In the beginning of the Civil War it was made clear that the Union wanted to obliterate the south. With this in mind they marched towards the Confederate capitol, Richmond. This ended in the Confederates discovering them, causing the Union to be overpowered and forced to retreat. The Union retreated back towards there land, the north. In this battle the Confederates proved that this would not be a one sided fight, and that they would prove to be a challenge. At the end of the battle the South felt that they were victorious. Then obviously the North plotted their revenge.
This is the First battle of Bull Run, the first real battle of the Civil War.
Important Person
Irvin McDowell graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1838, and taught tactics at the academy from 1841 to 1845 to many of the generals he would eventually face on the battlefield. He served as an aide-de-camp to General J. E. Wool during the Mexican-American War, and received a brevet promotion to Captain for his service at the Battle of Buena Vista.
Quote
"Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances."