Battle of Bull Run, Virginia (1)

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The (I) Battle of Bull Run
The (I) Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run Kurz & Allison(wiki).jpg
In the White House
Battle Information
Date: July 21, 1861
Location: Fairfax County, Virginia /
Prince William County, Virginia
Result: Confederate victory
Nation Casualties: Union and Confederate casualty counter
State Casualties: State casualty counter


The (I) Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also referred to as the (I) Battle of Manassas by Confederate forces), was fought on July 21, 1861 in Prince William County, Virginia, just north of the city of Manassas, Virginia and about 25 miles west-southwest of Washington, D.C. It was the first major battle of the American Civil War. Delays in positioning Union forces allowed Confederate reinforcements time to arrive by rail. Each side mustered about 18,000 poorly trained and poorly led troops in their first battle (though the Union kept some 17,000 in reserve who saw no action that day). It was a Confederate victory, followed by a disorganized retreat of the Union forces.

  • Also rarely referred to as the Battle of Young's Branch

Sub-Operations

Union Order of Battle

Overall Command
Battle of Bull Run, Virginia - Union Order of Battle, July 21, 1861

The Army of Northeastern Virginia under Brigadier General Irvin McDowell was organized into 5 infantry divisions of 3-5 brigades each. Each brigade contained 3-5 infantry regiments and generally contained and artillery battery as well.

Sources estimate that over 35,000 Union troops were present at the battle, but only about 18,000 or so were actually engaged through the day.

While McDowell organized this army, a smaller Union command was organized and stationed northwest of Washington, near Harper's Ferry. Commanded by Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson, 18,000 men of the Department of Pennsylvania protected against a Confederate incursion from the Shenandoah Valley.

Commanding Officer:

General Staff:

Army of Northeastern Virginia
Division Brigade Regiments and
Smaller Units
1st Division

Daniel Tyler, Brigadier General
1st Brigade

Erasmus D. Keyes, Colonel
2nd Brigade

Robert C. Schenck, Brigadier General
3rd Brigade

William T. Sherman, Colonel
4th Brigade

Israel B. Richardson, Colonel
2nd Division

David Hunter, Colonel
Andrew Porter, Colonel
1st Brigade

Andrew Porter, Colonel
2nd Brigade

Ambrose Burnside, Colonel
3rd Division

Samuel P. Heintzelman, Colonel
1st Brigade

William B. Franklin, Colonel
2nd Brigade

Orlando B. Willcox, Colonel, J.H. Hobart Ward, Colonel
3rd Brigade

Oliver O. Howard, Colonel
4th (Reserve) Division[4]

Theodore Runyon, Brigadier General
(no brigade organization)
5th Division

Dixon S. Miles, Colonel
1st Brigade[5]

Louis Blenker, Colonel
2nd Brigade

Thomas A. Davies, Colonel

Confederate Order of Battle

Overall Command
Battle of Bull Run, Virginia - Confederate Order of Battle for the Army of the Potomac, July 21, 1861
Battle of Bull Run, Virginia - Confederate Order of Battle for the Army of the Shenandoah, July 21, 1861

Because many officers in the Confederate States were graduates of the same military academies as the Union officers, the armies functioned in a similar manner, at least initially. Both sides had studied the same military doctrines and theory, and both sides used the same tactics against each other with varying success depending on the particular scenario. Unlike their Union counterparts however, there are no Divisions in these armies yet, and each Brigade organization includes units of cavalry in addition to artillery units.

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

Commanding Officer:

General Staff:

Headquarters Escort:

  • Lay's Squadron (Virginia) Cavalry - John F. Lay, Captain

ARMY OF THE SHENANDOAH

Commanding Officer:

  • Joseph E. Johnston, Brigadier General

General Staff:

Army of the Potomac
Brigade Regiments and
Smaller Units
1st Brigade

Milledge Bonham, Brigadier General
2nd Brigade

Richard Ewell, Brigadier General
3rd Brigade

David Jones, Brigadier General
4th Brigade

James Longstreet, Brigadier General
5th Brigade

Philip St. George Cocke, Colonel
6th Brigade

Jubal A. Early, Colonel
7th (Demi) Brigade

Nathan Evans, Colonel
Reserve Brigade

Theophilus Holmes, Colonel
Unassigned Infantry
Army of the Shenandoah
Brigade Regiments and
Smaller Units
1st Brigade

Thomas Jackson, Brigadier General
2nd Brigade

Francis S. Bartow, Colonel
Lucius J. Gartrell, Colonel
3rd Brigade

Barnard Bee (Jr.), Brigadier General
States Rights Gist, Colonel
4th Brigade

Edmund Smith, Brigadier General
Arnold Elzey, Brigadier General
Artillery
Cavalry

Casualties

  • Union: 470 killed, 1,071 wounded, 1,792 captured/missing = Total 3,334

Notes

  1. Not originally referenced on Dyer summary, but referenced on unit homepage - at this time, the battery formed a company of this regiment and was engaged
  2. Commanded the regiment when Colonel McConnell was sick (see: Richardson's report)
  3. Assigned to this brigade but not present at this battle - Longacre, Edward G. (2014). The Early Morning of War: Bull Run, 1861. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806147611., page 23
  4. Not engaged
  5. In reserve at Centreville, Virginia - engaged in skirmishing with the enemy while covering the retreat of the Army but not engaged in the battle proper
  6. This consisted of the field guns of the 8th Regiment New York State Militia Infantry, manned by detachments from the 8th and 29th New York Infantry
  7. Varian's 1st Troop Washington Grays at civilwararchive.com
  8. Remained at Manassas Junction (see: F. Ray Sibley, Jr., The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1, The Army of Northern Virginia, page 221/Note 55)

Sources