The first Battle of Bull Run. .

This was the first major battle of the American Civil War. The confederates call the battle the first Manassas.

Just months after the start of the war at Ft Sumter, the northern public clamored for a march on the Confederate capital in  Richmond Virginia. The north believed that this attack would bring the south back into line. The Union General at the time was reluctant to move against the South, because he knew his inexperience troops were not ready for battle.. However General Irvin Mcdowell finally yielded to Political Pressure, and moved his troops South. The Confederate troops was just as inexperience as the Union troops. None of these men on either side had ever seen  real combat.

The Generals who faced off in this battle was General Irvin Mcdowell for the Union, and General P.G.T Beauregard for the South.

On the morning of July 21, 1861 Mcdowell sent two divisions from centerville Virginia at 2.30 am, at 5.15 am a Union brigade fired a few artillery shells across confederate lines. By 11.30 am the Union troops were winning Three brigade had collapsed  the Confederate lines sending them in a disorderly retreat. Bad luck  and bad judgement  ruled the day. Fortunately for the Confederates Mcdowell did not press the attack.

By 12 noon Beauregard had received support . By 3 pm the tide was beginning to turn in favor of the Confederates. At 4 pm the last Union troops were pushed back. Also at 4 pm two Confederate brigades arrived from the Shenandoah Valley . The Confederates now pushed there lines forward the Union lines crumble and they began to retreat. The retreat was at first orderly up to the Bull Run crossing, a wagon was overturn and this incited  panic. The Officers tried to rally the troops but it was to late.They were now running back to Washington.

At this point the Confederates could have fought there way into Washington DC, but they were disorganized, and sober to the fact that the battle was so brutal . Both sides realized that this would be a long and Bloody War

Citizens from Washington came out and treated this Battle as a sporting event.Citizens from both sides were there. They were not prepared for what they saw. The Union citizens surely was not prepared for what they saw. No Union citizen thought they would see there troops running like scared rabbits

One thing that we learned from the first Major Battle of the civil war, was neither side was prepared for so much death, and Blood. Both side now settle down for a long war.

My next Blog I will write on the Black Slaves and Free Blacks contribution to the war effort.

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Ken451214@Aol.Com.



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