The Confederate States of America was formed between December 1860 and May 1861, when 11 Southern states seceded from the United States. The division came about as a result of decades of sectional tension between the North and the South. After the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency in November 1860 and the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, the nation seemed inevitably headed for war. Most Northerners and Southerners believed the coming conflict would consist of one climactic, winner-take-all battle. Federal troops were enlisted for only 90 days, more than enough time, Northern leaders believed, to The Union's first goal was Richmond, Virginia, the newly designated capital of the Confederacy and only 100 miles from Washington, D.C. To reach Richmond, the army first had to capture Manassas Junction, an important railway junction 30 miles southwest of Washington. Troops set out for Manassas on July 16, 1861. So naive was the nation about the coming horrors that 200 or so private citizens from Washington, D.C., accompanied federal troops on the march. They hoped to witness and be entertained by this once-in-a-lifetime event. The two armies met in battle on the morning of July 21, 1861, along the banks of a small stream known as Bull Run. In a ten-hour contest, the green, inexperienced troops of both sides bravely fought and held their ground. By late afternoon, however, the federal troops, driven from the battlefield along with many of the sightseers, were in retreat. Hope of a quick and easy victory was a casualty of the day, along with almost 5,000 members from both armies and bystanders. Daylight faded from the once peaceful fields, bringing to an end not only the first major confrontation of the Civil War, but also the romantic way in which the majority of Americans had viewed the coming conflict. More |
![]() Battle at Bull Run: A History of the First Major Campaign of the Civil War The battle, was unique in the Civil War in that no general on either side had ever exercised high command in combat. July 21, 1861 would demonstrate that careers devoted to theoretical studies of warfare provided poor indicators of success in combat. |
| Joe Ryan Battlewalk Bull Run Youtube Channel JoeRyanCivilWar |
|
|
Struggle on a Bridge During the Retreat from Manassas, July 1861 24 in. x 18 in. Buy at AllPosters.com Framed Mounted |
![]() "We Shall Meet Again": The First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), July 18-21, 1861 The First Battle of Manassas claimed the lives of approximately 878 soldiers and wounded another 2,489. With a battlefield stretching nearly five miles, 15,000 Union and 14,000 Confederate soldiers clashed for four fateful days, many of them young and terrified and receiving their first taste of a long and bitter war ![]() Manassas 1861 DVD |
Battles of the Campaign |
![]() P.G.T. Beauregard: Napoleon in Gray Beauregard often gets overlooked, he was never as beloved as Lee or Stonewall Jackson, but he was capable, the man had a sharp mind and Lee understood this, even if Jefferson Davis did not |
Campaigns of the Civil War Civil War Exhibits Timeline of the War State Battle Maps Civil War Navy Ships Civil War Summary Civil War Picture Album Women of the Civil War Civil War Submarines Civil War Store |
![]() Joseph E. Johnston: A Civil War Biography A biography of the public and private life of General Joseph E. Johnston, one of the most important Southern field commanders during the American Civil War |
![]() Burnside Ambrose Burnside, the Union general, was a major player on the Civil War stage from the first clash at Bull Run until the final summer of the war. He led a corps or army during most of this time and played important roles in various theaters of the war. |
![]() The Illustrated Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era 1988 Pulitzer Prize for History and a New York Times Bestseller. Rare contemporary photographs, period cartoons, etchings, woodcuts, and paintings, carefully choosing those that best illuminate the narrative |
![]() Stonewall Jackson's Book of Maxims While a cadet at West Point, Jackson collected maxims as part of his quest for status as a gentleman, and in the mid-1850s he carefully inscribed these maxims in a personal notebook, which disappeared after his death in 1863. In the 1990s, the author discovered the long-lost book of maxims in the archives of Tulane University |
![]() Generals in Bronze: Interviewing the Commanders of the Civil War Revealing interviews with the commanders of the Civil War. In the decades that followed the American Civil War, Artist James E. Kelly (1855-1933) conducted in-depth interviews with over forty Union Generals |
![]() Second Manassas Expedition Guide A multimedia CD-ROM with six informative modules. Animated battle maps bring the fighting to life. A 35 minute movie explains the entire campaign and battle. Animated movies describe the opposing armies and provide a wealth of biographical information. |
![]() Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas Expertly researched and well written. This was one of the most interesting campaigns in the eastern theater. High drama prevailed from the very start. Jackson's performance is well documented |
![]() Rocks and War: Geology and the Civil War Campaign of Second Manassas The first study of the Battle of Second Manassas to show the importance of the landscape through which the generals maneuvered. Knowledge of landforms was vital to officers as they planned strategy and movements |
![]() Second Manassas 1862: Robert E Lee's greatest victory Robert E Lee came as close as he ever would to exterminating his Northern enemies. In so doing, Lee established himself as the South's pre-eminent military commander and the Army of Northern Virginia as it's most powerful weapon |
