Manassas Station Operations (Stonewall Jackson) - Operations at Manassas Station

Operations At Manassas Station

Jackson reached Bristoe Station on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad during the afternoon of the 26th, where his troops proceeded to wreck two trains and tear up several miles of tracks. When he learned that there was a Union supply depot at Manassas Junction several miles to the northeast, Jackson detached the brigade of Isaac R. Trimble along with cavalry support to capture the junction. After a night march Trimble launched an attack which overran the small Union garrison, capturing over 300 prisoners and eight cannons, at the loss of four men. After receiving word of the Confederate attack on Manassas Junction during the night, Pope tried to launch several Union columns against Jackson's wing in order to surround the Confederates. He started the Army of Virginia marching northeast towards Manassas and ordered detachments from the Union forces in Washington to move by railroad westward to Manassas. The brigades of George W. Taylor and E. Parker Scammon started on the morning of August 27. Meanwhile Jackson left Richard S. Ewell's division at Bristoe's Station to watch for Union forces and moved A. P. Hill's and William B. Taliaferro's divisions to reinforce Trimble's brigade.

Just as Hill's division arrived at Manassas Junction, Trimble was attacked by the 2nd New York Heavy Artillery, but the attack was quickly repulsed with Hill's help. At this time, Taylor arrived by train and, unaware that he was outnumbered, proceeded to deploy his brigade for an attack. Heavy Confederate fire, especially from the artillery, caused Taylor's brigade to rout and Taylor himself was mortally wounded. Scammon's two regiments arrived and served as a rear-guard to cover the Union retreat. Union losses totaled nearly 450 (including over 200 prisoners), while the Confederates lost only twenty-five men.

To the west, Ewell deployed his division along Kettle Run to serve as protection for Jackson's rear against Pope's forces. Joseph Hooker's division of the Union III Corps first encountered Ewell's skirmishers about 2:30 p.m. Ewell was able to hold his position for over an hour but Hooker then brought up his own artillery and tried to outflank the Confederate line. Shortly after 4 p.m., Ewell received orders from Jackson to retreat to Manassas Junction and successfully disengaged; Hooker was unable to pursue due to the bridge across Broad Run to the north which was burned. Ewell lost less than 150 men in the fight, while Hooker lost 400 men.