Editing First Battle of Bull Run (section)

{{Short description|1861 American Civil War battle}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    =  First Battle of Bull Run<br />{{small|Battle of First Manassas}}<ref name=1stmanassas/>
| partof      =  the [[American Civil War]]
| image       =  Bridge during the Retreat from Manassas, First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas), Virginia 1861.jpg
| image_size  =  300
| caption     =  Struggle on a [[Manassas, Virginia]] bridge during the [[Union Army]]'s retreat in 1861 depicted in an engraving by William Ridgway based on a drawing by [[F. O. C. Darley]]
| date        =  {{Start date|1861|7|21}}
| place       =  [[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax County]] and [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]], [[Virginia in the American Civil War|Virginia]]
| coordinates =  {{Coord|38.8150|N|77.5225|W|type:event_region:US-VA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| result      =  [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] victory<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va005.htm |title=National Park Service |website=Nps.gov |access-date=March 1, 2022 |archive-date=May 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509065134/https://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va005.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| combatant1  =  {{flag|United States|1861}} ([[Union (American Civil War)|Union]])
| combatant2  =  {{flag|Confederate States|1861}}
| commander1  =  [[Irvin McDowell]]
| commander2  =  [[Joseph E. Johnston]]<br />[[P. G. T. Beauregard]]
| units1      =  Department of Northeastern Virginia:
*[[Army of Northeastern Virginia]]<ref>''Further information:'' Official Records, Series I, Volume II [http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar;cc=moawar;idno=waro0002;node=waro0002%3A6;view=image;seq=330;size=100;page=root pp. 314–315] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701194058/http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar;cc=moawar;idno=waro0002;node=waro0002%3A6;view=image;seq=330;size=100;page=root |date=July 1, 2020 }}.</ref>
*[[United States Marine Corps]]
[[Department of Pennsylvania (American Civil War)|Department of Pennsylvania]]:
*''Patterson's Command'' (not engaged)
| units2      = [[Army of the Potomac (Confederate)|Army of the Potomac]]<ref name=CSAunit>''Further information:'' Official Records, Series I, Volume II [http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar;cc=moawar;idno=waro0002;node=waro0002%3A6;view=image;seq=485;size=100;page=root pp. 469–470] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317173253/http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar;cc=moawar;idno=waro0002;node=waro0002%3A6;view=image;seq=485;size=100;page=root |date=March 17, 2017 }}.</ref><br />
{{nowrap|[[Confederate Army of the Shenandoah|Army of the Shenandoah]]<ref name=CSAunit/>}}
| strength1   =  Army of Northeastern Virginia:
*35,732<ref name=UFS>''Further information:'' '''''Abstract from returns of the Department of Northeastern Virginia, commanded by Brigadier-General McDowell, U.S.A., for July 16 and 17, 1861''''' (Official Records, Series I, Volume II [http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar&cc=moawar&idno=waro0002&node=waro0002%3A6&view=image&seq=325&size=100 p. 309] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317173240/http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar&cc=moawar&idno=waro0002&node=waro0002%3A6&view=image&seq=325&size=100 |date=March 17, 2017 }}).</ref><br />({{circa|lk=no}} 18,000 engaged)<ref name=strength/>
''Patterson's Command'':
*14,000–18,000 (not engaged)
| strength2   =  32,000–34,000<ref name=CFS>''Further information:'' Official Records, Series I, Volume II [http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar&cc=moawar&idno=waro0002&node=waro0002%3A6&view=image&seq=203&size=100 p. 187] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322015618/https://guides.library.cornell.edu/ebooksatCUL |date=March 22, 2023 }} and [http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar;cc=moawar;idno=waro0002;node=waro0002%3A6;view=image;seq=584;size=100;page=root p. 568–569] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317173258/http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar;cc=moawar;idno=waro0002;node=waro0002%3A6;view=image;seq=584;size=100;page=root |date=March 17, 2017 }}.</ref><br />({{circa|lk=no}} 18,000 engaged)<ref name=strength/>
| casualties1 =  '''2,708'''<br />481 killed<br />1,011 wounded<br />1,216 missing<ref name=UFC>''Further information:'' '''''Casualties at the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861.''''' (Official Records, Series I, Volume II [http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar&cc=moawar&idno=waro0002&node=waro0002%3A6&view=image&seq=343&size=100 p. 327] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317173306/http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar&cc=moawar&idno=waro0002&node=waro0002%3A6&view=image&seq=343&size=100 |date=March 17, 2017 }}).</ref><ref>'''2,896''' (460 killed; 1,124 wounded; 1,312 captured/missing), according to Eicher, p. 99.</ref>
| casualties2 =  '''1,982'''<br />387 killed<br />1,582 wounded<br />13 missing<ref name=CFC>''Further information:'' '''''Casualties in the Army of the Potomac (Confederate) July 21, 1861.''''' (Official Records, Series I, Volume II [http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar&cc=moawar&idno=waro0002&node=waro0002%3A6&view=image&seq=586&size=100 p. 570] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317173311/http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moawar&cc=moawar&idno=waro0002&node=waro0002%3A6&view=image&seq=586&size=100 |date=March 17, 2017 }}).</ref><ref name="Eicher, p. 99">Eicher, p. 99.</ref>
}}
{{Campaignbox Manassas Campaign}}
[[File:ATLAS OR VIRGINIA MAP.jpg|thumb|Virginia (1861)]]
[[File:ATLAS OR NORTHEASTERN VIRGINIA MAP 1.jpg|thumb|Northeastern Virginia (1861)]]

