Big Bethel
Bethel Church, Great Bethel Virginia


American Civil War
June 10, 1861

This was the first land battle in Virginia.

Major General Benjamin F. Butler sent converging columns from Hampton and Newport News against advanced Confederate outposts at Little and Big Bethel.

Confederates abandoned Little Bethel and fell back to their entrenchments behind Brick Kiln Creek, near Big Bethel Church. 

The Federals, under immediate command of Brigadier General Ebenezer Pierce, pursued, attacked frontally along the road, and were repulsed.

Crossing downstream, the 5th New York Zouaves attempted to turn the Confederate left flank, but were repulsed.  Unit commander Col. T. Wynthrop was killed.

The Union forces were disorganized and retired, returning to Hampton and Newport News. The Confederates suffered 1 killed, 7 wounded.

Result(s): Confederate victory

Location: York County and Hampton

Campaign: Blockade of the Chesapeake Bay (May-June 1861) previous battle in campaign

Date(s): June 10, 1861

Principal Commanders: Brigadier General Ebenezer Pierce [US]; Col. John B. Magruder and Col. D.H. Hill [CS]

Forces Engaged: 4,700 total (US 3,500; CS 1,200)

Estimated Casualties: 87 total (US 79; CS 8)




New York Zouaves, 1863
New York Zouaves, 1863
9 in. x 12 in.
Buy at AllPosters.com
Framed   Mounted

Counter-Thrust: From the Peninsula to the Antietam
A window into the Union's internal conflict at building a military leadership team. Lincoln's administration in disarray, with relations between the president and field commander McClellan strained to the breaking point. Shows how the fortunes of war shifted abruptly in the Union's favor, climaxing at Antietam.







U.S. Map Showing Seceeding States by Date, American Civil War, c.1861
U.S. Map Showing Seceeding States by Date, American Civil War, c.1861
24 in. x 18 in.
Buy at AllPosters.com
Framed   Mounted

Civil War Replica Musket
Civil War Musket
Wood & Steel Frontier Rifle Designed After The Original Rifle


Sid Meiers
Sid Meier's Civil War Collection
Virginia State Battle Map 1861
State Battle Maps
Civil War Submarines
Confederate Commanders
Civil War Picture Album
Civil War Summary
Kids Zone Gettysburg
American Civil War Exhibits
Civil War Timeline
Women in the War

Civil War Confederate
Suede Grey Kepi Hat

American Civil War Book Titles
Bull Run
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.
A Single Grand 
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 Victory Manassas
A Single Grand Victory
The First Campaign and Battle of Manassas

Nearly 900 men lost their lives and 2,700 were wounded. Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson earned his legendary nickname "Stonewall" here. Both North and South believed that a single victory at Manassas would decide the Civil War before it barely started
Virginia Battlefield
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
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

Young Reader Civil War Book Titles
Battle Bull Run
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.
Kindle Available
Drummer Boy
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.
Bull Run
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

Civil War History Documentary DVD Movie Titles
       
       


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

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