The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The Battle of 1st Manassas (1st Bull Run) - Feb. 14th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The Foxhole Revisits

First Manassas
The South's First Victory

The first major battle of the Civil War was fought in Virginia, near the Manassas, Virginia railway junction, after which the battle is called (or First Bull Run, named after the flowing stream on the battlefield, if of the Union persuasion).

The armies in this first battle were not very large by later Civil War standards. The Federal forces under Brigadier General Irvin McDowell were organized into four divisions (five, if one includes Runyan's division), of about 30,000 men. These divisions were commanded by Tyler, Hunter, Heintzelman, (Runyan), and Miles.

The Confederate command structure was somewhat more unwieldy, including two "armies", with no division structure and thirteen independent brigades under Bonham, Ewell, Jones, Longstreet, Cocke, Early, Holmes, Kershaw, Evans, Jackson, Bartow, Bee, Smith, and a cavalry brigade under Stuart. The Confederate Army of the Potomac was under the command of Brigadier General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, and the Army of the Shenandoah was commanded by Brigadier General Joseph E. Johnston. These two forces would equal McDowell's strength.



Interestingly enough, each commander had planned to initiate an attack on the other side with a feint attack on the enemy's right flank and a massed attack on the opposite flank. Had this been done simultaneously, and both been successful in their purpose, the two armies would have simply pivoted around each other and ended up in each other's rear, able to march unopposed to Washington or Richmond, as the case may be. As it turned out, the general least successful in initiating this movement was the winner.

McDowell had planned to use Tyler's division as the diversionary attack at the Stone Bridge, while Davies' brigade did the same at Blackburn's Ford. At the same time, Hunter's and Heintzelman's divisions would cross Bull Run at Sudley Springs and attack from the north.




McDowell's green troops involved in the flanking column, reached their jumping off positions two and a half hours behind schedule. Tyler's and Davies' attacks at the Stone Bridge and Blackburn's Ford were already well under way, and the Confederate high command was beginning to sense a ruse because the Union attacks were not pressed very hard.



When Beauregard was notified that Federal troops were massing on his left flank, he realized that this must be the main attack so began to shift his own troop dispositions.

The Federals had about 18,000 men in the main attack column and it was only thanks to the quick reactions of Colonel "Shank" Evans and his small brigade that Beauregard did not suffer a major disaster. He quickly moved his small force to Matthew's Hill to block the Federal move.



Sounds of the fighting drew other brigade commanders to Evans' aid on their own initiative. Brigadier General Barnard Bee and Colonel Bartow joined Evans' defensive line and deployed their men to his right to extend and strengthen it.



The Confederate position was still badly outnumbered however, and eventually the weight of those numbers began to be felt. With Tyler's division threatening the right flank and rear of the Confederate position after having forced a crossing at the Stone Bridge, and their left flank now being overlapped by Federal reinforcements, the three Confederate brigades broke to the rear, heading toward the cleared plateau of the Henry House Hill.



Unfortunately for the Federals, they were slow to follow-up their success and allowed the Southern brigade commanders to rally the remnants of their units behind Jackson's brigade which had just arrived and formed a line of battle on the reverse slope of Henry House Hill.



In the meantime, McDowell ordered two artillery batteries to advance to silence the defensive fire. Rickett's Battery and Griffin's Battery advanced to well within musket range of the Confederate positions near the crest of the hill. These batteries were counterattacked by Confederate infantry and overrun and although it is still somewhat an open question, most historians give credit to the 33rd Virginia Infantry, although the 6th North Carolina State Troops, and elements of the 2nd Mississippi Infantry also claim credit for silencing Ricketts.

This counterattack also routed the infantry supports to the guns -- a battalion of U. S. Marines and the 11th New York Infantry, the famed Fire Zouaves. The loss of the guns became a focal point for see-saw attacks and counterattacks by each side, with the possession of the guns changing hands several times.



Finally having accumulated enough units to not only stabilize the Confederate lines, but also overlap the right flank of the Federal lines, the order was given for a general advance by Beauregard. This attack caved-in the Federal right and what began as a fairly orderly retreat turned into a disorganized rout. The equally tired and inexperienced Confederates however, were in no shape to conduct an effective pursuit, so the battle ended. The Federals lost about 3,000 casualties (killed, wounded, and captured or missing), and the Confederates suffered about 2,000.

