The First Battle of Bull Run

Dec 18

2 min read

Are you a student learning about the Civil War? Are you a teacher preparing to teach about the Civil War? This website is for both of you! It will even be helpful if you are just curious about the Civil War.

If you are a student, you can read about the First Battle of Bull Run in the sections below. If you have questions as you read, you can send me a message, and I will do my best to get back to you.

If you are a teacher, you can use this website as a resource for yourself and your students, or you can purchase my printable reading passages and comprehension questions. They are available at Teachers Pay Teachers.

The First Battle of Bull Run

July 21, 1861

Confident the war could be won quickly, Union forces moved to attack the Confederate army stationed near the Bull Run Stream. Despite being unprepared for battle with ranks of inexperienced soldiers, the Union troops marched south from Washington, DC, to meet the enemy on July 21, 1861. Thinking the war would end with the battle, government officials followed the soldiers and even brought picnics to watch the fighting.

While both sides had about the same number of soldiers, General McDowell’s Union troops were outmatched by General Beauregard’s Confederates throughout the bloody battle. In an embarrassing display, hundreds of Union troops fled back to Washington, DC, in retreat. Meanwhile, one of the Civil War’s most famous Confederates earned his nickname on the battlefield. Refusing to let his men retreat, even when facing impossible odds, Colonel Jackson was given the nickname “Stonewall.”

The battle was a clear victory for the South, but it taught both sides an important lesson. This was not a war that would be won easily or quickly. At the end of the day, the North had suffered 2,896 casualties with 460 killed, and the South had 1,982 casualties with 387 killed. This was only the beginning of the major casualties both sides would suffer over the next four years.

Want to learn more about the Civil War? Check out the links below!