Transcript Sparks Civil War First Manassas Bull Run STUDENT

Mr. Sparks
American Civil War
1st Manassas / Bull Run
First Bull Run/Manassas
July 21, 1861
The First Battle of Bull Run took place
on July 21, 1861. General Irvin
McDowell led the Union army toward
Richmond, Virginia. General P.G.T.
Beauregard’s Confederate troops
intercepted them. The battle lasted
about five hours. Confederate forces
began to retreat due to losses, except
General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
who continued to fight until
reinforcements arrived. The
reenergized Confederates pushed
McDowell’s forces out of the area.
Union casualties were high, almost
three thousand; and the Confederates
suffered two thousand casualties.
Virginia
1st Manassas / Bull Run
July 21, 1861
• First Battle in the Civil War between two
armies
• Both Armies Inexperienced and
Unorganized
• The south sat on land of their choosing
• 20 Miles West of Washington
• Spectators foolishly came to watch
Location
D.C.
Bull Run
20 Miles West of D.C.
Pressure from Washington
and Richmond
• Politicians put
Great pressure on a
fast fight
• Northerners only
enlisted for 90 days
• Both sides had NO
CLUE about war
(except for those
Edwin Stanton
tough soldiers)
Sec. of War
Pres.
Lincoln
The people
were so sure
the battle
would be
short, that they
often packed a
picnic lunch to
eat on the
nearby hilltop.
This poster
Illustrates such a
picnic, as well as, the
flags of the North
and South.
Statistics of Battle
• Union: McDowell; 32,000 men
–Casualties: 3,000
Irvin McDowell
• CSA : Beauregard; 28,000
–Casualties: 2,000
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
First Manassas:
Morning of July 21, 1861
• On this morning, McDowell,the North, sent his
attack columns in a long march north toward
Sudley Springs Ford. This route took the North
around the South left. To distract the
Southerners, McDowell ordered a diversionary
attack where the Warrenton Turnpike crossed
Bull Run at the Stone Bridge. At 5:30 a.m. the
deep-throated roar of a 30-pounder Parrott rifle
shattered the morning calm, and signaled the
start of battle.
McDowell’s new plan depended on
speed & surprise. Valuable time was
lost as the men stumbled through the
darkness along narrow roads.
Southern Col. Nathan Evans, soon
realized that the attack on his front
was only a diversion. Leaving a small
force to hold the bridge, Evans rushed
the remainder of his command to
Matthews Hill in time to check
McDowell’s lead unit. But Evans’
force was too small to hold back the
South for long.
Soon the Southern brigades under
Barnard Bee and Francis Bartow
marched to Evans’ assistance. But
even with these reinforcements, the thin
gray line (the South) collapsed and the
Southerners fled in disorder toward
Henry Hill. Attempting to rally his
men, Bee used Gen. Thomas J
Jackson’s newly arrived brigade as an
anchor.
Odd Facts: Liked to chew on lemons, Very
religious (wouldn’t send a letter that would be
in the mail on a Sunday, very strict/stern).
 
Stonewall Jackson
• General Bee said…“Jackson stands there like a
Stonewall, rally behind the Virginians”. Bee was
killed almost instantly after this quote…he never
knew how powerful his quote would bee [sic].
• General Thomas Jackson…did not move his men
• The name is now Legendary.
The Fight for Rickett’s
Guns
Shells were exploding overhead as
Ricketts’ men dueled Stonewall Jackson’s
artillery, directly across the field.
Sharpshooters’ bullets thumped into the
wooden lumber chests. Suddenly from the
far woods came an eerie, blood-chilling
cry—the rebel yell. Through dense smoke
Ricketts could see Confederate infantry
starting across the field.
Up to that moment the Confederates
appeared to be losing the battle, and possibly
the war. Here is where the battle shifted.
At Henry House the battle rushed toward
an unexpected turn at Rickett’s guns.
Captain Ricketts, in his official report, described
the fire from Henry House and then the
Confederate charge!
First Manassas:
Afternoon of July 21, 1861
• About noon, the Union stopped their advance to
reorganize for a new attack. The lull lasted for
about an hour, giving the Confederates enough
time to reform their lines. Then the fighting
resumed, each side trying to force the other off
Henry Hill.
• Then the battle continued until just after 4
p.m., when fresh Southern units crashed into
the Union right flank on Chinn Ridge, causing
McDowell’s tired & discouraged soldiers to
withdraw.
At first the withdrawal was orderly.
Protected by the regulars,, the 3 month
volunteers retired across Bull Run,
where they found the road to
Washington jammed with the carriages
of congressmen and others who had
driven out to Centreville to watch the
fight. Panic now seized many of the
soldiers and the retreat became a riot.
The Confederates though bolstered by
the arrival of President Jefferson Davis
on the field just as the battle was
ending, were too disorganized to follow
up their success. Daybreak on July 22
found the defeated Union army back
behind the defenses of Washington.
Jefferson Davis
Pres. of the CSA
Henry House
After 1st. Battle, then March 1862
The Stone House
March 1862
The Stone House was the home of the Henry Matthews
family during the Civil War. The house served as a
hospital following the 1st. battle of Manassas
Putting It All Together
By war’s end in April 1865, more than 620,000
soldiers would lose their lives. The civilian
population of the nation also was affected by the
events at Manassas. Those who lived near the
battlefields, like the Henrys, had their livelihood
ruined because the battles were fought on their
property. Others who lived hundreds of miles away,
were devastated by the loss of a cherished family
member. No longer would Americans think of the
Civil War as an entertaining spectacle, as had the
Washingtonians who followed the troops to view this
conflict.
Final Outcome
•
•
•
•
Extremely disorganized fighting
Soldiers fought with courage
Turn into a CSA rout! Huge Victory!
Three things are now known:
– The South can fight
– The war will last
– Both Armies need Organization!
George McClellan
• New Commanding General:
Army of the Potomac - he’ll
make the army:
– Super organized
– Super Trained
– Super Equipped
– Super Large
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
Designed the Confederate Southern Cross
after the battle because the Union and
Confederate flags looked too similar.
Stars & Bars 
Southern Cross 
Union Flag (34 Stars)