Editing First Battle of Bull Run (section)

===Irvin McDowell===
Secretary of the Treasury [[Salmon P. Chase]] championed fellow Ohioan, 42-year-old Maj. [[Irvin McDowell]]. Although McDowell was a [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] graduate, his command experience was limited. In fact, he had spent most of his career engaged in various staff duties in the Adjutant General's Office. While stationed in Washington he had become acquainted with Chase, a former Ohio governor and senator. Now, through Chase's influence, McDowell was promoted three grades to brigadier general in the Regular Army and on 27 May was assigned command (by [[President of the United States|President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]]) of the Department of Northeastern Virginia, which included the military forces in and around Washington.<ref name=b4/> McDowell immediately began organizing what became known as the [[Army of the Potomac|Army of Northeastern Virginia]], 35,000 men arranged in five divisions. Under public and political pressure to begin offensive operations, McDowell was given very little time to train the newly inducted troops. Units were instructed in the maneuvering of regiments, but they received little or no training at the brigade or division level. He was reassured by President Lincoln, "You are green, it is true, but they are green also; you are all green alike."<ref>Detzer, p. 77; Williams, p. 21; McPherson, p. 336; Davis, p. 110, attributes the remark to general-in-chief [[Winfield Scott]].</ref> Against his better judgment, McDowell commenced campaigning.