Editing Second Battle of Bull Run (section)

==Background==

===Military situation===
{{Main article|Northern Virginia Campaign}}
{{further|Peninsula Campaign|Seven Days Battles|Eastern Theater of the American Civil War|American Civil War}}

After the collapse of Maj. Gen. [[George B. McClellan]]'s [[Peninsula Campaign]] in the [[Seven Days Battles]] of June 1862, [[President of the United States|President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]] appointed John Pope to command the newly formed Army of Virginia. Pope had achieved some success in the [[Western Theater of the American Civil War|Western Theater]], and Lincoln sought a more aggressive general than McClellan.<ref>Eicher, p. 318; Martin, pp. 24, 32–33; Hennessy, p. 12.</ref>

===Plans===
{{further|Northern Virginia Campaign#Plans}}

Pope's mission was to fulfill two basic objectives: protect Washington and the [[Shenandoah Valley]]; and draw Confederate forces away from McClellan by moving in the direction of [[Gordonsville, Virginia|Gordonsville]].<ref>Esposito, Map 54.</ref> Based on his experience fighting McClellan in the Seven Days, Robert E. Lee perceived that McClellan was no further threat to him on the [[Virginia Peninsula]], so he felt no compulsion to keep all of his forces in direct defense of Richmond. This allowed him to relocate Jackson to Gordonsville to block Pope and protect the [[Virginia Central Railroad]].<ref>Whitehorne, Overview, np.</ref>

Lee had larger plans in mind. Since the Union Army was split between McClellan and Pope and they were widely separated, Lee saw an opportunity to destroy Pope before returning his attention to McClellan. He committed Maj. Gen. [[A.P. Hill]] to join Jackson with 12,000 men.

===Initial movements in the Northern Virginia Campaign===

[[File:Northern Virginia Campaign Aug7-28.png|thumb|upright=1.5|Northern Virginia Campaign, August 7–28, 1862 {{legend|#ff0000|Confederate}}
{{legend|#0000ff|Union}}
]]
[[File:WPMA01 Second Bull Run Campaign.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Second Bull Run Campaign, August 17–30, 1862 (Additional map).
]]

{{further|Northern Virginia Campaign#Initial movements}}

On August 3, General-in-Chief [[Henry Halleck]] directed McClellan to begin his final withdrawal from the Peninsula and to return to Northern Virginia to support Pope. McClellan protested and did not begin his redeployment until August 14.<ref>Hennessy, p. 10; Esposito, Map 56.</ref>

On August 9, Nathaniel Banks's corps attacked Jackson at [[Battle of Cedar Mountain|Cedar Mountain]], gaining an early advantage, but a Confederate counterattack led by A.P. Hill drove Banks back across Cedar Creek. Jackson's advance was stopped, however, by the Union division of Brig. Gen. [[James B. Ricketts]]. By now Jackson had learned that Pope's corps were all together, foiling his plan of defeating each in separate actions. He remained in position until August 12, then withdrew to Gordonsville.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/va022.htm NPS Cedar Mountain summary].</ref> On August 13, Lee sent Longstreet to reinforce Jackson.

===Prelude to battle===
[[File:ATLAS OR BATTLEFIELD MANASSAS.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Battlefield of Manassas (right side)]]

From August 22 to 25, the two armies fought a series of minor actions along the [[Rappahannock River]]. Heavy rains had swollen the river and Lee was unable to force a crossing. By this time, reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac were arriving from the Peninsula. Lee's new plan in the face of all these additional forces outnumbering him was to send Jackson and Stuart with half of the army on a flanking march to cut Pope's line of communication, the [[Orange & Alexandria Railroad]]. Pope would be forced to retreat and could be defeated while moving and vulnerable. Jackson departed on August 25 and reached Salem (present-day [[Marshall, Virginia|Marshall]]) that night.<ref>Salmon, pp. 127–28; Eicher, pp. 322–23; Esposito, Map 58.</ref>

On the evening of August 26, after passing around Pope's right flank via Thoroughfare Gap, Jackson's wing of the army struck the Orange & Alexandria Railroad at [[Bristow, Virginia|Bristoe Station]] and before daybreak on August 27 marched to capture and destroy the massive Union supply depot at Manassas Junction. This surprise movement forced Pope into an abrupt retreat from his defensive line along the Rappahannock. During the night of August 27–28, Jackson marched his divisions north to the First Bull Run (Manassas) battlefield, where he took position behind an unfinished railroad grade below Stony Ridge.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/va024.htm NPS Manassas Station Operations summary].</ref> The defensive position was a good one. The heavy woods allowed the Confederates to conceal themselves, while maintaining good observation points of the Warrenton Turnpike, the likely avenue of Union movement, only a few hundred yards to the south. There were good approach roads for Longstreet to join Jackson, or for Jackson to retreat to the Bull Run Mountains if he could not be reinforced in time. Finally, the unfinished railroad grade offered cuts and fills that could be used as ready-made entrenchments.<ref>Hennessy, pp. 145, 200–201; Greene, p. 17.</ref>

In the [[Battle of Thoroughfare Gap]] on August 28, Longstreet's wing broke through light Union resistance and marched through the gap to join Jackson. This seemingly inconsequential action virtually ensured Pope's defeat during the coming battles because it allowed the two wings of Lee's army to unite on the Manassas battlefield.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/va025.htm NPS Thoroughfare Gap summary].</ref>
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