Civil War Battles – First Manassas or Bull Run
Inexperienced Northern and Southern Men Clash for the First Time
Oct 6, 2009
In the last article, the Lower South, with South Carolina in the lead, seceded from the Union in protest of Abraham Lincoln, an anti-slavery president, being elected. After 30 hours of bombardment, South Carolina managed to drive away the federal garrison at Forth Sumter.
A quick note on the nomenclature of Civil War battles, the Union tended to name their battles after bodies of nearby water, in this case Bull Run Creek, while the Confederates used the names of nearby towns, in this case Manassas Junction, which served as a railroad linking the Shenandoah Valley to the Lower South.
Background
After Fort Sumter, an emboldened Confederacy continued to occupy federal installations in the South, forcing Lincoln to call for more troops to quell the rebellion. He received sharp rebuffs from many Southern governors, who felt their rights were being trampled on by the federal government.
In the coming months the states of Virginia (April 1861), Arkansas (May 1861), North Carolina (May 1861), and Tennessee (June 1861), states referred to as the Upper South, would leave the Union, thus making the Confederate States of America eleven states strong, with a new capital in Richmond, Virginia. This was significant since these states contained most of the South’s natural resources, industry, and its white population, which would form the bulk of their armies. Of the other states consisting of the Upper South, the states of Delaware, Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky, and West Virginia, all slave-holding states, would remain in the Union, mostly due to strong Union sentiment.
The overall Union strategy was shaped by General Winfield Scott, a hero of the Mexican War, and consisted of splitting the South into two parts via capture of the Mississippi River, and blockading the South’s ports to prevent their crops from reaching Europe. It became known as the Anaconda Plan since it resembled a giant anaconda choking the life from its victim.
The overall Confederate strategy was similar to that of the one adopted by George Washington many years earlier – defeat the enemy through attrition. The South had no intention of winning the war; simply not losing would be sufficient. It was a difficult task since the Confederacy was roughly 750,000 square miles, the size of Western Russia.
The Composition of Forces
The Union Army at the time consisted of around 35,000 men under the command of General Irvin McDowell. He was not an experienced commander, and he made this known to Lincoln at a strategy session, but Lincoln simply replied, “You are green, it is true. But they are green as well.” In July of 1861, McDowell set out to retake Manassas Junction from the Confederate troops occupying it. In addition, he had another 15,000 men under the command of Robert Patterson, whose job it was to keep Johnston’s men occupied at Shenandoah.
The Confederate forces were divided into two groups– the first group of 20,000, commanded by P.G.T Beauregard (of Fort Sumter fame), was at Manassas Junction with support from another 18,000 under Joseph Johnston, located at Shenandoah.
The Battle
The strategy for the Confederates was simple – don’t lose. Beauregard stationed the bulk of his army to defend the railroad, and counted on the element of surprise. He expected a flank attack on the railroad, and spread his troops out along Bull Run Creek in anticipation.
However, McDowell made a surprise attack by fording Bull Run Creek, catching 4,500 Confederates off-guard. Hours went by with both sides exchanging volleys. Eventually the Union got the upper hand, and forced the Confederates to retreat. They decided to make a final stand at Henry House Hill.
It was here that a man named Thomas Jackson would earn the nickname “Stonewall,” when he stood in front of a Union volley, causing a Confederate commander to shout, “There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians.” Some accounts claim that the Confederate commander meant this comment sarcastically, and was expressing anger at Jackson’s recklessness. Nevertheless, the nickname stood.
It was at Henry House Hill that the tide began to turn in favor of the Confederates. The Union was unable to launch a strong enough assault to dislodge the Confederates, and furthermore, Johnston’s men managed to elude Patterson, and reinforce Beauregard at Manassas. With the two Confederate generals united, and the Union troops wondering where their own reinforcements were, the battle turned into a rout as Union troops began to retreat.
Results
The casualty numbers were light, with the Union’s losses amounting to around 625 captured/killed, and 950 wounded. The Confederates lost 400, with over 1,600 wounded.
Jefferson Davis rode out to the battlefield himself to see what was going on, and instructed Beauregard and Johnston to pursue, but the army was in chaos and disorganized, so they could not comply.
From a concrete strategic standpoint, the only thing the South gained was a grace period of 8 months while the Union decided on a new strategy; however, the psychological effects were more apparent, as the victory was exaggerated and celebrated in the South with the assumption that the Union was broken. One of the things illustrated by this battle was just how inexperienced both sides were in orchestrating a conflict of this caliber. McDowell’s offensive plan was a poor choice for an inexperienced commander and green troops since it required timing and coordination that was difficult to pull off.
That was not the case, and the coming months would see some of the greatest slaughter in American History.
Sources:
Eicher, David. Civil War Battlefields – A Touring Guide. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company.
McPherson, James M. The Illustrated Battle Cry of Freedom. New York. Oxford University Press.
 |
