The First Battle of Bull Run was fought on July 21, 1861 in Virginia. The Union commander, Irvin McDowell, wanted to go to Richmond and engage the Confederates in battle. He would use two-thirds of his men to make a frontal attack on the army, then at the same time launch a surprise attack. McDowell planned to do this with the remainder of his army against and behind the right flank. The ultimate goal was to get behind the Confederates to keep them from going back into Richmond. The North thought that this battle would be won swiftly, and that it would give them the military victory they would need to stop the war. In fact, spectators had come out to watch the battle, but there was a problem: the troops that McDowell had were very inexperienced and the plan had to be intricately carried out.
McDowell started the attack in the early hours of the morning, with 12,000 men, commanded by generals David Hunter and Samuel Heintzelman. On their way, they unintentionally bumped into a troop of 8,000 Union men. This made the trip hours long, when their target was only a few miles away.
When they arrived at their target, Union men started the battle by firing artillery rounds. The Confederates immediately ordered a counterattack. There was a plan at the spur of the moment by the Confederate commander, P. G. T. Beauregard, but his men all misinterpreted what they were supposed to be doing. Since this was the first battle of the Civil War, there was much confusion on both sides.
The North had the advantage of knowing what they were doing ahead of time, and almost won the battle, but there were more Confederate soldiers on the way. Going bold, Southern soldiers charged through the Northern line in the late afternoon. The end of the battle came when many Union soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, which ended up being the retreat of the Northern soldiers.
Even though the Confederates won, the troops could not pursue the retreating Union soldiers because they were too disorganized with their casualties. The outcome of the Battle of Bull Run was that Northerners who expected a fast win over the Southerners had to regroup away from the battle field and tend to their numerous casualties. The Southern army failed to finish the victory and the Northern army. Both sides came to realize that this would not be a fast and clean war with so much destruction.
Accusations on the Confederate side swirled and blame was placed upon President Jefferson Davis, Johnston, and Beauregard for not chasing down the enemy after the battle. On the Union side, McDowell was relieved of his command by President Lincoln who then placed George B. McClellan in charge. McClellan would then change the Union into a organized fighting army that became known as the Army of the Potomac.
During this battle, Clara Barton helped to tend the wounded soldiers as they arrived in Washington D.C. She then established an agency that collected and distributed supplies to wounded soldiers in April 1862, after the Battle of Bull Run.
McDowell started the attack in the early hours of the morning, with 12,000 men, commanded by generals David Hunter and Samuel Heintzelman. On their way, they unintentionally bumped into a troop of 8,000 Union men. This made the trip hours long, when their target was only a few miles away.
When they arrived at their target, Union men started the battle by firing artillery rounds. The Confederates immediately ordered a counterattack. There was a plan at the spur of the moment by the Confederate commander, P. G. T. Beauregard, but his men all misinterpreted what they were supposed to be doing. Since this was the first battle of the Civil War, there was much confusion on both sides.
The North had the advantage of knowing what they were doing ahead of time, and almost won the battle, but there were more Confederate soldiers on the way. Going bold, Southern soldiers charged through the Northern line in the late afternoon. The end of the battle came when many Union soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, which ended up being the retreat of the Northern soldiers.
Even though the Confederates won, the troops could not pursue the retreating Union soldiers because they were too disorganized with their casualties. The outcome of the Battle of Bull Run was that Northerners who expected a fast win over the Southerners had to regroup away from the battle field and tend to their numerous casualties. The Southern army failed to finish the victory and the Northern army. Both sides came to realize that this would not be a fast and clean war with so much destruction.
Accusations on the Confederate side swirled and blame was placed upon President Jefferson Davis, Johnston, and Beauregard for not chasing down the enemy after the battle. On the Union side, McDowell was relieved of his command by President Lincoln who then placed George B. McClellan in charge. McClellan would then change the Union into a organized fighting army that became known as the Army of the Potomac.
During this battle, Clara Barton helped to tend the wounded soldiers as they arrived in Washington D.C. She then established an agency that collected and distributed supplies to wounded soldiers in April 1862, after the Battle of Bull Run.