The First Battle of Bull Run Essay Sample

On July 21. 1861. Union and Confederate ground forcess clashed near Manassas Junction. Virginia. in the first major land conflict of the American Civil War. Known as the First Battle of Bull Run in the North or Manassas by Southerners. the battle began when about 35. 000 Union military personnels marched from the federal capital in Washington. D. C. to strike a Confederate force of 20. 000 along a little river known as Bull Run. After contending on the defensive for most of the twenty-four hours. the Rebels rallied and were able to interrupt the Union right wing. directing the Federals into a helter-skelter retreat towards Washington. The Confederate triumph gave the South a rush of assurance and shocked many in the North. who realized the war would non be won every bit easy as they had hoped. By July 1861. two months after Confederate military personnels opened fire on Fort Sumter to get down the Civil War. the northern imperativeness and public were eager for the Union Army to do an progress on Richmond in front of the planned meeting of the Confederate Congress at that place on July 20. Encouraged by early triumphs by Union military personnels in western Virginia. and by the war febrility distributing through the North. President Abraham Lincoln ordered Brigadier General Irvin McDowell to mount an violative that would hit rapidly and resolutely at the enemy and open the manner to Richmond. therefore conveying the war to a mercifully speedy terminal.

The violative would get down with an onslaught on more than 20. 000 Confederate military personnels under the bid of General P. G. T. Beauregard camped near Manassas Junction. Virginia ( 25 stat mis from Washington. D. C. ) along a small river known as Bull Run. The cautious McDowell. so in bid of the 35. 000 Union voluntary military personnels gathered in the Federal capital. knew that his work forces were badly prepared and pushed for a delay of the progress to give him clip for extra preparation. But Lincoln ordered him to get down the violative nonetheless. logical thinking ( right ) that the rebel ground forces was made up of similarly recreational soldiers. McDowell’s ground forces began traveling out of Washington on July 16 ; its slow motion allowed Beauregard ( who besides received beforehand notice of his enemy’s motions through a Confederate espionage web in Washington ) to name on his fellow Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston for supports. Johnston. in bid of some 11. 000 Rebels in the Shenandoah Valley. was able to outmanoeuvre a Union force in the part and process his work forces towards Manassas. McDowell’s Union force struck on July 21. blasting the enemy across Bull Run while more military personnels crossed the river at Sudley Ford in an effort to hit the Confederate left wing.

Over two hours. 10. 000 Federal soldiers bit by bit pushed back 4. 500 Rebels across the Warrington turnpike and up Henry House Hill. Reporters. congresswomans and other looker-ons who had traveled from Washington and were watching the conflict from the nearby countryside prematurely celebrated a Union triumph. but supports from both Johnston and Beauregard’s ground forcess shortly arrived on the battleground to beat up the Confederate military personnels. In the afternoon. both sides traded onslaughts and countermoves near Henry House Hill. On Johnston and Beauregard’s orders. more and more Confederate supports arrived. even as the Federal soldiers struggled with organizing assaults made by different regiments. By four o’clock in the afternoon. both sides had an equal figure of work forces on the field of conflict ( about 18. 000 on each side were engaged at Bull Run ) . and Beauregard ordered a countermove along the full line. Shouting as they advanced ( the “rebel yell” that would go ill-famed among Union military personnels ) the Confederates managed to interrupt the Union line. As McDowell’s Federals retreated chaotically across Bull Run. they ran headfirst into 100s of Washington civilians who had been watching the conflict while picnicking on the Fieldss east of the river. now doing their ain headlong retreat.

Among the hereafter leaders on both sides who fought at First Manassas were Ambrose E. Burnside and William T. Sherman ( for the Union ) along with Confederates like Stuart. Wade Hampton. and most famously. Thomas J. Jackson. who earned his enduring moniker. “Stonewall. ” in the conflict. Jackson. a former professor at the Virginia Military Institute. led a Virginia brigade from the Shenandoah Valley into the conflict at a cardinal minute. assisting the Confederates hold an of import high-ground place at Henry House Hill. General Barnard Bee ( who was subsequently killed in the conflict ) told his work forces to take bosom. and to look at Jackson standing at that place “like a rock wall. ” Despite their triumph. Confederate military personnels were far excessively disorganized to press their advantage and prosecute the retreating Northerners. who reached Washington by July 22.

The First Battle of Bull Run ( called First Manassas in the South ) cost some 3. 000 Union casualties. compared with 1. 750 for the Confederates. Its result sent Northerners who had expected a quick. decisive triumph reeling. and gave joying Southerners a false hope that they themselves could draw off a fleet triumph. In fact. both sides would shortly hold to confront the world of a long. grueling struggle that would take an impossible toll on the state and its people. On the Confederate side. accusals flew between Johnston. Beauregard and President Jefferson Davis over who was to fault for the failure to prosecute and oppress the enemy after the conflict. For the Union. Lincoln removed McDowell from bid and replaced him with George B. McClellan. who would retrain and reorganise Union military personnels supporting Washington into a disciplined combat force. thenceforth known as the Army of the Potomac.