As the Carolinians pulled back from their attack, an artillery duel continued over the battlefield. The rest of Lee's army arrived under Lt. Gen. Richard Ewell, bringing 45,000 Confederates facing 8,000 Union troops. Darkness saved Warren's Second Corps from any more attacks, and later that night they marched under cover of darkness to Centreville. Lee lost his opportunity to strike a blow. Referring to the battle, Lee said, "We've grieved, we've mourned, we've wept, we have never blushed before." Due to the lack of supplies available in devastated northern Virginia, Lee withdrew from Bristoe on October 16th. Lee followed along the railroad, tearing up the rails as his army marched. Meade followed, repairing the railroad as he moved in cautious pursuit. The Confederate cavalry scored a small victory at the Battle of Buckland Mills on October 19th and forced the Union cavalry into a running retreat. The Bristoe Campaign culminated on November 7th at the Battle of Rappahannock Station. There, Lee suffered an embarrassing defeat that led to the near capture of 1,500 Confederates. A month after leaving the Rapidan River, Lee's army returned with little to show for it. This campaign proved to be Lee's last strategic offensive campaign of the war. His march to Bristoe was his last to northern Virginia as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. Meade's retreat and his handling of Lee caused President Lincoln to begin to look elsewhere for a general to deal with Lee.
