Editing Second Battle of Bull Run (section)

===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.