[Video] Today in History: August 30, 1862 — Second Battle of Bull Run: Lee’s Decisive Victory

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Today in History: [Video]August 30, 1862
Second Battle of Bull Run: Lee’s Decisive Victory

On August 30, 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run — also known as the Second Battle of Manassas — came to a bloody end with a decisive Confederate victory. Fought in northern Virginia, this clash was one of the largest battles of the American Civil War and a major turning point in the war’s early years.

Union forces under Major General John Pope faced off against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee. Lee divided his forces, sending Stonewall Jackson to seize the Union supply depot at Manassas Junction, while James Longstreet held back. This maneuver lured Pope’s army into battle on ground chosen by the Confederates. For two days, heavy fighting raged.

Jackson’s troops held firm against repeated Union assaults, exhausting Pope’s men. On August 30, Longstreet’s wing — nearly 30,000 strong — launched a massive counterattack against the Union left flank. The assault crushed Pope’s lines, forcing the Union army into a chaotic retreat toward Washington. The defeat at Second Bull Run was devastating for Union morale. Over 20,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing, and the confidence of the Northern public was badly shaken.

In contrast, Lee’s victory emboldened the Confederacy and set the stage for his first invasion of the North. This battle demonstrated Lee’s boldness and the effectiveness of Confederate coordination, while also exposing deep flaws in Union leadership. Pope was soon relieved of command, and the Union army would once again turn to George McClellan to face Lee in the coming Maryland Campaign.

The Second Battle of Bull Run remains remembered as a pivotal Confederate triumph, one that shifted momentum in the Eastern Theater and brought the Civil War into an even more dangerous and uncertain phase.