- Also called:
- First Battle of Manassas , Battle of First Manassas, or Manassas Junction
- Date:
- July 21, 1861
- Location:
- Manassas
- United States
- Virginia
- Participants:
- Confederate States of America
- United States
- Context:
- American Civil War
First Battle of Bull Run
-
What was the First Battle of Bull Run?
The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of First Manassas, was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. On July 21, 1861, Union forces under Irvin McDowell attacked Confederate troops near Manassas Junction, Virginia, a strategic railway hub.
Though initially successful, the Union troops were ultimately repulsed due to a strong defensive stand by Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson, who earned the nickname "Stonewall". The arrival of Confederate reinforcements turned the tide, leading to a panicked Union retreat.
The battle resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. McDowellâs army of 28,450 suffered 460 killed and 1,124 wounded, with over 1,300 listed as missing or captured. Beauregard and Johnstonâs 32,230 Confederates lost 387 killed and 1,582 wounded, with just 13 reported missing or captured. The Confederate victory boosted Southern confidence but also galvanized the North's determination to crush the rebellion.
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When and where did the First Battle of Bull Run take place?
The First Battle of Bull Run occurred on July 21, 1861, near Manassas in northern Virginia, close to a small stream called Bull Run. Manassas's strategic importance came from being a vital railroad junction.
Sometimes called the Battle of First Manassas by the South, the battle began when Irvin McDowell attacked, only to discover that Johnston had reinforced Beauregard, bringing the total Confederate force to approximately 32,000. Ultimately, the Confederate victory gave them an overconfident and dangerously unrealistic mindset, while the Union suffered an inferiority complex and a wary fear of Southern military proficiency.
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Who fought in the First Battle of Bull Run?
The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of First Manassas, was fought between the Union Army and the Confederate Army on July 21, 1861.
The Union forces, commanded by Irvin McDowell, totaled around 28,000 troops, while the Confederate forces, initially under P.G.T. Beauregard, were reinforced by Joseph E. Johnston, bringing their total to approximately 32,000. Thomas Jonathan Jackson, who gained the nickname "Stonewall" for his defensive stand, was also a key Confederate leader.
The battle ended in a Confederate victory, leading to a disorganized retreat of Union troops towards Washington.
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Why was the First Battle of Bull Run important in the Civil War?
The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of First Manassas, was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. The battle's location near Manassas, Virginia, held strategic importance as it was a crucial railroad junction.
The Confederate victory at Bull Run significantly impacted both sides. It fostered overconfidence among Confederate leaders, reinforcing the idea that their soldiers were superior. In the North, the defeat spurred a determination to crush the rebellion and led to the appointment of Gen. George McClellan, who organized and trained the Army of the Potomac. Although a Confederate victory, the battle arguably did more harm to the victors than to the defeated.
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What happened during the battle and how did it unfold?
The First Battle of Bull Run (also known as the Battle of First Manassas in the South) occurred on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia, a strategic railroad junction.
Irvin McDowell led approximately 28,000 Federal troops from Washington on July 16, heading towards Bull Run. On July 21, McDowell's attack revealed that Confederate soldiers under Joseph E. Johnston had joined forces with P.G.T. Beauregard, bringing the Confederate total to about 32,000. Although the Union troops initially pushed the Confederates back, a strong defensive stand by Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson allowed the Confederates to ultimately repel the Federal attack. The Federal retreat to Washington soon turned into a rout. McDowell's army of 28,450 suffered 460 killed and 1,124 wounded, with over 1,300 listed as missing or captured. Beauregard and Johnstonâs 32,230 Confederates lost 387 killed and 1,582 wounded, with just 13 reported missing or captured.
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What were the results and effects of the First Battle of Bull Run?
The First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, was the first major land battle of the American Civil War.
The Union army, under the command of Irvin McDowell, attacked Confederate forces near Manassas, Virginia, but was ultimately defeated. McDowell's army of 28,450 suffered 460 killed and 1,124 wounded, with over 1,300 listed as missing or captured. The 32,230 Confederates under the command of P.G.T. Beauregard and Johnston lost 387 killed and 1,582 wounded, with just 13 reported missing or captured.
The Confederate victory boosted Southern confidence but also led to complacency. The Union, however, was spurred to strengthen its army under Gen. George McClellan.
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First Battle of Bull Run, (July 21, 1861), in the American Civil War, the first of two engagements fought at a small stream named Bull Run, near Manassas in northern Virginia. (Civil War battles often had one name in the North, which was usually associated with a prominent nearby physical feature, and another in the South, which was usually derived from the town or city closest to the battlefield.) The strategic significance of the location lay in the fact that Manassas was an important railroad junction.
The armies gather
In the days following the Battle of Fort Sumter, the Union capital at Washington, D.C., strengthened its defenses and secured its railway connection with the North through Baltimore via the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) railway. Washingtonâs other significant rail line, the Orange and Alexandria, ran southwest to Lynchburg, Virginia; control of this line would be much contested in the days to come. It was joined at Manassas Junction, 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Washington, by the Manassas Gap railway from Strasburg in the Shenandoah Valley.