The '''First Battle of Bull Run''', called the '''Battle of First Manassas'''<ref name=1stmanassas>[http://www.nps.gov/mana/learn/historyculture/first-manassas.htm National Park Service] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012145754/https://www.nps.gov/mana/learn/historyculture/first-manassas.htm |date=October 12, 2018 }}.</ref> by [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] forces, was the first major battle of the [[American Civil War]]. The battle was fought on July 21, 1861, in [[Prince William County, Virginia]], just north of what is now the city of [[Manassas, Virginia|Manassas]] and about thirty miles west-southwest of [[Washington, D.C.]] The [[Union Army]] was slow in positioning themselves, allowing Confederate reinforcements time to arrive by rail. Each side had about 18,000 poorly trained and poorly led troops. The battle was a Confederate victory and was followed by a disorganized post-battle retreat of the Union forces.

Just months after the start of the war at [[Battle of Fort Sumter|Fort Sumter]], the northern public clamored for a march against the Confederate capital of [[Richmond, Virginia]], which was expected to bring an early end to the Confederacy. Yielding to political pressure, [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[Irvin McDowell]] led his unseasoned Union Army across [[Bull Run (Occoquan River)|Bull Run]] against the equally inexperienced Confederate Army of Brigadier General [[P. G. T. Beauregard|P.{{nbsp}}G.{{nbsp}}T.{{nbsp}}Beauregard]], whose forces were camped near Manassas Junction. McDowell's ambitious plan for a surprise flank attack on the Confederate left was poorly executed although the Confederates, who had been planning to attack the Union left flank, found themselves at an initial disadvantage.

Confederate reinforcements under Brigadier General [[Joseph E. Johnston]] arrived from the [[Shenandoah Valley]] by railroad, and the course of the battle quickly changed. A [[Stonewall Brigade|brigade of Virginians]] under a relatively unknown brigadier general from the [[Virginia Military Institute]], [[Stonewall Jackson|Thomas J. Jackson]], stood its ground, which resulted in Jackson receiving his famous nickname, "Stonewall". The Confederates launched a strong counterattack, and as the Union troops began withdrawing under fire, many panicked and the retreat turned into a rout. McDowell's men frantically ran without order in the direction of Washington, D.C.

Both armies were sobered by the fierce fighting and the many casualties and realized that the war was going to be much longer and bloodier than either had anticipated. The First Battle of Bull Run highlighted many of the problems and deficiencies that were typical of the first year of the war. Units were committed piecemeal, attacks were frontal, infantry failed to protect exposed artillery, tactical intelligence was minimal, and neither commander was able to employ his whole force effectively. McDowell, with 35,000 men, could commit only about 18,000, and the combined Confederate forces, with about 32,000 men, also committed 18,000.<ref>Ballard, p. v. (Preface).</ref>