Battle of Bristoe Station 14 October 1863

After leaving Auburn, Virginia, II Corps of the Union army engaged with Confederate soldiers near Bristoe Station, Virginia, on 14 October. Early on 14 October, Confederate forces, under Major General A.P. Hill, left their temporary base in Greenwich and prepared to attack the ‘unsuspecting’ marching Union Army. Hill’s infantry lost cavalry support when they became engaged in combat with a small force of Union soldiers, deployed to protect the Union army’s rear as it advanced to safety under Major General Meade. Meanwhile II Corps, the Union rearguard under General G. Warren, using intelligence from Union scouts, was aware of Hill’s plans, firing on Hill’s unsuspecting Confederate battalions, who were distracted by Union stragglers. Union Colonels Mallon and Heath were positioned on the opposite side of the railroad, while the remaining II Corps opened fire from a concealed, wooded railway embankment. The battle was a decisive victory for the Unionists and generated huge Confederate casualties.