Tour: Second Manassas

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This is the official TravelBrains audio tour of the Battle of Second Manassas. It is the top-selling tour of the battlefield at the park visitor center. For more than seven years, Chris Bryce was a Park Ranger at the Manassas Battlefield where he led hundreds of tours for visitors and dignitaries from around the world. Now, Chris will take you to the critical locations on the battlefield and share his knowledge of these hallowed grounds. The tour is designed to follow the official auto tour route of the National Park. It features ten eleven tour stops with audio narrations, images and bonus augmented reality photos.

TOUR CONTENTS

Price: $9.99

Tours can only be purchased via the mytourguide smartphone app

Tour Content

Pictures

Audio

Augmented Reality

Quiz questions

Tour Details

Genre: Civil War

Language: English

Duration: 2 or more hours

Mode: Driving

Intended Audience: Families

Second Manassas

This is the official TravelBrains audio tour of the Battle of Second Manassas. It is the top-selling tour of the battlefield at the park visitor center. For more than seven years, Chris Bryce was a Park Ranger at the Manassas Battlefield where he led hundreds of tours for visitors and dignitaries from around the world. Now, Chris will take you to the critical locations on the battlefield and share his knowledge of these hallowed grounds. The tour is designed to follow the official auto tour route of the National Park. It features ten eleven tour stops with audio narrations, images and bonus augmented reality photos.

tour abee5451-eac8-9b4e-75b0-06a073996133 38.813228574278380 -77.521591186523440
Brawner Farm

As the sun set on the evening of August 28th, 1862, a large column of Union soldiers marched past the Brawner farm heading east on the Warrenton Turnpike. At its head was Rufus King, McDowell’s favorite division commander. King had been commanding his division from an ambulance after suffering an epileptic fit, and McDowell had not had the heart to remove his friend from command. As the unsuspecting Federals neared Brawner’s Woods, Stonewall Jackson prepared to strike.

Stories
Prelude to Second Manassas

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Battery Heights

About 6:00 PM on August 28th, John Gibbon broke from his marching column and rode on horseback to the knoll where you are now parked. He gazed out upon what was at the time open ground to the north - all was calm. Then suddenly, a group of horses emerged from the trees in the far distance. Gibbon was an experienced artillerist and knew by the action of the horses that Confederate artillery was present. Within moments a Confederate cannon opened fire, sending shells hissing over the heads of his men on the turnpike.

Stories
The battle begins

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The Stone House

The building before you is known as the Stone House. It is probably the most recognizable landmark associated with the battlefield. It was built in the second quarter of the 19th century and bore witness to both battles of Manassas.

Stories
Civil War artillery

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Matthews Hill

On August 29th, in the fields to the west of Matthews Hill, Pope’s men prepared to attack the Confederate line. After the fighting at Brawner Farm the night before, Union General Pope mistakenly believed that Jackson was trying to escape. Pope envisioned a pincer movement against Jackson’s fleeing troops. He would send units straight ahead to keep Jackson pinned down while the entire 5th corps, 10,000 men commanded by General Fitz John Porter would swing around and strike Jackson’s exposed right flank or end. This flank attack was the key to his strategy. Without it, the other attacks on Jackson’s front were pointless.

Stories
Pope's battle plan

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Sudlley Church

You are now parked just south of the Sudley Methodist Church. This area was a crucial portion of Jackson's entire line. It was Jackson's left flank or end. And it guarded the crossings of Bull Run and Catharpin Run; both located about 150 yards from you on the opposite side of the road.

Stories
Jackson's defense

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The Unfinished Railroad

On the morning of August 29th, Jackson’s exhausted wing of 22,000 men was positioned along the mile and a half span of the Unfinished Railroad, arrayed in three lines behind the railroad bed, some as far away as 250 yards. Jackson used the railroad embankment as a barrier, the first line of defense. Behind this, he moved his men across interior lines to bolster trouble spots.

Stories
The Union assaults

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The Deep Cut

You are now parked at the "Deep Cut." Across these fields Fitz John Porter launched a massive attack on August 30th, 1862.

Stories
Porter's attack

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Groveton Confederate Cemetery

East of the parking area is the Groveton Confederate Cemetery. The burial ground was established soon after the war and contains the remains of at least 266 Confederate soldiers who were killed in the Battles of First and Second Manassas. To your west about 150 yards away is the tiny white frame home of Lucinda Dogan. This house is the only remaining structure from the wartime community of Groveton that surrounded the intersection. From that direction would come the legions of Longstreet's wing.

Stories
Longstreet's attack

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New York Monuments

The monuments to the 10th and 5th New York Infantry Regiments were dedicated in 1906. At the time of the battle. The 594 men of the 5th New York occupied this open knoll, while the bulk of the 10th was positioned on skirmish duty to the west of here, just beyond a thick stand of trees. On the other side of those trees, 30,000 Confederates were approaching fast with Hood's Texans out in front. AR Picture Opportunity Be sure to click the AR button and take your picture standing next to the Zouave soldier. You can resize and change the location of the AR image by pinching and dragging it.

Stories
A Confederate juggernaut

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Chinn Ridge

Chinn Ridge is the location of Benjamin Chinn's farmhouse during the time of the battle. During the late afternoon of August 30th, 1862, this area was occupied by a single Union brigade under the command of Colonel Nathaniel McLean, a former lawyer from Cincinnati.

Stories
Pope buys some time

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The Final Stand

By 6:30 PM on August 30, the Confederates were in control of Chinn Ridge to the west and moving towards this location, Henry Hill. Pope was determined to keep the Confederates from taking this strategic hill. He stationed four fresh brigades along the Manassas-Sudley Road, modern day route 234. The blue line stretched approximately 750 yards to your left and all the way to the Stone House intersection to your right.

Stories
Defense of Henry Hill

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