Wednesday, August 29, 2007
This Day in American History
On this day in 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas) began in earnest and was decided in the South's favor, although it lasted until the 30th. Despite having more men, better armed, the Union forces (at 75,000) were up against superb fighters well led even though there were only 53,000 Rebels by the end of the battle. The North's general, John Pope, just was no match for Lee, Longstreet and Jackson. In order to prevent McClellan's forces, freshly defeated in the Seven Days, from linking up with Pope's, Jackson started battle late on the 28th and then held throughout most of the next day, outnumbered 3 to 1, until Longstreet's reinforcements could arrive. Unnoticed by the Federals, the reinforcements outflanked the Union lines and then rolled them up. The guys in blue beat it back to Washington, again. Although Antietam was a disappointment, the Army of Northern Virginia was not defeated in major battle until the afternoon of July 3, 1863, more than halfway through the war.
Labels: American Civil War
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 6:37 AM 
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Antietam, while not the complete devastation of the ANV that it should have been, was a far more complete defeat for the south than 2nd Bull Run was for the Union.
As far as casualties (other than captured/missing) I would grudgingly agree, but the North gained nothing from the battle and was unable to fight again for the rest of the season (and when they did fight again they failed miserably at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville). The South followed 2nd Manassas with the invasion of Maryland (which ended at Antietam), so we have returned full circle.
2nd Bull Run was in late August of 1862 and followed by Antietam in September of that same year. By early December, the Union was back in northern Va. The south would be entirely unable to even threaten the Union again until late June of the next year.
The south at 2nd Bull Run won a victory that resulted in a short-lived exploitation (a couple of weeks). The north's was a victory that the south could not recover from for 10 months while the Union occupied Virginia. (And attacked twice more before the next attack by the traitors.)
On a strategic level, it's pretty clear which victory had the greater effect, even without considering the relative casualty rates.
The south at 2nd Bull Run won a victory that resulted in a short-lived exploitation (a couple of weeks). The north's was a victory that the south could not recover from for 10 months while the Union occupied Virginia. (And attacked twice more before the next attack by the traitors.)
On a strategic level, it's pretty clear which victory had the greater effect, even without considering the relative casualty rates.
Doug,
Remember that Roger sees the Civil Wwar through glasses manufactured south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Tony
Remember that Roger sees the Civil Wwar through glasses manufactured south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Tony
# posted by 
: 8:50 AM
: 8:50 AM
Yeah, I'm trying to work on his prescription.
Hey, I managed to avoid the use of "slaveocrat". Until now.
8-)
Hey, I managed to avoid the use of "slaveocrat". Until now.
8-)
Not only am I a Virginian and a double great grandnephew of a veteran of the 51st Virginia regiment, but I always root for the outclassed underdog who fights well until he (or they) can't fight any more. Sue me.
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