First Manassas
"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

Blackburn's Ford
Bull Run, Manassas, Centreville
Civil War Virginia

American Civil War
July 18, 1861

First Manassas Campaign Map
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.

On 16 July, 1861, the untried Union army under Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, 35,000 strong, marched out of the Washington defenses to give battle to the Confederate army, which was concentrated around the vital railroad junction at Manassas

The Confederate army, about 22,000 men, under the command of Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard, guarded the fords of Bull Run.

On July 18, McDowell reached Centreville and pushed southwest, attempting to cross at Blackburn's Ford. He was repulsed.

This action was a reconnaissance-in-force prior to the main event at Manassas / Bull Run.

Because of this action, Union commander McDowell decided on the flanking maneuver he employed at First Manassas.

Result(s): Confederate victory

Location: Prince William County and Fairfax County

Campaign: Manassas Campaign (July 1861) next battle in campaign    previous battle in campaign

Date(s): July 18, 1861

Principal Commanders: Brigadier General Irvin McDowell [US]; Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard [CS]

Forces Engaged: Brigades

Estimated Casualties: 151 total (US 83; CS 68)



Fort at Centreville Heights


The Civil War in Virginia
Virginia was the arena where North and South fought many of their bloodiest battles. the program gives a full account of the events that took place describing in detail the history of the American Civil War in Virginia




History Channel Civil War:
The Battle of Bull Run
America's bloodiest war as it's underway. Carnage and chaos are everywhere and the destiny of a country is in your hands. Video Game

Virginia State Battle Map 1861
State Battle Maps
Civil War Submarines
Confederate Johhny Cake Recipes
Civil War Picture Album
Civil War Summary
Kids Zone Gettysburg
Kids Zone Underground Railroad
American Civil War Exhibits
Civil War Timeline
Women in the War

City History and Current weather information for Fredericksburg Virginia

Virginia Civil War History Young Reader Book Titles for Additional Reading


Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861
One of the better overviews of the campaign and battle of First Manassas or Bull Run. The book is very easy to read and is broken down in manageable chunks, with the events before and after the battle.
Drummer Boy at Bull Run
You get to know two families during the Civil War. It focuses on the two teens Jeff and Leah who go through struggles with their friendship as Jeff's family joins the confederacy.
The Battle of First Bull Run: The Civil War Begins
Three months after the shelling of Fort Sumter, Union and Confederate forces met for the first time in earnest combat. However, neither side was prepared at this early stage of the war, and confusion reigned on the battlefield
Fields of Fury young reader book
Fields of Fury
The American Civil War
Written for young readers a stirring account of the greatest conflict to happen on our nation's soil, the Civil War, bringing to life the tragic struggle that divided not only a nation, but also friends and family. well-organized, well-executed, kid-friendly history of the Civil War was a brilliant idea if there ever was one. It's difficult to imagine anyone doing a better job than McPherson at breaking down this complex, interrelated series of events


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
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 Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide
Virginia was host to nearly 1/3rd of all Civil War engagements. This guide covers them all like a mini-history of the war. This guide organizes battles chronologically. Each campaign has a detailed overview, followed by concise descriptions of the individual engagements
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


Civil War History Documentary DVD Movie Titles


Manassas 1861
Civil War Journal - The Conflict Begins
These four programs from the History Channel series Civil War Journal cover critical aspects of the early days of the war.
The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns
Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one
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



Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.