How did Stonewall Jackson help the Confederacy win the First Battle of Bull Run?

At the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, Thomas Jonathan Jackson played a pivotal role in the Confederate victory through his steadfast defensive leadership.

When Union forces under General Irvin McDowell launched a flanking maneuver that caused other Confederate units to withdraw in disorder to Henry House Hill, Jackson’s brigade held its ground firmly against the Federal assault. His resolute stand checked the Union advance and provided a rallying point for retreating Confederate troops. It was during this action that Jackson earned his famous sobriquet, "Stonewall," after General Barnard Bee reportedly shouted to his men, "There is Jackson standing like a stone wall!"12

Later in the afternoon, as additional Confederate reinforcements arrived on the field, Jackson’s brigade launched a decisive bayonet charge against the wavering Union lines. This counterattack, combined with the arrival of the final elements of General Joseph E. Johnston’s army, forced the Federal troops to retreat, eventually turning their withdrawal into a panicked flight back toward Washington.12