Battle Of Bull Run

On July 16, 1861, about 30,000 men under the command of Union General Irvin McDowell headed for the rail junction of Manassas, Va. Waiting to meet them was an equal number of Confederates under a collection of commanders, including brigadier generals Pierre Beauregard and Joseph Johnston. It was to be a grand spectacle: the first battle of the Civil War. Best of all, it was just 22 miles south of Washington, D.C. – perfect for a weekend getaway. Hundreds of excited spectators in horse-drawn carriages flocked from the capital to Manassas,to watch the Union Army dispatch the upstart Confederacy. The First Battle of Bull Run surprised spectators and generals alike.

Both North and South were wildly optimistic about their chances. Union commanders promised President Abraham Lincoln a quick end to the war, and many of the soldiers in the fight had only signed up for three-month tours. The 22-mile march took the poorly trained troops two days. Tired, undisciplined young recruits dropped food, ammunition and gear by the roadside to lighten their packs and stopped occasionally to pick berries by the side of the road.

Continuing reading about the First Battle of the Civil War