War Stories - The Second Battle of Bull Run, Part 4: Longstreet's Great Offensive

On August 30th, Pope launched another attack. He believed Jackson's forces were weakened and aimed to break the Confederate lines. However, Longstreet's large contingent, which had arrived the previous day, was already positioned to Jackson's right. The moment the Union forces attacked Jackson, Confederate artillery concentrated its fire, followed by Longstreet's troops launching a massive counterattack against the Union's left flank. With approximately 28,000 of Longstreet's men attacking simultaneously, the Union front rapidly collapsed. The Confederates pushed the Union forces towards Bull Run, and the Union army began to retreat, much like in the First Battle of Bull Run. This time, however, the Union rear guard maintained order, slowing the Confederate pursuit. The Union forces withdrew towards Centreville without completely collapsing, and the Confederates seized the battlefield. The Second Battle of Bull Run resulted in significantly higher casualties than the first, securing a crucial victory for Lee on the Virginia front.