First Battle of Bull Run: A History from Beginning to End

When Union and Confederate forces met at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, each side was confident of victory. The Northern and Southern Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis each hoped for a triumph that would bring a swift and decisive end to the Civil War that split the United States into two warring nations.

Union General Irvin McDowell was the first of a succession of commanders who failed to deliver victories for the North. The South could boast of the military brilliance of General Thomas Jackson, who earned the nickname “Stonewall” for his exploits at Bull Run, but in truth, both sides exposed their limitations in the battle. To the North’s dismay, the chaotic retreat of the fleeing Union Army proved that an easy conclusion to the conflict was unlikely. For the South, the failure to pursue the fleeing Yankee troops robbed the Confederacy of the opportunity to force the Northern government to accept Southern independence. For both, the battle presaged a long and bloody war, with casualties far beyond what had ever been endured in American history.