Battle of Manassas Gap, 1863, Civil War

The Battle of Manassas Gap was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America on July 23, 1863. The outcome of the battle was inconclusive, but the Confederate Army was able to escape, ending the Gettysburg Campaign.

Overview

Following the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1–4, 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee ended his Second Invasion of the North and ordered the Army of Northern Virginia to retreat toward the Potomac River. On July 4, General John D. Imboden led a wagon train carrying wounded soldiers and supplies toward Williamsport and Falling Waters. Lee ordered the rest of his army to follow the next day.

Heavy rain caused the Potomac River to rise and temporarily prevented the Confederates from crossing into Virginia. Lee established a defensive line near Williamsport while he waited for the river to fall. Union General George G. Meade initially pursued cautiously because his army had suffered heavily at Gettysburg; he lacked complete information about Lee’s intentions, and he still had orders to protect Washington and Baltimore.

After scouts confirmed Lee’s retreat, Meade divided his army into three columns and increased the pursuit. By July 12, he had positioned his army to attack Lee’s defenses. However, the Potomac had fallen enough for most of the Confederate army to cross during the night of July 13. Union forces captured several hundred Confederates during rearguard fighting on July 14 and July 16, but Lee’s main army escaped.

Lee then marched south through the Shenandoah Valley toward Front Royal. Meade ordered General William French and the Union 3rd Corps across the Blue Ridge Mountains in an attempt to cut off the Confederates. On July 23, French attacked General Richard H. Anderson’s troops on Wapping Heights overlooking Manassas Gap.

Union troops gradually forced Anderson’s men to give up ground, but soldiers from Major General Robert E. Rodes’ Division reinforced the Confederate position. By dusk, French controlled the pass and stopped his attack. The Confederates withdrew during the night.

French advanced to Front Royal the following day but arrived too late. Lee’s army had already continued south through the Shenandoah Valley. Although the Union captured Manassas Gap, French failed to block Lee’s retreat. Meade ended his pursuit afterward, effectively bringing the Gettysburg Campaign to a close.

Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate Retreat — This illustration depicts the Confederate Retreat from Gettysburg. Image Source: New York Public Library Digital Collections.

Essential Facts

Also Known As: Battle of Wapping Heights.
Date: July 23, 1863.
Location: Warren County, Virginia.
Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
USA Commanders: William French.
CSA Commanders: Richard H. Anderson, Robert E. Rodes.
Who Won: The outcome of the Battle of Manassas Gap was inconclusive.
Campaign: Gettysburg Campaign.
Era: Civil War, July–December, 1863.

Statistics

United States of America

Casualties: Undetermined.
Forces Engaged: Army of the Potomac, 3rd Corps.
Troop Strength: Undetermined.

Confederate States of America

Casualties: Undetermined.
Forces Engaged: Army of Northern Virginia, Anderson’s Division and Rodes’ Division.
Troop Strength: Undetermined.

Significance

The Battle of Manassas Gap is important to American History because it marked the final major fighting associated with the Gettysburg Campaign. General William French and the Union 3rd Corps forced Confederate defenders from Wapping Heights and gained control of Manassas Gap. However, French stopped his attack at dusk, and the Confederates withdrew during the night. When French advanced toward Front Royal the next day, Robert E. Lee’s army had already escaped south through the Shenandoah Valley. After Lee escaped, George G. Meade ended his pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia, effectively ending the Gettysburg Campaign.

History

Robert E. Lee Withdraws from the Battle of Gettysburg

Following the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–4, 1863), Confederate General Robert E. Lee ended his second invasion of the North. At roughly 5:00 p.m. on July 4, Brigadier General John D. Imboden led a long train of Confederate wounded and supplies toward the Potomac River crossings at Williamsport and Falling Waters, about 50 miles to the southwest. Lee ordered the rest of the army to follow using a different route the next day.

The withdrawal soon came to a halt when heavy rains swelled the Potomac River, preventing the Confederate army from crossing back into Virginia. Forced to wait until the river receded, Lee established a long, semi-circular defensive line anchored on his left by the Conococheague Creek and on his right by the Potomac River at Falling Waters.

Meade Regroups

On July 5, Major General George G. Meade, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, learned that Lee had left Gettysburg. Despite prodding from his superiors in Washington to aggressively pursue Lee and destroy his army, Meade settled for dispatching his cavalry to harass the retreating Confederates.

Meade had reason to be cautious. The previous three days of battle had fatigued and battered his army. Unsure of the extent of the damages inflicted upon the Confederates, Meade also needed time to gather information to determine if Lee intended to withdraw to Virginia or to make another stand north of the Potomac. Finally, overriding orders to guard against a possible Confederate assault on Washington and Baltimore limited Meade’s flexibility.

