SC6's Civil War Rewind, Part Five: The Real War Begins at Bull Run - Manassas

A Major Battle Is Fought.. And a Legend Is Born.


     At long last, we get to the meat of the Civil War - an actual battle!  Not to get too excited about people dying, but until now, it's all been talk and conjecture. On the field is usually where wars are won and lost.  Not that 90 days is really proper time to prepare for a war, but in 1861, both sides thought the Civil War would be a quick and relatively bloodless fight.  July 21, 1861 put a quick end to that theory...



    Like we said, neither side was well prepared for war, but by July, the itch to mix it up was too great. From the North, the cry to race to Richmond - only 110 miles from Washington - and put down the Confederacy was too strong.  Troops moved out from well fortified Washington, and headed South...


       To give a short explanation, most battles in the Civil War have 2 names: the North used the nearest body of water (in this case, Bull Run), and the South used the nearest city (Manassas, Virginia).   Gen. Irvin McDowell was in charge of the Army of Northeastern Virginia (???), and he was reassured by President Lincoln victory was possible. Lincoln's words were 'Yes, you are green, but they are green too - you are all green alike'.  What we found out was there are varying levels of green...


     With 28,000 men, McDowell moved near Manassas with a plan to engage Beauregard's left flank, and sweep his extra troops (Beauregard had 21,000) around to the South, cut off his rail lines, and seperate Beauregard from Richmond.  The ironic part is Beauregard was also planning a left flank attack. had they both doen so, the field would have been completely spun around , with the Union on the South, and the Confederacy on the North - then what ???


     Like any battle with inexperienced troops, it was a mess... McDowell struck first, including hitting Beauregard's HQ at the home of Wilmer McLean (he'll be back in 4 yrs), but the paths were tighter than expected, and they got bottled up. Still, the Union had control of the field early... The South was disorganized, but McDowell failed to advance his troops.  In the center of the flank were Confederate Gen's Francis Bartow , Nathan Evans and Barnard Bee.  Pinned down on Henry House Hill, they were finally helped by Thomas J. Jackson , with help from Col. Wade Hampton and JEB Stuart's cavalry...


    Jackson set up on the backside of the hill, where he engaged in a cannon battle, as the Union troops continued to press.  Bee warned to Jackson they were close to being overrun. Jackson's answer? 'Then we will give them the bayonet.'   A pious man, with almost no fear of dying, Jackson held firm. this is where history and rumor split.  The legend is that Bee was saying to inspire his troops "  "There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Rally behind the Virginians."  Others think that, out of an anger for Jackson not him support earlier, Bee's 'Jackson is standing like a stone wall' was a comment of derision... Which ever one is unknown - Bee was shot in battle soon after, and died the next day.  Either way, it matters little - the name stuck.


    Jackson held firm, telling his troops to wait until the Union got close, then attack with bayonets and yell like furies - the very first Rebel Yell, which lasted until 1984, when Billy Idol stole it.... The actual turning point was, course, a mistake -  a military turnover.  Union gunners mistook a rebel brigade for the North, and the Condererates overran them, took the guns, and blew a hole in the Union lines. Combined with supplemental troops from Gen. Jubal Early and Kirby Smith, the South was in control of the field, and McDowell was retreating...


    Ahh, the retreat.... It was relatively calm crossing Bull Run, but at nearby Cub Creek bridge, a Union wagon was knocked over by Confederate artillery, and the troops began to panic.  Many dropped their guns and they then ran into civilians.  Yes, people actually thought it would be FUN to watch the battle.  It soon became bedlam.. One commander asked a retreating Union soldier to stop and fight. "Don't you love your country?" asked the commander... "Yes, and I'm trying to get back to it as fast as I can!!" replied the soldier...


    With inexperience once again showing, the South was unable to capitalize and cut off the troops from DC.  Thus it ended, and both sides chose to regroup and train a bit more.  McDowell was replaced with George McClellan, who proceeded to inflate the army to 125,000 men before being forced by Lincoln to go into Virginia again. 


    That day was the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil.  Between the two armies, 847 men died, and 2706 were wounded.  It gives you an idea of how small the battles of the American Revolution were.  But, unfortunately, this was a minor skirmish compared to the carnage that was to follow in the next 4 years...


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