Obscurity? The very first invasion by the Union forces? Why, I think you'd be chomping at the bit to inform me that his orders from Lincoln were "Go down to the South and Abolish Slavery!"
Yes people, the Grand Old Army of the Republic was sent to South Carolina to free the slaves! That was it's sole task. That was what it was instructed to do by the right and righteous government of our awe inspiring Republic!
McDowell was doing the Lord's work, because after four score and seven years of existence, the President woke up one day and declared that slavery shall be abolished, and so he sent his General to the south to utterly wipe out the institution of slavery. Ain't that right rockrr?
Why they should teach that in history! Irving McDowell was the right arm of the lord, saying "Let my People go!"
It was his one and only purpose in crossing that border, he was sent to free the slaves!
Why i'm surprised that a man such as yourself, who cares so greatly and deeply about the issue of slavery, that he thinks the lives of 600,000 men and the costs of billions of dollars of wealth and a legacy of Fedzilla, were a fair trade for abolishing the wickedness that is slavery, but is somehow unaware that the First Army to strike a blow for freedom was commanded by Brig. General Irvin McDowell, with 35,000 good soldiers at his back!
You are slipping. I would think you would know the name of the great Liberator, that Saint of a man who attempted to strike the chains off of the legs of all those bound people.
So now you know, and I want you to go around telling EVERYBODY that the First man (apart from John Brown) to march into the South to Liberate the slaves, was General Irvin McDowell! Hip hip Horaah! Hip hip Horaah! Hip hip Horaah!