Possumblog

August 30, 1862

The date marking the end of the Battle of Second Manassas (or Bull Run for you Yankees). From the National Park Service's Manassas Battlefield website:

[...] The Battle of Second Manassas, covering three days, produced far greater carnage-3,300 killed-and brought the Confederacy to the height of its power. Still the battle did not weaken Northern resolve. The war's final outcome was yet unknown, and it would be left to other battles to decide whether the sacrifice at Manassas was part of the high price of Southern independence, or the cost of one country again united under the national standard.

At the time, victory was not the least bit assured. The (horrifyingly bloody) Union victory later in the campaign at Antietam was followed by yet another defeat at Fredericksburg. Although the NPS website notes that the Northern resolve didn't weaken, that's not quite accurate in that it makes it sound like everyone knew victory was certain even if it might be tough, but there was actually not a great well of "resolve" to draw upon--it's difficult to weaken what was already weak to begin with.

The question (however unlikely it might have been in reality) of whether France or England would recognize the Confederacy still hung unanswered. Within the government of the United States itself, there were loud and constant calls from the Peace Democrats to allow the Confederacy its independence, rather than risk more lives in an obviously unfruitful war against a determined foe that the North seemed unable to defeat, and these calls were amplified and broadcast to all via the newspapers of the time.

It's probably unwise to attempt to draw direct correlations between past and present, but it's worth remembering that the easiest victories for your adversaries are the defeats you visit upon yourself. The world would certainly be a much different place had the Confederacy been allowed its will.

Thanks to Dave Helton for pointing out the obvious switcheroo I did with the name of the battles! I believe my trouble started because the NPS calls it Manassas, and I figured it MUST be the opposite to what THEY called it! Thanks again, Dave.

Posted by Terry Oglesby at August 30, 2005 01:33 PM