Archaeology Today

Happy 146 anniversary of the 2nd battle of Bull Run, our 2nd Mannassas for all you southern folk. Today was the opening day of the three day battle, actually this evening was the opening of the battle. I have some pics of the battlefield that I took when Jeannine and myself went back in 07. However there on my laptop and I didn't bring it over with me. Maybe one day I'll post them, but I wouldn't hold your breath. Wow, 2nd Mannassas, our as I like to call it, "Stonewalls Foley IV". The summer and fall of 62 was not the highlight of Jackson's career, he didn't arrive on time at Beaver dam creek and missed the opening of Lee's seven days campaign, which resulted in a bloody repulse for Lee, and at Gaines Mill the next day he took his command down the wrong road and was several hours late putting his command in. Finally once he put his three divisions in the union fifth corps was pushed back from there entrenchments. His biggest mistake was at White oak swamp a few days later when he was suppose to attack the 6th corps to keep them from sending reinforcements to the other side of the field. However the Mighty Stonewall, having not slept more then an hour in the last 5 days fell asleep and did not order his command in. Therefore when Longstreet broke through the Union line at Glendale, the 6th Corps was able to send re enforcements from there silent front and repulsed Longstreet's division, and the Union army lived to fight another day, and fight the next day they did, They whipped Lee's butt at Malvern Hill on July 1rst, the last of the seven days battles.

However, history records the Seven Days as a southern victory, because he drove the Federals from the gates of Richmond. However, all he really accomplished, thanks to Jackson, was that he pushed the Yanks to a much stronger position, along the James river (the same place Grant would reach two years latter, with more than three times the casualties). With the Northern Superiority in Navel forces McClellan could supply his army using the River, and move up the James from Petersburg to Richmond (the very plan that Grant did two years later and won the war with) and Lee could do nothing about it. Also Pope's army was coming down from the north, and Burnside was coming down from Fredericksburg. Lee was surrounded, and had no where to go. However, The very idea of having a divided army surrounding a smaller army made Lincoln (who ascribed to the Henry Halleck way of making war witch said that you never divide your forces in front of the enemy) sweat as much as it did Lee. So Lincoln ordered McClellan off the James and to move north to re enforce Pope. This gave Lee the opportunity he needed to brake out of his self made box. He would unite his army against Pope before McClellan arrived and defeat this smaller army and hopefully be able to defeat the army of the Potomac as it came up in detail, thus defeating the primary northern army, and bringing Europe into the war, effecting the upcoming elections by having the north elect antiwar Democrats, and making the North sue for peace.

It is said that Robert E. Lee played Pope like a guitar, and that he could read his opponents, and that he always knew what the opposing generals where going to do next. However, this is a down right lie, Lee had no idea what the other side was going to do. In fact, up until the last two days of the battle, Pope had played Lee like a guitar(oh yea Two Mom, I said it). When Lee first moved against the Army of Virgina, it was entrenched along the Rappahannock River, Lee maneuvered to out flank Pope, and force him out of his positions into ground of Lee's choosing. Lee was convinced that Pope would stay where he was because when Pope first took command he boasted that he would never retreat. However, when he realized what was going on, Pope had to swallow his pride and he fell back to the much stronger line along the Rapidan River. This move very much frustrated Lee, and he tried for a week to dislodge Pope from the Rapidan, but it was all in vain, Pope wasn't moving, and he didn't have to. Every day brought him one day closer to the 100,000 man Army of the Potomac that was coming to re enforce him. For Lee, time was running out, he had to do something to dislodge Pope from his works and force him out into the open where he could get at him. So Lee came up with a very unusual strategy to dislodge Pope from his works. What was it, well, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out, I'm tired.

Also, I'm working on my top 10 list of favorite Monty Python Sketches. I'll have ready by next week.

Yours in time

Doc. E. L. Brown