First Battle of Bull Run

          Only two months after the battle of Fort Sumter, Abraham Lincoln ordered Brigadier General Irvin McDowell to Richmond, Virginia in hopes of ending the war. The Union forces planned to attack General P. G. T. Beauregard’s 20,000 Confederate forces camped along a small river known as Bull Run near Manassas Junction, Virginia. After leaving his headquarters of the Department of Virginia at Arlington House, McDowell led his soldiers out of Washington on July 16, 1861. Through a Confederate espionage network in Washington, Beauregard was notified of his enemy’s plan. The Confederate government in Richmond ordered Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston to reinforce Beauregard. Johnston marched his 11,000 men towards Manassas. On July 21, McDowell’s army was split into 3 columns, one under General Tyler on the Warrenton road to make a counterfeit attack, and the other two under Generals Hunter and Heintzelman, taking a wide circuit more to the left, to cross Bull Run at different points and make a real attack on Beauregard's left wing on Matthews Hill. Hunter's column that was led by General Burnside crossed Bull Run at Sudley Church with Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts troops. Guns opened fire in open fields. The Confederates were led by Colonel Evans. Evans's line began to waver, until General Bee advanced with fresh troops, and gave it strength. Then the National line began to tremble, when Colonel Andrew Porter sent a battalion of regulars under Major Sykes to strengthen it. The battle grew more and more intense. General Hunter was severely wounded; Colonel Slocum, of the Rhode Island troops, was killed; and Sprague, the youthful governor of the commonwealth, took command of his troops. Later in the battle, which started at nearly noon, Confederate forces were being pushed back to Henry Hill. Then, late afternoon, came Johnston and his forces who attacked the Union right flank.

          Future leaders who fought in this battle were Ambrose E. Burnside and William T. Sherman for the Union and Wade Hampton and Thomas J. Jackson for the Confederates. This battle was the birthplace for Jackson’s famous nickname “Stonewall,” where he helped the Confederates to hold an important high-ground position at Henry House Hill. After telling his soldiers to take heart, General Barnard Bee pointed out Jackson standing there “like a stone wall.” 
          Even though the Confederates took victory, there weren’t organized enough to pursue their retreating enemy, who reached Washington by July 22, 1861. However, the South were extremely proud of their soldiers and their hard-fought battle. On the other hand, the Northerners were depressed and stunned at the same time by the great disaster. Only a few days later were they yet again buoyant with faith and hope. Known as the First Manassas in the South, the First Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the Civil War. It cost about 3,000 Union casualties, compared with 1,750 for the Confederates. After this battle, the South declared Richmond as their new capital, where President Davis gave an inspiring speech to the Confederates. In this speech, he predicted that the South would soon take over the national capital, too.

"Battle Summary: Manassas, First, VA." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va005.htm.

“First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas).” 2011. The History Channel website. Dec 7 2011, 3:02 http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-first-bull-run.

"First Battle of Bull Run."  The Civil War. Web. 09 Dec. 2011. <http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/battle-bull-run.htm>.