Battle of Chantilly facts for kids
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The Battle of Chantilly was a fight during the American Civil War. It took place on September 1, 1862, in Fairfax County, Virginia. This battle was the last big fight of the Northern Virginia campaign. People sometimes call it the "Battle of Ox Hill." The Union army called it Chantilly. The Confederate army called it Ox Hill.
Why the Battle Happened
Just before this battle, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had won a big victory. This was at the Second Battle of Bull Run. The Union Army, led by General John Pope, was retreating. They were heading north towards Washington, D.C.
General Lee wanted to completely defeat Pope's army. He sent General Stonewall Jackson and his soldiers. Their job was to march around Pope's army. They hoped to cut off Pope's escape route to Washington. If they could do this, Pope's army would be trapped.
On September 1, General Pope found out where Jackson's troops were. Pope quickly sent General Jesse L. Reno with two divisions of soldiers. Their mission was to attack Jackson. Jackson had stopped his troops on a place called Ox Hill. This spot was near the Chantilly Plantation. He stopped there because Pope's army was farther north than he thought.
The Battle Begins
The first Union commander to reach Ox Hill was General Isaac Stevens. Around 5 p.m., he decided to attack Jackson's men. Just as the fighting started, a huge thunderstorm broke out. The rain made many soldiers' ammunition too wet to fire. This meant many had to fight hand-to-hand. They used bayonets, which are knives attached to rifles.
General Stevens's division fought hard. They managed to make part of the Confederate army fall back. But the Confederates quickly fought back. They attacked Stevens's division and forced them to retreat. During this intense fighting, General Stevens was killed.
After Stevens's attack failed, General Philip Kearny's division arrived. Kearny also tried to attack the Confederates. But he was also killed during the battle. After the sun went down, the Union soldiers pulled back from the battlefield.
What Happened Next
The Union army lost about 1,000 soldiers in the battle. These were either killed, wounded, or missing. The Confederate army lost fewer soldiers, about 500 to 600.
After the battle, General Pope and his Union army kept retreating. They continued their march towards Washington, D.C., on September 2.
Images for kids
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Map of the battle
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The death of General Kearny
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Ox Hill Battlefield Park, with monuments to Stevens and Kearny
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Chantilly para niños
