First Battle of Bull Run

The First Battle of Bull Run, also called the Battle of First Manassas by Confederate forces, was the first big battle of the American Civil War. It happened on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, close to the town of Manassas and not far from Washington, D.C.. Both the Union army and the Confederate army had around 18,000 soldiers who were new and not very well trained.

Just a few months after the war started at Fort Sumter, people in the north wanted to quickly march to the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, to end the fighting. Brigadier General Irvin McDowell led the Union soldiers across Bull Run to face the Confederate army under Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard. McDowell tried to surprise the Confederates, but his plan did not work well.

More Confederate soldiers arrived from the Shenandoah Valley under Joseph E. Johnston. One group of soldiers from the Virginia Military Institute led by Thomas J. Jackson held their position very well and got the name “Stonewall” because they stood like a stone wall. The Confederates then attacked strongly, and the Union soldiers started to fall back. Many got scared and ran quickly back toward Washington, D.C.

Both sides learned from this tough fight that the war would be longer and much harder than they thought. The battle showed many problems, like soldiers not working together well, poor planning, and not using all their troops effectively.

Background

Military and political situation

Main article: Manassas campaign

Further information: Origins of the American Civil War; Battle of Fort Sumter; Western Virginia campaign; Border states (American Civil War); President Lincoln's 75,000 volunteers; Eastern Theater of the American Civil War; and American Civil War

On December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first Southern state to leave the United States. By early 1861, six other Southern states also left. They formed the Confederate States of America. On April 12, 1861, fighting began when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

To stop the rebellion, President Abraham Lincoln asked for 75,000 volunteers to help the federal army. This caused four more Southern states to leave and join the Confederacy. By July 1861, thousands of new Union soldiers were camped near Washington, D.C., ready to defend the city.

Irvin McDowell

Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase helped 42-year-old Irvin McDowell become a general. McDowell had little experience leading large groups of soldiers. He was given command of the troops around Washington and began organizing an army of about 35,000 men. There was pressure to start fighting, so McDowell had to begin his campaign with troops who were not fully trained.

Intelligence

A U.S. Army captain named Thomas Jordan set up a spy network in Washington, D.C. He gave control of the network to a woman named Rose O'Neal Greenhow, who passed secret messages to Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard. She shared important information about Union plans before the battle.

McDowell's plan and initial movements in the Manassas campaign

On July 16, McDowell led his army of about 35,000 men west. His plan was to attack the Confederate army near Bull Run with part of his force while another part moved around their flank to cut off a railroad. However, his troops marched slowly and often stopped.

The Confederate army under General Beauregard was camped near Manassas Junction. They were prepared to defend against an attack. McDowell planned to outflank Beauregard's army, but his movements were slow.

Prelude to battle

On July 19 and 20, the Confederate army received reinforcements, including troops led by General Joseph Johnston. They prepared to attack toward Centreville. McDowell tried to gather better information about Confederate movements.

Opposing forces

Union

Further information: Union order of battle

McDowell's Army of Northeastern Virginia had five groups of soldiers, called divisions. Each division had three to five smaller groups, called brigades. Each brigade had three to five regiments of soldiers. There was also one group of cannon, called an artillery battery, for each brigade. About 35,000 Union soldiers were at the First Battle of Bull Run, but only about 18,000 actually fought.

The divisions were led by different leaders:

• The first division was led by Brig. Gen. Daniel Tyler and had four brigades.
• The second division was led by Col. David Hunter and had two brigades.
• The third division was led by Col. Samuel P. Heintzelman and had three brigades.
• The fourth division was led by Brig. Gen. Theodore Runyon but did not fight.
• The fifth division was led by Col. Dixon S. Miles and had two brigades.

While McDowell organized his army, another smaller group of 18,000 Union soldiers was stationed near Harper's Ferry under Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson to protect against Confederate forces.

Confederate

Further information: Confederate order of battle

The Army of the Potomac was led by Brig. Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard and had six groups of soldiers, called brigades. Each brigade had three to six regiments. There were also cannon and a group of cavalry. About 22,000 Confederate soldiers were in this army, but only about 18,000 actually fought at the First Battle of Bull Run.

The brigades were led by different leaders:

• The first brigade was led by Brig. Gen. Milledge Luke Bonham.
• The second brigade was led by Brig. Gen. Richard S. Ewell.
• The third brigade was led by Brig. Gen. David R. Jones.
• The fourth brigade was led by Brig. Gen. James Longstreet.
• The fifth brigade was led by Col. Philip St. George Cocke.
• The sixth brigade was led by Col. Jubal Early.
• The seventh brigade was led by Col. Nathan G. Evans.

