In Aug. 1862, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson from the Rappahannock River to prevent Gen. John Pope's and Gen. George McClellan's Union armies from uniting. Jackson marched on Aug. 25, and Lee followed the next day with the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia. After Jackson captured Manassas Junction on Aug. 26, Pope dismissed it as one of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry raids and sent Gen. George Taylor's reinforced infantry brigade to attack. Jackson's men, entrenched here in a line between Liberia and Fort Mayfield, met Taylor's command with a storm of lead when it arrived about 8:30 the next morning. Taylor was mortally wounded as his men retreated to the Orange and Alexandria Railroad and the Bull Run Bridge. He gave command to Col. Elikam P. Scammon, saying, "Please let this not become another Bull Run." After a three-hour fight, the surviving Federals fled or surrendered. Confederate losses were 5 killed and 20 wounded, while Union casualties totaled 23 killed, 176 wounded, and 246 missing or captured. When news of the defeat reached Washington, McClellan, whose army protected the capital, told President Abraham Lincoln that he would not send two divisions to support Pope because he was uncertain of Pope's location and the size of the Confederate force. McClellan detested Pope and hoped to replace him if he failed. His refusal contributed to Pope's defeat at the Second Battle of Manassas on Aug. 28-30, and Lincoln replaced Pope with McClellan on Sept. 2.
