BULLRUN

A detailed Summary of BULLRUN

On a warm July day in 1861, two great armies of a divided nation clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Bull Run. Their ranks were filled with exited young volunteers in colorful new uniforms, gathered from every part of the country. Confident their enemies would run at the first shot, the young recruits were thankful that they would not miss the only battle of what would surely be a short war. But any thoughts of colorful beauty was lost in the smoke, dirt and death of the battle. Soldiers on both sides were stunned by the violence an destruction they encountered. At days end nearly 900 young men laid dead on the fields of Matthews Hill. Ten hours of heavy fighting swept away thoughts of this being a quickly decided war.

The first major battle of the Civil War was fought in Virginia, near the Manassas, Virginia railway junction, after which the battle is called(or the First Bull Run, named after a flowing stream on the battlefield). The armies in this first battle were not very large or well trained by late Civil war standards. The Union forces were under the command of General Irvin McDowell were organized into four divisions or about 30,000 men. These divisions were commanded

Finally having accumulated enough units to not only stabilize the Confederate lines, but also overlap the right flank of the Union lines, the order was given for a general advance by Beauregard. This attack caved-in the federal right and what began a fairly organized retreat turned into a disorganized rout. The equally tired and unorganized Confederates were in no shape to conduct a effective pursuit, so the battle ended. Johnson's unit held the Union army and at the end of the battle General Johnson was standing so proud and tall on top of Henry House Hill People said he looked like a stone wall. That is how they came up with the nickname General "Stonewall" Jackson.

In the meantime, McDowell ordered two artillery batteries to advance to silence the defensive fire. Rickett's Battery and griffin's Battery advanced to well within musket range of the Confederate positions near the crest of the hill. These batteries were counter attacked by Confederate infantry and overran. A loss of these guns became a focal point for see-saw attacks and counterattacks by each side, with the possession of the guns changing hands several times.

Interestingly enough, each commander had planned to imitate an attack on the other side with a feint attack on the enemies right flank and a massed attack on there opposite flank. If this was done simultaneously, and b

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Approximate Word count = 915
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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