Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Ebook81 pages1 hour
Fort Sumter & First Bull Run: The First Battles of the Civil War
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
Fort Sumter is popularly remembered today as the first fighting of the Civil War, and a relatively painless battle at that, but much of the history before April 12 that led to the shelling of the fort is often overlooked. The federal garrison had been stationed there months before the fight, carefully watching the secession of South Carolina, the buildup of Confederate forces in the region, and the actions of the Buchanan Administration and incoming Lincoln administration in the weeks leading up to the bombardment.
After Fort Sumter, the Lincoln Administration pushed for a quick invasion of Virginia, with the intent of defeating Confederate forces and marching toward the Confederate capitol of Richmond. Lincoln pressed Irvin McDowell to push forward. Despite the fact that McDowell knew his troops were inexperienced and unready, pressure from the Washington politicians forced him to launch a premature offensive against Confederate forces in Northern Virginia.
As the first major land battle of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run made history in several ways. McDowell’s army met Fort Sumter hero P.G.T. Beauregard’s Confederate army near the railroad junction at Manassas on July 21, 1861, just 25 miles away from Washington D.C. Many civilians from Washington came to watch what they expected to be a rout of Confederate forces, and for awhile it appeared as though that might be the case, but Confederate reinforcements, some of which arrived by train in the middle of the battle, evened up the armies' strength and turned the tide, causing the Union army to panic and break in a rout back to Washington.
Today First Bull Run is remembered as the first important land battle of the Civil War, but with over 350 killed on each side, it was the deadliest battle in American history to date, and both the Confederacy and the Union were quickly served notice that the war would be much more costly than either side had believed.
After Fort Sumter, the Lincoln Administration pushed for a quick invasion of Virginia, with the intent of defeating Confederate forces and marching toward the Confederate capitol of Richmond. Lincoln pressed Irvin McDowell to push forward. Despite the fact that McDowell knew his troops were inexperienced and unready, pressure from the Washington politicians forced him to launch a premature offensive against Confederate forces in Northern Virginia.
As the first major land battle of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run made history in several ways. McDowell’s army met Fort Sumter hero P.G.T. Beauregard’s Confederate army near the railroad junction at Manassas on July 21, 1861, just 25 miles away from Washington D.C. Many civilians from Washington came to watch what they expected to be a rout of Confederate forces, and for awhile it appeared as though that might be the case, but Confederate reinforcements, some of which arrived by train in the middle of the battle, evened up the armies' strength and turned the tide, causing the Union army to panic and break in a rout back to Washington.
Today First Bull Run is remembered as the first important land battle of the Civil War, but with over 350 killed on each side, it was the deadliest battle in American history to date, and both the Confederacy and the Union were quickly served notice that the war would be much more costly than either side had believed.
Read more from Charles River Editors
Religions of the World: The Religion of Ancient Mesopotamia Celtic Mythology and the Religion of the Ancient Celts Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5American Legends: The Salem Witch Trials Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legends of Music: The Life and Legacy of Tupac Shakur Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Any Means Necessary: The Life and Legacy of Malcolm X Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ancient Artifacts: The Dead Sea Scrolls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Native American Tribes: The History and Culture of the Hopi (Pueblo) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Fort Sumter & First Bull Run
Related ebooks
The Start of the Civil War: The Secession of the South, Fort Sumter, and First Bull Run (First Manassas) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Greatest Civil War Battles: The Battle of Fort Sumter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe History of the Civil War: The Causes, Battles, and Generals of the War Between the States Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Peninsula Campaign 1862: McClellan and Lee Struggle for Richmond Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Battles of the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCampfire and Battlefield: An Illustrated History of the Campaigns and Conflicts of the Great Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Civil War in 1862: The Battles that Saved Both the North and South Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Civil War Through the Camera Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Battles of the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Civil War Through the Camera Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMichigan and the Civil War: A Great and Bloody Sacrifice Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Bruce Catton & James M. McPherson's American Heritage History of the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNew Hampshire in the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Civil War: The Struggle that Divided America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Split History of the Civil War: A Perspectives Flip Book Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rebel Shore: The Story of Union Sea Power in the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Works of Henry William Elson Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsU.S. Civil War Battle by Battle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Civil War on the Mississippi: Union Sailors, Gunboat Captains, and the Campaign to Control the River Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Civil War In The Western Theater 1862 [Illustrated Edition] Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLIFE Explores The Civil War: Generals in the Field Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Greatest Civil War Battles: The Vicksburg Campaign Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Biggest Battles of the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Attack on Fort Sumter: A Day that Changed America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe American Civil War (3): The war in the East 1863–1865 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMorris Island and the Civil War: Strategy and Influence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brink of Destruction: A Quotable History of the Civil War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5True Stories of the Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863 [Illustrated Edition] Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
