During the Civil War, the Manassas Gap and the Orange and Alexandria railroads intersected here, making Manassas Junction strategically important to both the Union and the Confederacy as a supply depot and military transportation hub, while two of the war’s great battles were fought nearby and diaries, letters, and newspaper articles recorded the war’s effects on civilians and the thousands of soldiers who passed through the junction. This was the site of a massive Federal supply depot. On August 24, 1862, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee sent Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and his forces on a sweeping march north and east around Union Gen. John Pope’s right flank to cut the Federal supply line and force Pope out of his defenses, and Lee followed with Gen. James Longstreet’s command. A day and a half later, Jackson arrived at Briscoe Station on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, tore up the track, destroyed the bridge over Broad Run, and derailed two Federal supply trains. He then launched a night attack on Manassas Junction, capturing 300 Union prisoners and 200 railroad cars loaded with delicacies. His hungry men swarmed through this area, ate their fill, loaded their knapsacks, and burned all that remained. When Pope marched toward him, Jackson led his men to the Old Manassas battleground and took up a strong position to await Lee and Longstreet.