![]() History Channel Civil War Secret Missions There are about a half-dozen different small arms types, but the Henry is the best for rapid repeating fire and least reloading. The shotgun they give you is useless: you must aim spot-on to affect an enemy, so why not just use the rifle? Grenades are useful at times. |
![]() Civil War Battles Campaign Atlanta You decide the outcome of a duel between two determined generals in the American Civil War. It's 1864 and the Union forces are ready to make a final drive into the Deep South. General William T. Sherman advances to destroy the Confederate Army of Tennessee & capture the city of Atlanta. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston planned on using Georgia's difficult terrain to inflict heavy losses |
![]() Campaign Chickamauga Civil War Battles A defining moment in the Civil War -- one that could have spelled victory for the South if things had been slightly different. At Chickamauga Creek near Chattanooga, TN there was a battle that earned it a new nickname: "River Of Blood." Chattanooga was a vital rail station at the time and had fallen to Union General Rosecrans |
![]() History Channel Civil War Secret Missions There are about a half-dozen different small arms types, but the Henry is the best for rapid repeating fire and least reloading. The shotgun they give you is useless: you must aim spot-on to affect an enemy, so why not just use the rifle? Grenades are useful at times.. |
![]() Wargame Construction Age of Rifles 1846 - 1905 Game lets you design and play turn-based strategic battles. You can create scenarios betwen years 1846 and 1905. You have complete control over all the units, and can customize their firepower, movement points, strength, aggressiveness, etc. Supports 1 or 2 players |
![]() Civil War Battles Campaign Corinth The Mississippi front of the vast Confederate offensive in the Fall of 1862 that culminated in the Battle of Corinth. Defending Federal gains in Mississippi and West Tennessee are Federal Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William S. Rosecrans. Their opponents, Confederate Generals Earl Van Dorn and Sterling Price, have dreams of planting their banners on the banks of the Ohio River |
![]() Battleground 7: Bull Run July 21, 1861 The earliest large-scale engagement of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run found J.E. Johnston's outnumbered Rebels fighting a desperate delaying action versus the powerful Union army of Irvin McDowell. It was in this battle that General Thomas J. Jackson earned his famous nickname "Stonewall" |
![]() Civil War Battles Campaign Ozark Campaign Ozark depicts the Ozark decisive conflicts in three campaigns: (1) 1861 Missouri Campaign: Lyon's offensive across the length of Missouri from Boonville to Carthage and Wilson's Creek, (2) 1862 Pea Ridge Campaign: Curtis's drive from Missouri into Arkansas culminating in the battle of Pea Ridge, (3) 1862 Fall Campaign: Newtonia and Cane Hill to Hindman's counterstroke at Prairie Grove |
![]() The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams Great historically correct movie of a noble confederate and his undying love of a Yankee girl. |
![]() The Blue and the Gray The Complete Miniseries The Civil War proved a backdrop for this 1982 miniseries. Complete and uncut three disc set. Two families divided by the War Between the States. A Southerner caught when he becomes a war correspondent for the Northern newspaper. He finds himself where history's in the making from the Battle of Bull Run to Abraham Lincoln's assassination |
![]() Civil War Journal Collector's Edition 4-DVD Set Made exclusively for Books Are Fun. Discs include: · Stonewall Jackson · Sherman and the March to the Sea · West Point Classmates-Civil War Enemies · Robert E. Lee · Battle of 1st Bull Run · The 54th Massachusetts · John Brown s War · Destiny at Fort Sumter |
![]() Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles The violent mayhem of the hornet's nest at Shiloh, the valiant charge on the sunken road at Antietam, the carnage in the wheat field at Gettysburg, and the brutal fighting at Cold Harbor |
Bonnie Blue Flag![]() Bonnie Blue The Confederate government did not adopt this flag but the people did and the lone star flags were adopted in some form in five of the southern States that adopted new flags in 1861. |
Civil War chess set Painted civil war chess set. Dimensions: Chess set pieces: 3-1/4" King's; 1-1/8" bases |
![]() Civil War Historic 1000-piece Puzzle The famous faces and fearsome facts of the Civil War are captured in this 1,000-piece cardboard puzzle for Civil War buffs and serious puzzle fans. |
![]() Civil War Soldier 102 Piece Playset
|
|||
![]() American Civil War Poker Playing Cards Playing Cards commenmorating the AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, featuring great portraits of statesmen, generals and fighting men, as well as graphics scenes of battle in color. Evocative images from the Library of Congress are featured on all 54 cards |
![]() 20 piece Civil War Artillery Playset Civil War Artillery Set: 20 piece set includes 12 Artillery Crew Figures in Blue and Gray that stand up to 58mm tall, 4 Parrott Rifle Gun Cannon about 4 inches long, and 4 Cannonball stacks |
![]() 72 Piece Civil War Army Men Play Set 52mm Union and Confederate Figures, Bridge, Horses, Canon
|
![]() House Divided Board Game
|
Sources:
United States Military Academy
Library of Congress
National Park Service
|
Books Civil War Womens Subjects Young Readers Military History DVDs Confederate Store Civil War Games Music CDs |