There was also a reserve brigade led by Brig. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes.

The Army of the Shenandoah was led by Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and had four brigades. It had about 12,000 soldiers, with cannon and cavalry. Although the total number of Confederate soldiers from both armies was about 34,000, only about 18,000 actually fought.

The brigades were led by:

• The first brigade was led by Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson.
• The second brigade was led by Col. Francis S. Bartow.
• The third brigade was led by Brig. Gen. Barnard E. Bee.
• The fourth brigade was led by Brig. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith.

Aggregate present for duty.

Battle

On July 21, Union soldiers under General McDowell marched toward Confederate forces near Sudley Springs. Both sides had around 18,000 troops who were new and not well prepared.

The Union troops moved slowly, allowing Confederate reinforcements to arrive. Fighting began with small attacks and grew into a bigger battle. A key moment came when Confederate soldiers held their ground on Henry House Hill. A Confederate general, Thomas J. Jackson, earned the nickname “Stonewall” for standing firm. As the battle continued, Confederate forces pushed back the Union troops. By late afternoon, the Union army began to retreat in disorder toward Washington. The sudden retreat surprised many, including wealthy visitors from Washington who had come to watch what they thought would be an easy Union win.

Aftermath

The battle was a meeting between large groups of new soldiers who were not well trained and were led by commanders with little experience. Neither side’s leader could guide their troops well. Even though almost 60,000 soldiers were there, only about 36,000 actually fought. McDowell, the Union leader, spent much of his time moving small groups instead of planning for the whole army. Other things also hurt McDowell’s success, like delays in moving his troops and allowing the Confederate army to bring in more soldiers. On the other side, Beauregard, the Confederate leader, also had trouble managing his troops well. However, Johnston’s decision to move his soldiers to the battlefield by train helped the Confederates win. Even though the trains were slow and could not carry many soldiers at once, most of his army arrived in time to fight. Jackson and Bee’s soldiers did most of the fighting, with Jackson’s group fighting alone for four hours and losing many men.

This battle was one of the biggest and bloodiest in American history up to that time. The Union lost 460 soldiers, with 1,124 wounded and 1,312 missing or captured. The Confederates lost 387 soldiers, with 1,582 wounded and 13 missing. Even though the numbers seem high, they were small compared to later battles in the war. Both sides realized that the war would be longer and harder than they first thought. President Lincoln responded by asking for 500,000 more soldiers to join for three years. The unexpected loss shocked many in the North, who had hoped for a quick victory. The battle showed that the war would not end quickly and that both sides needed better-trained leaders and soldiers. A year later, many of the same soldiers would meet again on the same battlefield.

Additional battle maps

Gallery: the First Bull Run hour by hour

_Map 1_:  

**Situation Mid-July 1861**

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_Map 2_:  
**Beauregard's defensive situation**  
(Mid-July 1861)

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_Map 3_:  
**Situation at 05:30–06:00**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 4_:  
**Situation at 10:30–11:00**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 5_:  
**Situation at 11:00–11:30**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 6_:  
**Situation at 12:00–12:30**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 7_:  
**Situation at 13:00**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 8_:  
**Situation at 14:30–15:00**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 9_:  
**Situation at 15:00**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 10_:  
**Situation at 15:30**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 11_:  
**Situation at 16:00**  
(July 21, 1861)

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_Map 12_:  
**Situation at 16:30–17:30**  
(July 21, 1861)

In popular culture

The First Battle of Bull Run has been shown in many books, movies, and TV shows. It appears in the novel Gods and Generals and its movie version. The battle is also in the film Class of '61 and several TV mini-series, including North and South, How the West Was Won, and The Blue and the Gray. Books like Manassas by James Reasoner Civil War Series and Rebel by Bernard Cornwell describe the battle. It is also featured in songs such as "Battle of Bull Run" by Johnny Horton and "Yankee Bayonet" by The Decemberists. In the movie Murder at 1600, a model of the battle helps solve a mystery.

Sesquicentennial

Prince William County held special events in 2011 to remember the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Manassas became the top tourist spot in the United States that year, thanks to its focus on Civil War history. The main event was a reenactment of the battle on July 23–24, 2011. Visitors could take tours of the Manassas battlefield and other nearby battlefields, along with many other related activities and events.

The City of Manassas also celebrated the 150th anniversary of the battle from July 21 to 24, 2011.

Battlefield preservation

Part of where the First Battle of Bull Run took place is now called Manassas National Battlefield Park. Over 900,000 people visit this historic site each year. It is cared for by the National Park Service and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The American Battlefield Trust and others have helped protect more than 385 acres of the battlefield since 2010.