Roads to Bristoe Station

Roads to Bristoe Station. Bristoe Station. In June of 1862, fighting in Virginia was focused around the Confederate Capital in Richmond. In a series of battles known as the Seven Days Campaign, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee beat back Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan’s Federal Army of the Potomac. At the same time a new Federal force, named the Army of Virginia, was created to assist McClellan in putting pressure on Richmond. Under the command of Maj. Gen. John Pope, this army numbered nearly 45,000 men. In July Pope’s army began to push toward the railroad junction at Gordonsville in central Virginia. In response, Lee detached Maj. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson with 25,000 men to meet the new threat., On August 9, Jackson attacked Pope’s 2nd Corps at Cedar Mountain near Culpeper but the timely arrival of Union reinforcements forced Jackson’s withdrawal. Shortly afterward Lee became aware that McClellan’s army had left the Peninsula under orders to move northward and join forces with Pope. The threat to Richmond removed, Lee reacted swiftly and marched his 55,000 men to join Jackson with the intention of concentrating his entire army against Pope before McClellan’s nearly 90,000 reinforcements could arrive., After skirmishing with Pope’s army along the Rappahannock River, Lee boldly divided his forces, sending Jackson’s wing around the western flank of Pope’s Rappahannock line to cut his communications somewhere along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. This action would force Pope’s retreat and give Lee the opportunity to maneuver into a favorable position to destroy Pope’s army. The balance of Lee’s army, Maj. Gen. James Longstreet’s wing, would remain in the front of Pope during this operation. In a matter of two days, Jackson’s “foot cavalry” marched 56 miles through fields, streams and mountains to strike the railroad here, at Bristoe Station.