July 16, 1861: The Union Army crosses the Potomac and invades the Confederacy

[Condem]

The Union Army, commanded by General Irvin McDowell, marches into Virginia towards Manassas Junction. The Union plan is to cut the Confederate railroad there and move on to Richmond. The conqueror of Fort Sumter, Rebel General P.G.T. Beauregard, already has 22,000 men waiting for the invaders at Manassas. The Civil War's first major battle is less than a week away.

[malletgirl02]

1. The First Battle of Bull Run nt.

[Condem]

2. Or The First Battle of Manassas, mallet.

The North named the battles by the nearest creek or river. The South named them after the nearest town.

[Drale]

3. Actually the south named battles after the nearest railroad junction also interesting fact

during the battle Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard, used Wilmer McLean's home in Manassas, Virgina as his headquarters, after the battle Wilmer moved his family to a dusty little cross roads called Appomattox Court house, where not 4 years later General Lee would surrender in Wilmer McLean's new house. He could literally say, "the war started in my front yard and ended in my front parlor".

[malletgirl02]

4. You are right

It is also known as the First Battle of Manassas. It was a big loss for the Union. I live about 30 miles away from where the battle was fought. I only been there for a cross country invitation when I was in high school. It was one of the few invitations I remember because it was started with a canon. I live near a few other battle fields. The closest one is the where battle of Fredericksburg was fought. Which was also a victory for the South.

[exboyfil]

5. For anybody who likes audiobooks

I would strongly recommend Shelby Foote's The Civil War. It can be obtained from Audible.com for 3 credits. A 132 hours of listening pleasure. You should read it along with another book with Civil War maps and writeups for the full impact.

I am listening to it for the second time, but I broke off to listen to A Dance with Dragons.

[Condem]

6. Shelby Foote has a largely South point of view.

For those wishing to read about the Union, I strongly rec Bruce Catton's trilogy. Mr. Lincoln's Army, Glory Road and A Stillness at Appomattox.

[exboyfil]

7. I would not call him an apologist for the South

He is very critical of many of the actions of the Southern generals. He actually gets in the faces of icons such as Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee something that would have gotten him tarred and feathered after the war in the South. He could spend a significant amount of time criticizing Sherman and his march to the sea, but he does not. He recognized that only total war would accomplish the goal of suppressing the South.

Yes he has a southern flavor in his writings, and I will look at Catton's books as well. I do think Foote has a marvelous pen that keeps the story interesting and flowing. The audiobook is also read very well. Just because you study and find interesting battle strategies and admire the moves of generals and shake your head at the idiocy that is done does not mean you glorify in the cause of keeeping men enslaved. As I said to my southern friends when I lived in Tennessee - yes it was about state's rights - the right to own other human beings.

It is like Lee's self serving quote that burns me everytime I read it, "I wish that I owned every slave in the South, for I would free them all to avoid this war."