Following Gettysburg both armies licked their wounds for some time and were reduced in strength with elements of both armies being sent to other theaters. With a weakened Union army, Robert E. Lee saw an opportunity and began a movement north. The Union army under George Meade did not want to give battle and withdrew to near the Orange and Alexandria Railroad and then further on towards Manassas Junction. It was almost the same campaign that Lee had conducted against John Pope that ended at Second Bull Run. Meade was at that battle and obviously wished to avoid such a scenario.
Lee sent his cavalry commander J.E.B. Stuart on a cavalry raid to capture supplies but he ran into passing Union infantry and hid in nearby woods and managed to escape. Richard Ewell’s Confederate infantry corps was sent to help and briefly fought with Gouverneur Warren’s II Corps as it fell back towards the Orange and Alexandria Railroad near Catlett Station.
The following day A.P. Hill’s Confederate infantry corps began to pursue Union George Sykes’ V Corps near Bristoe Station. He was unaware that Warren’s men were in the area and taking position behind a railroad embankment. Henry Heth’s Confederate division was leading the pursuit of Sykes but was told that Warren was on his flank and he wheeled to attack.
The initial attack was briefly successful as a small lodgment in Warren’s lines was made but a counterattack forced the Confederates back. For the most part though the shielded Union infantry mowed down the attack and a counter attack captured several Confederate artillery pieces. Richard Anderson’s Confederate division moved in to attack and was also repelled.
When Lee learned of the heavy losses he did not want to hear any excuse from Hill, simply telling him “Well, well, general, bury these poor men and let us say no more about it.” Warren fell back towards Centreville and Lee’s men set to work destroying the railroad. Meade would be forced to rebuild it losing a month of time when he returned to the area. Warren had his reputation enhanced by this battle. He was at the time filling in for the wounded Winfield Hancock and when he returned he was given command of the V Corps. It was a Union victory. The Union lost about 550 men and the Confederates lost about 1,400 including one general, Carnot Posey. Some of the battlefield has been preserved as the Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park.
