On April 18th, Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee met with U.S. General of the Army Winfield Scott in Washington across the Potomac River from Lee's home in Arlington, Va. At this meeting, Lee was offered command of all the Federal forces then mustering for the oncoming conflict against the southern secessionists. Virginia had just announced her secession from the Union on the previous day. On April 12th, the Confederacy had fired on Fort Sumter.
Lee declined Scott's offer stating: "I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home, my children."
Two days later, Lee sent Scott a letter resigning his commission in the U.S. Army.
Now Hancock needed a field commander for his army. On May 15th, the command was given to Irvin McDowell.
McDowell had never before commanded troops in the field. He had been a Major serving in the Adjutant General's Office in Washington. But he had a mentor in Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase who lobbied Scott for the appointment.
So now McDowell was promoted to Brigadier General for the Army of Northeastern Virginia.
McDowell knew that his troops were inexperienced and not ready for combat, but he was under pressure from Washington politicians, including Abraham Lincoln, to launch a campaign against Virginia, capture Richmond, and perhaps bring the war to a speedy conclusion.
When McDowell complained to Lincoln about what he considered to be a premature campaign. Lincoln told him: "You are green, it is true; but they are green also; you are all green alike."
So, against his better judgement, McDowell began his campaign. On July 16th, 1861 he left Washington at the head of about 35,000 troops -- at that time the largest field army ever to march on the North American continent. Tagging along with the troops, rode a gaggle of reporters, congressmen, and a number of Washington's high society traveling in carriages. They were all eager to witness what they were sure would be a resounding victory.
His plan was to first relieve the pressure on the American capital. This pressure was in the form of a Confederate force of around 22,000 men under General P.G.T. Beauregard. They were barely 25 miles from Washington in the area around Manassas Junction deployed along a creek by the name of Bull Run.
McDowell planned to split his force into three columns. He would lead 2 columns which would be a feint against the Bull Run position, while a third would move around the Confederate right flank, cutting the railroad and threatening the rear of Beauregard's forces.
He assumed that Beauregard would abandon his position along Bull Run and fall back to another position along the Rappahannock River. This would have the effect, at the least, of getting the Confederates away from Washington.
At this time, in the beginning of the war, the men belonging to both armies were still inadequately trained. Worse, the overwhelming number of officers had no experience leading troops in combat. These troops were inclined to vote on whether or not an order was to be followed.
But the Confederates were slightly better organised.
After two days on the march in the blazing summer heat, McDowell let his troops rest in Centreville, then sent a force of around 5,000 men to try to get around the Confederate right flank. This attack was repulsed.
Frustrated, McDowell decided to attack the Confederate left flank instead.
Although his plan was sound, it had a flaw. It required synchronized troop movements and attacks -- skills that had not yet been acquired in his brand new and scarcely trained army.
While the civilian high-society camp followers brought out their picnic baskets, McDowell attacked on the morning of July 21st.
By this time, Beauregard had been reinforced by another force under Brig. General Joseph Johnston who arrived by train from the Shenandoah Valley. This was the first time in war that armies were moved in this fashion.
Inexperience on both sides abounded during the battle. Infantry was used mainly to support artillery batteries, and often these batteries were poorly placed. Positions were taken and then re-taken.
There was also a goodly amount of confusion regarding uniforms. Some Confederate troops had blue uniforms, and some Union troops had grey uniforms. There were several incidents of troops firing on their own side as a result.
And at one point, the tactics of both sides took an almost comical turn as the Union forces tried to attack on the Confederate left flank, as the Confederates were attacking the Union left flank, creating a "pinwheel" effect.
But it was a near thing for the Union troops. It took a great performance by a brigade of Confederate troops under (then Colonel) Thomas J. Jackson to stem the Union tide. Jackson received his nickname "Stonewall" from this performance.
At around 4:00pm two newly arrived Confederate brigades crushed a Union brigade on the Union right flank. Beauregard then ordered a general assault all along the line.
The Federals began to retreat -- which was orderly at first, but Union officers mishandled the affair once Confederate shells began falling on the retreating men.
The retreat now turned into a rout. It became a panic-stricken mob of soldiers, congressmen, reporters, and high society all scrambling to get back to Washington.
Fortunately for them and for Washington, Beauregard and Johnston declined to press the issue, and followed them only part way to Washington.
Everyone was shocked by the casualties.
Union casualties were 460 killed, 1,124 wounded, and 1,312 missing or captured. The Confederates lost 387 killed, 1,582 wounded, and 13 missing.
These casualties figures were dwarfed by the massive casualties of later events, but now both sides realized that this was going to be a long and costly war.
