1ST BATTLE OF BULL RUN
In this picture of the First Battle of Bull Run, Confederate cavalrymen attack the 11th New York Fire Zouaves.
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The crucial first battle of the Civil War after Fort Sumter was more than either army bargained for.In July of 1861, just three months after Fort Sumter was captured, the Union and Confederate armies geared up for their first major battle. Spurred by public fervor, Lincoln reluctantly gave orders to the Union army under General Irvin McDowell to attack the Confederate army, under General P.G.T. Beauregard, in Manassas, Virginia.
On July 21st, 1861, the Union army of 30,000 men met the slightly smaller Confederate army northeast of the Manassas Junction, where the Confederates held a relatively strong position behind a stream, named Bull Run. The Union had a clear objective, to deal a strong first blow to the Confederate army and open a path to Richmond. Both sides believed that a decisive victory could end the war with just this battle. Neither army would be prepared to do that. |
Their plans were hindered by varying factors. The Confederate army suffered from severe communication breakdowns and lack of coordination between units. The Union, on the other hand, had what Sherman would later call "one of the best-planned battles of the War." (Davis 155) but called for competent leadership and synchronization that they lacked in the first real battle of the War. Despite their shortcomings, the Confederates proved to be a stronger force that the Union bargained for. The fighting raged throughout the day, both armies holding strong. Late in the afternoon, Beauregard called for a counterattack.
"Bidding those of my staff and escort raise a loud cheer, I dispatched orders to go forward in a common charge. Before the full advance of the Confederate Ranks the enemy's whole line irretrievably broke, fleeing across Bull Run by every available direction." -General P.G.T. Beauregard (Davis 166)
As Beauregard said, the Union panicked and retreated in chaos, complicated by the fleeing civilians that had come down from the capital to picnic on the nearby hills and watch the battle. As disorganized in victory as the Union was in defeat, the Confederacy did not follow the Union army, who returned to D.C. defeated and depressed.
This photo negative taken in 1862 shows the remains of a stone bridge damaged during the Union retreat that was later fully destroyed to hinder military movement. (Library of Congress)
Both armies suffered substantial casualties: 2,896 killed or wounded from the Union and 1,982 from the Confederacy. The First Battle of Bull Run dealt a severe blow to the Union morale and the president's confidence in his officers. Lincoln is said to have describe the defeat as "damned bad" when the news first reached the capital (Davis 152).Though no one blamed McDowell for the defeat, he was soon replaced by George B. McClellan, who was given the job of piecing the Union army back together after their defeat. The Confederacy, on the other hand, "came out of the battle with a solid nucleus of capable leaders..." (Davis 152).
All in all, the First Battle of Bull Run served as an important wake-up call for both the Union and Confederacy, destroying many of their preconceived notions of war. For one, they recognized the importance of strong leadership and battle strategy. Second, Lincoln, Davis, and their respective subordinates realized the war could last much longer than they anticipated. And thirdly, the First Battle of Bull Run destroyed both civilians and soldiers 'romantic view' of war. As a volunteer from New York said: "Nothing men can do-except picnics with ladies in straw hats and flowers-is so picturesque as soldiering." He was not the only one who felt that way. After Bull Run, one soldier confessed: "I had a dim notion about the 'romance' of a soldier's life. I have bravely got over it since." (Davis 155)
This first major battle in the Civil War played an important role in shaping both the Union and Confederate leadership and strategy for the remainder of the War.
All in all, the First Battle of Bull Run served as an important wake-up call for both the Union and Confederacy, destroying many of their preconceived notions of war. For one, they recognized the importance of strong leadership and battle strategy. Second, Lincoln, Davis, and their respective subordinates realized the war could last much longer than they anticipated. And thirdly, the First Battle of Bull Run destroyed both civilians and soldiers 'romantic view' of war. As a volunteer from New York said: "Nothing men can do-except picnics with ladies in straw hats and flowers-is so picturesque as soldiering." He was not the only one who felt that way. After Bull Run, one soldier confessed: "I had a dim notion about the 'romance' of a soldier's life. I have bravely got over it since." (Davis 155)
This first major battle in the Civil War played an important role in shaping both the Union and Confederate leadership and strategy for the remainder of the War.
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