Meade Pursues Lee

After reconnaissance missions determined that Lee was retreating, Meade divided his army into three columns and began a more vigorous but still cautious pursuit. Throughout the pursuit, Meade was careful to keep his main force between Lee and the nation’s capital.

Battle of Williamsport, 1863, Pursuit of Lee's Army, LOC — This illustration depicts Union forces in pursuit of the Confederate Army. Image Source: Library of Congress.

Lee Escapes

Over the course of the next week, the two armies sparred in several cavalry clashes around the Williamsport area. By July 12, Meade had his army (now numbering as many as 95,000 soldiers) in position to assault the Confederate defenses. By that time, however, the river had receded nearly enough to accommodate the Confederate retreat. During the night of July 13, most of Lee’s army forded the Potomac.

On June 14, Meade ordered a general advance by four divisions, only to find that most of the Confederates had returned to Virginia soil. Meade managed to capture several hundred Confederates during rearguard engagements on July 14 and July 16, but his opportunity to finish off the Army of Northern Virginia had been lost.

Manassas Gap

After returning to Virginia, Lee’s army traveled south, up the Shenandoah Valley, toward Front Royal. Still hoping to trap the Confederates, Meade ordered Major General William French’s 3rd Corps to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains and cut off the Confederates at Front Royal. On July 23, French assaulted a portion of Major General Richard H. Anderson’s Division entrenched at Wapping Heights overlooking a pass through the mountains known as Manassas Gap.

Spirited fighting by the Federals throughout the day forced the Confederate defenders to concede ground until soldiers from Major General Robert E. Rodes’ Division reinforced them. When the fighting ended at dusk, the Federals had taken possession of the pass. French called a halt to the assault, and during the night the Confederates withdrew. The next day, French continued to Front Royal, only to discover that he was too late to cut off Lee’s army as it marched south up the valley to safety.

Outcome

The results of the Battle of Manassas Gap were inconclusive. Combined losses for both sides totaled roughly 400 killed, wounded, or captured. Although French forced the Confederate defenders off of Wapping Heights and took possession of Manassas Gap, he failed to cut off Lee’s retreating army. Following Lee’s escape, Meade abandoned any further pursuit of the Confederate army, thus ending the Gettysburg Campaign.

Timeline

1863, April 30–May 6 — Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia defeated Joseph Hooker and the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
1863, June 3 — Confederate troop movements started as Lee gathered his army near Culpeper, Virginia, for his invasion of the North.
1863, June 5 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Franklin’s Crossing.
1863, June 9 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Brandy Station.
1863, June 13–15 — The Confederates won the Second Battle of Winchester.
1863, June 17 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Aldie.
1863, June 17–19 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Middleburg.
1863, June 21 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Upperville.
1863, June 27 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Fairfax Court House.
1863, June 20 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Upperville.
1863, June 30 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Westminster, also known as Corbitt’s Charge.
1863, June 30 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Hanover.
1863, June 30 — Union forces won the Battle of Sporting Hill.
1863, July 1 — Union and Confederate forces fought the inconclusive Battle of Carlisle.
1863, July 1–3 — Union forces won the Battle of Gettysburg.
1863, July 4 — John D. Imboden led a Confederate wagon train carrying wounded soldiers and supplies toward Williamsport and Falling Waters.
1863, July 5 — George G. Meade learned that Lee had left Gettysburg and sent cavalry to harass the retreating Confederates.
1863, July 12 — Meade positioned his army to attack Lee’s defensive line near the Potomac River.
1863, July 13 — Most of Lee’s army crossed the Potomac River into Virginia during the night.
1863, July 14 — Meade ordered four divisions forward and discovered that most of Lee’s army had already returned to Virginia.
1863, July 16 — Union forces captured additional Confederates during rearguard fighting.
1863, July 23 — William French attacked Confederate forces on Wapping Heights, and Union troops gained control of Manassas Gap.
1863, July 24 — French advanced toward Front Royal but discovered that Lee’s army had already escaped south through the Shenandoah Valley.

AP US History

Definition

Battle of Manassas Gap (1863) — The Battle of Manassas Gap was fought on July 23, 1863, during the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg. General William French led the Union 3rd Corps through the Blue Ridge Mountains to cut off Robert E. Lee near Front Royal. French attacked Confederate troops on Wapping Heights and forced them back. Although Union forces captured the pass, Confederate reinforcements delayed them long enough for Lee’s army to escape south through the Shenandoah Valley.

Alignment

The Battle of Manassas Gap is part of the following AP US History sections:

Furnace of Civil War (1865–1865)