The U.S. Army has long used the staff ride as a tool for professional development, conveying the lessons of the past to contemporary soldiers. A Second Manassas staff ride can offer significant military lessons in command and control, communications, intelligence, logistics, and decisionmaking. This self-guided tour is also useful for the battlefield park visitor and contains 12 stops with driving directions given to the tenth of a mile. Joseph W. A. Whitehorne is the author of numerous military history articles; he has lectured at the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Maryland, and Montana State University.

(Originally published in color by the Center of Military History. Maps, photos, bios, and order of battle included.).