U.S. History
First Bull Run
The first Bull Run is a major battle of the Civil War that took place at a stream named Bull Run, near Manassas in northern Virginia, on July 21, 1861. Therefore, it is also called the Battle of Manassas. The two sides are the Confederates, which were led by Pierre G.T. Beauregar, and the Federals, which were led by Irvin McDowell. (Encyclopedia Britannica Online)
When the Confederacy moved its capital to Rchimond, Virginia, 100 miles from Washington D.C., everyone expected a crucial battle is going to happen between the two cities.
In the spring of 1861, Beauregar led 35,000 Confederate troops to north to protect Richmond from invasion. On July 18, McDowell marched his army of 37,000 to Virginia. It took the Northern troops to and a half days to get there. (ushistory.org) These troops were 90-day volunteers summoned by president Abraham Lincoln. Therefore, called from shops and farms, the soldiers had little knowledge about what a war would mean. (National Parks Service)
From Union Mills to the Stone Bridge, there were 22,000 Southern troops waiting there under the command of Beauregar. McDowell's first attempt to Confederate right flank had been interrupted. In the mean time, Beauregar asked Confederate government at Richmond for help.
The battle on Henry Hill was the final place where the victory had been decided. At noon, the Federals stopped their advance to the Hill in order to reorganize a new attack. The lull lasted for about an hour, giving the Confederates enough time to reform their lines. Then the fighting resumed, each side was trying to force the other off Hill. Until after 4pm, when Southern units crashed into the Union right flank on Chinn Ridge, McDowell's tired and discouraged soldiers withdrew. (National Parks Service)
Citation:
battles of Bull Run | American Civil War (Encyclopedia Britannica Online)
http://www.britannica.com/event/battles-of-Bull-Run
First Blood and Its Aftermath (ushistory.org)
http://www.ushistory.org/us/33c.asp
The Battle of First Manassas  (First Bull Run)  (National Parks Service)
By: United States. National Park Service.
http://www.nps.gov/mana/learn/historyculture/first-manassas.htm
The Civil War: opposing viewpoints
By: Dudley, William.
Greenhaven Press
1995
The Confederate won the battle.However, there are different viewpoints on this results. Some people think it was an inspiring victory for Sourth and a stinging defeat for North, because the South had driven the North troops into a disorganized and panic retreat back to their intrenchments, which was a distance of over thirty miles. On the other sides, some people think the South should not be overconfident. They argued that the Battle of Manassas will force the Union to take the war more seriously, and they also pointed out the advantage the Union holds over the Confederacy in population. (Dudley William)