"Sunday, the 21st about 2 o'clock the drums beat the
assembly, and in ten minutes we were on our march for Bull Run having heard the
enemy were waiting to receive us, our troops then numbering 25 or 30 thousand
which were divided into three columns ours under Col Hunter taking the right
through a thick woods. About eleven o'clock as our pickets were advancing
through the woods a volley was poured in upon them from behind a fence thickly
covered with brush; the pickets after returning the shots returned to our
regiment and we advanced double quick time yelling like so many devils."
-Samuel J. English, a corporal at the battle
assembly, and in ten minutes we were on our march for Bull Run having heard the
enemy were waiting to receive us, our troops then numbering 25 or 30 thousand
which were divided into three columns ours under Col Hunter taking the right
through a thick woods. About eleven o'clock as our pickets were advancing
through the woods a volley was poured in upon them from behind a fence thickly
covered with brush; the pickets after returning the shots returned to our
regiment and we advanced double quick time yelling like so many devils."
-Samuel J. English, a corporal at the battle
The First Battle of Bull Run
The first battle of bull run took place from July 21 , 1861. This battle would prove to be the biggest battle in the civil war yet, 28,000 Union soldiers up against 33,000 confederate soldiers. In the end, both sides lost more than 800 men combined. The Union was commanded by McDowell, and the confederate commanded by Beauregard. This battle is where General Thomas Jackson got the nickname "Stonewall" because he stood like a stone wall when the Union had the rest of the Confederates on the retreat at the beginning of the battle. The Union was pushing the Confederate army towards Henry House Hill, to the south-east, trying to drive them away from Washington and to get them closer to Richmond. At the time, Richmond was the capitol of the Confederate states. Jackson ended up not getting himself and all of his men killed by not retreating, and actually did the Confederates a service because he was able to hold of the Union army until General Johnston came with 9,000 men to reinforce the Confederates. By that point, the Confederate army was on Henry House Hill. Now, the Confederates had the Union on the run for Washington because they were able to overpower McDowell's army. Even though the South won, they still suffered. In the end, about 387 men were dead in Beauregard's side, and 460 men were dead in the Union army. The First Battle of Bull Run is also called the Battle of Manassas by southerners.