Last Saturday, I toured the battlefield of the Second Battle of Bull Run, as known by the Yanks or the Battle of Second Manassas as referred to by the Rebels. Click here for all my photos of the Second Manassas battlefield tour. It was an intense, fulfulling day for our group of 14 zealous civil warriors as we discussed and interpeted events, movements, tactics and intent of the blue and gray on August 28-30, 1862. Our tour started at the Manassas Battlefield Park Visitors Center at 9 am sharp and ended a little over 5 pm. We rented a tour bus for the occasion and thanks much to our driver - Roy Rogers.

Our illustrious and much respected tour guide for this trip was Henry Rivera (see photo to right) who helped the group track and intepret all the significant events leading up to and throughout the battle. He thoughfully provided a binded handout complete with battle chronology, position maps and other resources. Please check back tomorrow, i'll post a PDF of the handout as well. Thank you very much Henry for your time providing much appreciated insight and knowledge of Second Manassas.

For some of us, this will actually be our second time touring this battlefield. Our group was smaller a few years back which included my good friend Larry Secrest (who is a very fortunate man being married to my cousin Christinne), his son Lance and a few close friends and more in-laws. Interest in the tour has obviously grown since but the tours are capped off at 15 to promote a more intimiate discussion and debate. So as soon as the next tour is announced, it's first come, first conscripted.

Here's our list of civil warriors for this outing -- great spending a day of learning with all of you and look forward to more outings:

• Drew Barnes
• David Hilliard
• Ren Sogueco
• Jeff Secrest
• Larry Secrest
• Kurt Desoto
• Rocky MacIntosh
• Scott Secrest
• Bob Davis
• Colin and Kyle Crosby
• Jim Slattery
• Susan Claffey
• Sean Croston

It's usual practice for our group to read different books about the same battle to provide different persectives and opinions. However, not much is written about Second Manassas. The recommended reading is Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas by John J. Hennessy.

Towards the end of the battlefield tour, Heny proclaimed the Battle of Second Manassas as Robert E. Lee's greatest victory. The other potential candidates were Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg. Here's a book by by John Langellier that supports Henry's argument. There was also a second potential discussion point regarding the better lieutenant - Jackson or Longstreet. I say potential since it was established beyond doubt prior to the start of the tour it was Longstreet as passionately argued by Susan. I found the following link particularly insightful in regards to Longstreet that corroborates Susan's argument: James Longstreet: Robert E. Lee’s Most Valuable Soldier

We have not decided out next tour of duty but I would recommend the next logical battle in the timeline . . . Antietam?

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