glimpsed him riding by.

Heroes and Goats

The brilliant Confederate victory at Second Manassas enhanced the reputations of Lee and Jackson, while causing the eclipse of the career of Union General John Pope.

Heroes

The heroes, along with an analysis of their heroism, follow:

Robert E. Lee: His aggressiveness and confidence created a new hero in the Confederacy. Lee showed a brilliant understanding of using maneuver to offset lack of numbers, and he seemed to know what the enemy was thinking before even the enemy did. From the doorstep of disaster in June, Lee outfought two Union armies and saved Richmond.

Stonewall Jackson: Still quirky and mysterious, Jackson’s brilliant maneuver to threaten Pope’s rear is one of the great marches of the war. Jackson regained his form after a poor performance in front of Richmond. At this point, he and Lee learned to cooperate and formed a partnership that kept the Confederacy alive for another year.

James Longstreet: Tough, relentless and indomitable in the attack, this battle helped make Longstreet one of the major leaders in the Army of Northern Virginia and an officer Lee increasingly relied on.

George B. McClellan: During the Peninsula Campaign, he was inept and inert. He could not fight because he believed that he was outnumbered nearly 2 to 1, when in actuality he had overwhelming combat power. In hot water with Lincoln after that campaign, he nevertheless came out of the Seven Days debacle back in control. The army’s great personal loyalty to him, and the political necessity Lincoln faced to keep the wartime coalition of Democrats and Republicans together, gave McClellan (a Democrat and the darling of the party) a second chance at glory.

Goats

Here are some goats:

John Pope: His swaggering style and boastful predictions returned to haunt him. Pope was quietly transferred to Minnesota to deal with the Sioux uprising.

Pope’s Army of Virginia: The subordinate commanders were beaten individually by Jackson in the valley, and then beaten again by Lee and Jackson at Second Manassas. The soldiers of this poorly led army deserved better than they got. Like Pope, this army quickly disappeared.