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Chinn Ridge
The massive Confederate counterattack appeared unstoppable. General James Longstreet's wing of the army - upwards of 28,000 troops - steadily pushed east toward Henry Hill. If the Confederates occupied that plateau, ironically the same ground on which the First Battle of Manassas had culminated the previous summer, they could cut off the Federals' line of retreat and possibly annihilate the Union army. Finally comprehending the magnitude of the crisis, General John Pope raced to save his command. Pope worked to establish a new defensive position and safeguard his avenue of escape. To gain time for his new line to take shape, the Federal commander ordered additional troops onto Chinn Ridge. Here a handful of Union brigades struggled to slow the Confederate advance and buy that time in blood.
The Chinn Ridge Trail explores the ground on which some of the most sustained combat occurred during the Second Battle of Manassas. An exhibit at the trail's end addresses the action at First Manassas. The trail is wheelchair accessible.
The Second Battle of Manassas
Day Three
August 30, 1862 |