War Stories - The Second Battle of Bull Run, Part 5: Confederate Victory and the Crisis in Washington

The Second Battle of Bull Run took place from August 28-30, 1862, ending in a Confederate victory. According to the National Park Service, Union casualties were around 13,826, while Confederate casualties were approximately 8,353, bringing the total losses to over 22,000. Following the battle, Pope's Army of Virginia retreated to the defenses of Washington, and Lincoln removed Pope from command. His forces were absorbed into McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Meanwhile, Lee, emboldened by his victory at the Second Bull Run, crossed the Potomac River and advanced into Maryland. This marked the Confederacy's first major invasion of the North and led to the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. If the First Battle of Bull Run made the Union realize the war would be long, the Second Battle of Bull Run allowed Lee and the Confederacy to regain the initiative in the Virginia theater and expand the war into Northern territory.