1. 1st
Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Manassas

2. Background
• “On to Richmond”
– After losing Ft.
Sumter, Union forces
wanted to take the
capital of the CSA.
– Wanted to take
Richmond, Virginia
• 39,000 Union Soldiers
marched to Richmond
– Brigadier General Irvin
McDowell

3. Background
• Goal –
– To capture the Virginia
railroad line at
Manassas Junction

4. Background
• 21,000 Confederate
troops
– Led by Hero of Ft.
Sumter
– Brigadier General
P.G.T. Beauregard
• 11,000 additional
troops
– Brigadier General
Joseph E. Johnston
– Reinforce Beauregard

5. Picnicking at the Battle Ground
• People carried picnic baskets and champagne
• Brought binoculars to view the action more closely
• Believed the battle would not last long
• No doubt that the Northern army would easily overpower
the Rebels

6. The Battle of Bull Run
• “There is nothing in American
military history quite like the
story of Bull Run. It was the
momentous fight of the
amateurs, the battle where
everting went wrong, the great
day of awakening for the whole
nation, North and South
together. It…ended the rosy
time in which men could dream
that the war would be short,
glorious and bloodless. After
Bull Run the nation got down
to business.”
– Bruce Catton

7. The Fight Begins
• July 21, 1861
• Manassas Junction,
Virginia
– Near Bull Run Creek
– 30 miles west of
Washington D.C.

8. Fighting
• Union Forces, led by
McDowell cross Bull
Run Creek and attack
the Rbs.
• Troops were
undisciplined,
inadequately trained,
and poorly equipped.
• Officers had little
experience leading
large armies

9. Fighting Continues
• At First,
– Union army successfully
pushed back the left side of
the Confederate Army
• Confederates Rally
– Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
– He held “Like a Stone Wall.”

10. Reinforcements
• Confederates receive
reinforcements
– Push the tired Union troops
back toward Bull Run
Creek
• Union Retreats
– Began as an orderly retreat
– Army runs into hundreds of
onlookers
– Picnickers paniced and got
in the way of retreating
soldeirs

11. Battle Outcome
• The Rebels troops
defeated the Union
forces
– They won the first
major battle in the war
– The Union hope of
winning the war
quickly disapeared
• Proved both armies
needed training

12. Outcome Continued
• Union General
Winfield Scott retires
• General George
McClellan appointed
to lead the Union
Army
– Takes time to train the
army

13. Casualties
• North
– 2,896 Casualties
• 460 Killed
• 1,124 Wounded
• 1,312 Missing
• South
– 1,982 Casualties
• 387 Killed
• 1,582 Wounded
• 13 Missing

14. 1st
Battle of Bull Run