Robert E. Lee, commanding the Virginia state forces, was loath to become the aggressor in the expanding conflict and refrained from attacking Washington or supporting Confederate sympathizers in Baltimore. U.S. Pres. Abraham Lincoln had proclaimed a blockade of Confederate ports (April 19) and called for 42,000 three-year volunteers and 40,000 more men to join the regular army and navy (May 3). Lincoln was awaiting the result of Virginiaâs referendum on secession (May 23) and scrupulously avoided any violation of Virginian territory, although Federal troops crossed the Potomac (May 24) and, without opposition, occupied the south bank for the protection of the capital. Although Winfield Scott, the commanding general of the Union army, had little faith in state militia units, he proposed to use them to defend Washington and recover the Federal garrison at Harpers Ferry, while he trained the newly raised volunteers for an autumn campaign.
After Virginia voted overwhelmingly in favor of secession, Lee, acting as military adviser to Confederate Pres. Jefferson Davis, gathered two armies, one under Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard at Manassas Junction, the other at Harpers Ferry under Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. When Union Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson threatened Harpers Ferry with a larger force, Johnston evacuated his post on June 15 and fell back, covering the Manassas Gap railway.
While Scott continued to urge caution regarding the use of militia troops, in Washington there was a demand that Beauregard should be attacked before the three-month term of the militiaâs service expired. âOn to Richmond,â the new capital of the Confederacy, was the popular cry. Because the infirm 75-year-old Scott was unable to conduct field operations, he had appointed Gen. Irvin McDowell as field commander of the forces south of the Potomac. On June 24 McDowell submitted a plan of operations that overruled Scottâs recommendations. With 30,000 men he proposed to drive Beauregardâs force of 20,000 back behind the Rappahannock, provided that Patterson prevented Johnston from joining Beauregard. The plan was approved, and McDowell advanced from Alexandria on July 16.
âThere stands Jackson like a stone wall!â
After initial skirmishing at Blackburnâs Ford on July 18, Beauregardâs forces retired behind Bull Run in defensive positions. McDowell, discovering that the Confederate right and center were too strong for a frontal assault, undertook a flanking movement around the enemy left. His delay in advancing, however, would prove the undoing of his plan. Upon perceiving the Union movements, Beauregard notified the authorities in Richmond by telegraph, and Johnston, then facing Pattersonâs army near Winchester, was ordered to join Beauregard as quickly as possible. Johnston was able to mask his intentions and, utilizing the Manassas Gap railroad, moved 10,000 troops to Bull Run. Johnston arrived on the scene July 20 and, as the ranking general, accepted Beauregardâs plan of attack against Centreville, a town some 5 miles (8 km) to the east. Before the attack could be launched, however, the Union army assaulted the Confederate left on July 21.
McDowell took personal command of two of his four divisions, controlling the turning movement at Sudley Ford, while one division executed a feint at the Stone Bridge and the last remained at Blackburnâs Ford in reserve. McDowellâs inexperienced troops arrived at Sudley Ford more than two hours late. Confederate Col. Nathan Evans, who had been left to guard the Stone Bridge, quickly assessed that the attack on the bridge was merely a demonstration, and he was able to move 11 of his 15 companies to Matthews Hill above Sudley Springs. There he was supported by brigades commanded by Barnard Bee, Francis Bartow, and Thomas Jackson.
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About 9:15 am the Federal troops came under Confederate fire and were forced to deploy, but two hours later McDowellâs flanking threat caused Evans, Bee, and Bartow to withdraw in disorder to the Henry House Hill. Jacksonâs First Brigade stood firm, however, and Bee reportedly shouted to his men, âThere is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer! Rally behind the Virginians!â The Union assault was checked, but both Bee and Bartow were mortally wounded while leading their troops.
The fighting at Henry House Hill was severe, and about 1:30 pm, McDowell brought up two artillery batteries to the fighting line. A Confederate regiment, being mistaken for friendly troops and allowed to approach, silenced the guns with close rifle fire. From that time, though the hill was taken and retaken several times, the Union attack made no further headway. At 2:45 pm, with more of Beauregardâs troops having come up, Jacksonâs brigade launched a bayonet charge on the wavering Union lines. At the same time, the Union troops were assailed by the last brigades of Johnstonâs army, which had arrived at the critical moment from the railway. The Federal forces gave way at once, and a Confederate artillery barrage turned the retreat into a panicked flight to the Potomac. The victors were also exhausted and did not pursue, although Johnston moved to the heights around Centreville.
Casualties and assessment
McDowellâs army of 28,450 suffered 460 killed and 1,124 wounded, with over 1,300 listed as missing or captured. Beauregard and Johnstonâs 32,230 Confederates lost 387 killed and 1,582 wounded, with just 13 reported missing or captured.
In the end Bull Run arguably did more harm to the victors than to the defeated. Southern leaders undeniably rested on their laurels, confident in the seemingly justified belief that âone Southerner could whip ten Yankees.â The delay enabled Gen. George McClellan, who was called to the chief military command at Washington, to raise, organize, and train the Army of the Potomac. Johnston meanwhile was similarly employed in fashioning the Army of Northern Virginia, which for four years carried the Confederacy on its bayonets. The humiliation of Bull Run provided focus to the unorganized enthusiasm of the North, which eventually coalesced into a determination to crush the rebellion at all costs.