During the American Civil War (1861–65), only one hundred miles
separated the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, from the
Union capital of Washington, D.C. There were many violent encounters between the two sides within this stretch of land during the war, including two Battles of Bull Run. Bull Run is the name of a small stream
near the site of the battles. Manassas, Virginia, was the closest town, so
the battles are also called the Battles of Manassas.
The First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) took place on July 21, 1861. It
was the first major battle of the Civil War. Although the war had started
in South Carolina in April, the two sides had only engaged in small skirmishes before Bull Run. Public opinion, however, called for greater action. The Union army was still gathering volunteers and trying to train
its men, but President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865; served 1861–65)
faced pressure to suppress the rebellion. Under orders from Lincoln,
Union general Irvin McDowell (1818–1885), who was posted near the
nation’s capital with thirty-five thousand men, advanced southward.
Two forces from the Confederate States of America waited to the
south in Virginia. General Pierre Beauregard (1818–1893) had nearly
twenty-two thousand men in his command along the line of Bull Run
Creek, across the main highways to Washington. General Joseph E.
Johnston (1807–1891) had nearly twelve thousand posted nearby in the
Shenandoah Valley. When the Confederates became aware of the attack,
they gathered along Bull Run Creek. General Johnston and his forces arrived to support General Beauregard on July 20, 1861, despite Union attempts to interfere with Beauregard’s movement.
Union general McDowell attacked the Confederate forces on the
morning of July 21. At first, his well-planned assault drove the
Confederates back. The continuing arrival of fresh men from General
Johnston’s troops, however, gave the Confederates an advantage. The
Union began a retreat. Though orderly at first, the retreat gave way to
confusion when a bridge was destroyed. As Union troops continued to
retreat to Washington, the Confederates abandoned their pursuit at
Centreville, Virginia. They were too exhausted and disorganized to persist.
While the Confederates seemed to win the battle, it proved to be indecisive, like so many Civil War clashes. Neither the North nor the
South won a great advantage, but many men lost their lives. A total of
nearly 900 were killed (481 Union, 387 Confederate) and 2,500
wounded (1,011 Union, 1,582 Confederate). Over 1,000 were reported
missing (1,216 Union, 12 Confederate). The battle foreshadowed the
brutal toll that the Civil War would take.
The Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run occurred in the same area as the first one,
near Manassas, Virginia. The battle took place from August 29 to August
30, 1862, following the siege of Richmond by the Union. Confederate
general Robert E. Lee (1807–1870) intended to shift the battles to the
north towards Washington, D.C., to relieve pressure on Richmond.
Confederate soldiers launched a successful series of attacks on the
Union troops, who were under the direction of Major General John Pope
(1822–1892) of Virginia. Forcing a retreat back to Washington, the
Confederates improved their position for an invasion into Maryland.
The cost was high for both sides. The Union army had 1,747 killed,
8,452 wounded, and 4,263 missing or captured. The Confederates had
1,553 killed, 7,812 wounded, and 109 missing. General Pope was relieved of his command to hold him responsible for the defeat.