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The First Battle of Bull Run, also referred to as the First Battle of Manassas, ( July 21, 1861) was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. (The difference in the two names results from the difference in naming conventions used by each side in the war. Confederates named battles for the nearest town or city; the Union named battles for the nearest river or body of water.) Brigadier General Irvin McDowell was appointed to command the Army of Northeastern Virginia , by President Abraham Lincoln. He was prodded to attack by the Washington politicians, who wanted a quick victory to solidify their standing. McDowell did not want to attack, stating that his forces were green, but eventually was forced to.
McDowell's plan was to use Brig. Gen. Daniel Tyler's division to feint an attack on Stone Bridge , which went across Bull Run, while Colonel Thomas A. Davies's brigade would feint at Blackburn's Ford . Under cover of these feigning maneuvers, the main attack would be by Brig. Gens. David Hunter and Samuel P. Heintzelman , on the Confederate troop's left flank (the Union's right). This was a sound plan; however, McDowell's forces were much too green to carry it out effectively.
On the other hand, the Confederate troops were also in disorder. Commanded overall by Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard (the hero of Fort Sumter), their order of battleAn order of battle (often abbreviated as ORBAT is an organizational tool used by military intelligence to list and analyze enemy military units. In United States Army practice, an order of battle should relate what an American unit might be expected to en was rather unwieldy, with about 1/3 of their troops still marching from the Shenandoah ValleyCanoeing on the Shenandoah River Winchester, Virginia The Shenandoah Valley region of western Virginia, from Winchester to Roanoke, Virginia, is bounded by the Blue Ridge mountains to the East and the Allegheny mountains to the West. Harrisonburg, Staunto. Only a small brigade under Colonel Nathan Evans stood in the path of the Union ArmyThe Union Army refers to the United States Army during the American Civil War. The Union Army is also known as the Northern Army and the Federal Army''. History of the Union Army Secession and the Beginning of the war The United States of America was in c. Had this unit faltered, or not been present, the flank attack would have succeeded. Ultimately these few men were unable to hold their positions after the entire Federal army attacked. The Confederate units retreated.
However, a group of VirginiaVirginia is one of the original 13 states of the United States that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution and is generally classified as part of the South. Its official name is the Commonwealth of Virginia it is one of four Commonwealth soldiers commanded by Brig. Gen. Thomas J. JacksonThomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson ( January 21, 1824 May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was born at Clarksburg, Virginia (now in West Virginia) in 1824, and was orphaned at an early age. He attended West Point, class o, refused to lose ground. Fellow Confederate officer Brig. Gen. Barnard Bee then famously shouted the following order: "Look! There is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!" The Confederates did just that, and the battle resulted in a humiliating rout of UnionThe Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. As of fiscal year 2002 (FY02), it consisted of 480,000 soldiers on active duty and 555,000 in reserve (350,000 in Army National G forces and a disorderly retreat, bringing the battle to a halt. Because of Bee's command, and the subsequent victory, General Jackson became known as "Stonewall Jackson."
General Jackson's arrival meant that the Army of the Shenandoah , under Brig. Gen. Joseph Johnston had arrived, and this force, along with Beauregard's Army of the PotomacThe Confederate Army of the Potomac whose name was short-lived, was the command under Brigadier General P. Beauregard, and whose only major combat action was the First Battle of Bull Run. It was eventually integrated into General Joseph Johnston's Army of, attacked. The Federal right flank, which was in disorder because of the halted attack, was routed and driven back. By the end of the day these units were in full flight.
The elite of nearby Washington, DC, expecting an easy Union victory, had come out to watch the battle and picnic. When the Union Army was driven back, the roads back to Washington were blocked by panicked civilians attempting to flee in their carriages. Further confusion ensued when an artillery shell fell on a carriage blocking the main road north. Although the Confederates would probably have won the war had they marched on Washington during the rout, they were too exhausted to follow through with a pursuit of the enemy.
Casualties totaled approximately 3,000 - 5,000 Union troops and 2,000 Confederates.
