Bull Run, a stream in Virginia, was the site of two major battles during the American Civil War. The first battle in 1861 was a Confederate victory and shocked the Union, while the second battle in 1862 had enormous losses on both sides but resulted in another Confederate victory. The historic battle sites are now preserved as Manassas National Battlefield Park.
Bull Run is a stream in northern Virginia that is best known for two military engagements that occurred there during the American Civil War. The first of these, which occurred on July 21, 1861, was the first major military engagement between the Union and Confederate armies (North and South). The second battle lasted three days and began on August 28, 1862. Both may be called the Battle or Battles of Bull Run, although the former is often called the Battle of Manassas, and the latter may also occasionally be known as the Battle of Groveton or Second Manassas.
Often the first battle is best known for its significance to the Union in terms of how it viewed the war and the way it raised Southern confidence. Many people in the north felt that the Union armies would quickly defeat the Confederacy, and there was great pressure placed on the government and military to move decisively against the Confederacy and end the war. On both sides, the armies’ recruits were relatively untrained, but despite this, President Lincoln eventually convinced Brigadier General Irvin McDowell to move his troops into Northern Virginia. It was hoped that cutting access to the railroad below Bull Run would reduce the Confederate army’s chances and leave a clear path for the Union to capture the Confederate capital.
The march to Bull Run was just over 20 miles from where the troops were, and there was little subterfuge in the march of over 30,000 men, which lasted two days. The Confederacy was well prepared for the arrival of Union soldiers. The slow march was simply an indication of the Union soldiers’ inexperience, and the loss of battle was yet another. After fierce fighting, the Union army was forced to retreat with losses exceeding those of the Confederacy by about 1,000 men.
For Northerners, the First Battle of Bull Run was ultimately daunting. He let down people in the Union who thought the South would be easy to beat. The ferocity with which the Confederacy had defended Bull Run meant a long engagement and a long battle ahead for both sides. The Confederate victory did much to hearten the South for even more fighting.
The Second Battle of Bull Run was a much larger engagement, involving approximately 62,000 Union troops and 50,000 Confederate troops. Losses were enormous on both sides with over 3,000 Union and Confederate dead. Again, fortune favored the defending army instead of the attackers, and the Confederacy was able to defeat the Union. This again revived and raised Confederate hopes of an eventual victory.
Many of the historic Civil War battle sites have been preserved, and today, people can visit Manassas National Battlefield Park. The country was even divided, and sometimes remains so on what to call these battles. Bull Run remains a Northern name for the two engagements, while the Southern may still prefer to call them the First and Second Battles of Manassas. The National Park Service has followed Southern conventions in this regard.
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