United States History For You
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: An Edgar Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Reset: And the War for the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A People's History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51776 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Kids: A National Book Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln: A Nutty Story About Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wright Brothers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Three Sisters in Black: The Bizarre True Case of the Bathtub Tragedy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Untold History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us about How and When This Crisis Will End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related podcast episodes
Black Soldiers & their Families in the Civil War 0% found this document usefulDaily News Brief for Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 0% found this document usefulCuster's Last Stand: Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Custer's Last Stand. 100% found this document usefulCuster's Last Stand: Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Custer's Last Stand. 0% found this document usefulAnalysis of the Greatest Speeches in American History-Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death 0% found this document usefulChief Black Hawk and The "Black Hawk War" Part I 0% found this document usefulEp. 134: Mississippi River - The Greatest Flood (Part 3) 0% found this document usefulLewis and Clark | The Journey and the Journals | 4 0% found this document usefulRacial Conflict in the U.S. Army During the Vietnam War Era 0% found this document usefulFour Deaths That Shaped Modern American History 0% found this document usefulRobert Smalls: Escaping Slavery and Fighting Injustice: A slave who sailed his way to freedom 0% found this document usefulJohn Henry: Steel Driving Man 0% found this document usefulThe American West: Melvyn Bragg explores the myths and harsh reality of the 19th century American pioneers. 0% found this document usefulThe American West: Melvyn Bragg explores the myths and harsh reality of the 19th century American pioneers. 100% found this document usefulOur War with Mexico 0% found this document useful
Related articles
Plenty of Fight Left America's Civil WarArticle
Plenty of Fight Left
Aug 18, 2020
8 min readFinancial Frenzy America's Civil WarArticle
Financial Frenzy
Jul 5, 2022
4 min readA Moment Of Truth Civil War TimesArticle
A Moment Of Truth
Aug 24, 2021
12 min readTarget Vicksburg Civil War TimesArticle
Target Vicksburg
Aug 24, 2021
13 min readThe Lost Cause’s Long Legacy The AtlanticArticle
The Lost Cause’s Long Legacy
Jun 26, 2020
6 min readDeep Blue In A Reb State America's Civil WarArticle
Deep Blue In A Reb State
Dec 15, 2020
11 min readReviews Fault Lines MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military HistoryArticle
Reviews Fault Lines
Nov 5, 2019
4 min readColored Troops Before Richmond Numismatic NewsArticle
Colored Troops Before Richmond
Feb 14, 2020
7 min read‘Carnage Infernal’ America's Civil WarArticle
‘Carnage Infernal’
Oct 4, 2022
8 min readGrant’s Vicksburg Game Changer America's Civil WarArticle
Grant’s Vicksburg Game Changer
Feb 26, 2019
10 min readKey Events All About HistoryArticle
Key Events
Jul 15, 2021
One of the first major battles of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run takes place near Manassas and Bull Run Creek, Virginia. The Confederates emerge victorious, with the Union army retreating to Washington DC. The Battle of Antietam is the b
2 min readFighting On Multiple Fronts Civil War TimesArticle
Fighting On Multiple Fronts
Jan 22, 2019
11 min readIn Charleston Harbor Civil War TimesArticle
In Charleston Harbor
Aug 15, 2023
Abraham Lincoln took the presidential oath of office on March 4, 1861, and immediately found himself dealing with a major crisis. Major Robert Anderson, commander of the Union garrison at Fort Sumter whose symbolic importance had taken on a significa
2 min readBehind The Lines Civil War TimesArticle
Behind The Lines
Mar 24, 2020
3 min read‘Eager Fight For Freedom’ America's Civil WarArticle
‘Eager Fight For Freedom’
Apr 30, 2019
12 min readTrouble in Zion Wild WestArticle
Trouble in Zion
Nov 8, 2022
11 min readGettysburg: Profiles in Courage Manhattan InstituteArticle
Gettysburg: Profiles in Courage
Jul 1, 2020
4 min readHOPE & GLORY History of WarArticle
HOPE & GLORY
Oct 1, 2020
7 min readVery Convenient Truth America's Civil WarArticle
Very Convenient Truth
Jan 16, 2024
17 min readScourge on All Fronts America's Civil WarArticle
Scourge on All Fronts
Apr 18, 2023
11 min readMarginalia MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military HistoryArticle
Marginalia
Nov 5, 2019
3 min readBay State Boys’ Louisiana Lament America's Civil WarArticle
Bay State Boys’ Louisiana Lament
Apr 6, 2021
5 min readBut for A Horse America's Civil WarArticle
But for A Horse
Aug 28, 2018
9 min readThe Last Kingdom Military HistoryArticle
The Last Kingdom
Jul 12, 2022
6 min readA Lost Opportunity Civil War TimesArticle
A Lost Opportunity
May 16, 2023
2 min readAmerica’s Zouaves History of WarArticle
America’s Zouaves
Mar 17, 2022
9 min readTo Save An Army MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military HistoryArticle
To Save An Army
Oct 10, 2023
14 min readWhat We Learned From… The Capture of New Orleans, 1862 Military HistoryArticle
What We Learned From… The Capture of New Orleans, 1862
Jul 2, 2019
2 min readNot Forgotten America's Civil WarArticle
Not Forgotten
Oct 20, 2020
9 min readLast Resort? America's Civil WarArticle
Last Resort?
Jul 5, 2022
12 min read
Reviews for Fort Sumter & First Bull Run
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Fort Sumter & First Bull Run - Charles River Editors
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1