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[SAMWolf]

Hi Stay at home Mother.

Thanks for the directions and the info on current events at Manassas.

I'm surprised they haven't tried to change the name of "Lee Highway" yet.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Darksheare. Wonder how that would have turned out.

[Darksheare]

In my mind's eye, I see two kids circling each other while saying, "C'mon! Fight!"
But with national consequences instead.
Weird.
Happy Valentine's Day.

[Darksheare]

Morning (your way).
Yeah, that would have been extremely weird if the initial plans had come off without a hitch.

[SAMWolf]

Of course they could have spent days circling around trying to catch each other too. ;-)

[Darksheare]

Oh THAT would've been hysterical history to read.
"The combatants seemed to be unable to locate each other for several days despite being less than a mile apart and covering the same circular path around the area."

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. Which way did he go?

[U S Army EOD]

YEEEEEEHAAAAA!!!!!! We got the Yankees on the run.

[StayAt HomeMother]

SAMWolf writes, "I'm surprised they haven't tried to change the name of "Lee Highway" yet.

Another major road in the area is Highway 50, which is the Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway. Virginia place names represent a variety of historic periods and political persuasions including the British (Lord Fairfax; William and Mary, and "Virginia" itself, named for the Virgin Queen Elizabeth).

Much of the Civil War was fought in Virginia -- Washington and Richmond are only about a hundred miles apart. One ironic little Civil War tale involves Wilmer McLean. Bull Run/Manassas, the first major battle of the Civil War, was fought in part on McLean's farm and a Union shell exploded in his summer kitchen. The aging Virginian moved his family "far south and west of Richmond, out of harm's way, he prayed, to a dusty little crossroads called Appomattox Court House. And it was there, in his living room three and one-half years later, that Lee surrendered to Grant. Wilmer McLean could rightfully say that `The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor.' " ["The Civil War" by Ken Burns]

So yes, even close to DC we still have many sites named after Confederates. Liberal Arlington has Washington-Lee High School; adjacent Fairfax County has both Lee High School and JEB Stuart High School.

[SAMWolf]

Much of the Civil War was fought in Virginia -- Washington and Richmond are only about a hundred miles apart. One ironic little Civil War tale involves Wilmer McLean. Bull Run/Manassas, the first major battle of the Civil War, was fought in part on McLean's farm and a Union shell exploded in his summer kitchen. The aging Virginian moved his family "far south and west of Richmond, out of harm's way, he prayed, to a dusty little crossroads called Appomattox Court House. And it was there, in his living room three and one-half years later, that Lee surrendered to Grant. Wilmer McLean could rightfully say that `The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor.' " ["The Civil War" by Ken Burns]

Thanks for that interesting piece of Americana. Wonder what the odds were on that happening?

[SAMWolf]

Morning EOD. Some ran all the way back to Washington from what I heard

[Darksheare]

*CHUCKLE*
Yeah, about right.
Two guys on either side of a hedgerow.
"Where do you suppose those johnny rebs/dang yankees are?"

Would have been interesting history to read about if it had gone that way.
BUT, it didn't.
So we read about a blundered battle by one side, and people running like frightened cattle.
And civilians holding picnics off to the side to see teh 'glorious battle' according to rumor.
*snort*
Ugh, I will never understand human thought I'm afraid.
And being human doesn't guarantee understanding of such.

[snippy_about_it]

And civilians holding picnics off to the side to see teh 'glorious battle' according to rumor.

Isn't that something, hearing about folks going out to watch the battles. Amazing.

[U S Army EOD]

Stampeded would be a better description.

[snippy_about_it]

Good evening EOD!

[stand watie]

!!!!!!!!

[stand watie]

GA, Sam!

free dixie,sw

[SAMWolf]

Free Dixie!

[U S Army EOD]

And how are you snippy, check the, "Useful Fools, Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry" for the most recent post. I think we have them of the run also. A little help would be greatly appreciated.

[stand watie]

free the southland BUMP!