On farms and plantations North and South, early morning chores are underway when Union artillery fire at 5:15 a.m. breaks the silence of dawn at Manassas Junction, Virginia on this Sabbath day. The Battle of Manassas (so-named in the South) or Bull Run (in the North) has begun. U.S. Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell’s Union forces…
Tension is felt both North and South. Soldiers and civilians alike realize a major battle is at hand in Virginia. Yet the tension is only partially expressed in fear. Many are in a celebratory mood, as North and South are both convinced that God is on their side and victory nigh. Tens of thousands…
Today U.S. Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell leaves Washington with 35,000 troops, his departure marked by a cheering crowd. The size of McDowell’s army is the largest ever assembled in North America. Northern civilians are anxious that the Union army engage Confederate forces. Heading west, McDowell’s goal is to push Confederate forces from Manassas Junction and…