How Important Was The Battle Of Bull Run Dbq

The battle of bull run was a significant battle in the war. This was the first major land battle of the American civil war on July 21st 1861. One of the big parts of bull run is that there aren’t many places they can cross as said by the colonel, “Bull Run, though not a wide stream, is only to be crossed at certain places, owing to its precipitous, rocky banks.” During this battle 35 thousand United States troop had marched from the capital of Washington DC to Virginia to strike an attack on a confederate force of 20 thousand confederate which was significantly smaller than the United States troops. Some of the reasons this battle was so major is because after being on the defensive all day the confederacy with the troops they had struck an

Before the battle started general McDowell had believed that the United States army was ill prepared for the battle and wanted to push for a postponement of the battle but Abraham Lincoln wanted to push quickly and finish the war quick. As said by captain fry, “I can get guides to Wolf Run Shoals and Bacon Race Church. I deem it necessary to have both telegraphic and railway communication with Alexandria. Have sent word to this effect to General Runyon, and hope it is approved by General McDowell, but would respectfully suggest that orders be issued. If we could have struck this point and Sangsters about three hours earlier we might have taken about three thousand prisoners. The bridges beyond have been burnt by the enemy.” McDowell believed that the army and even him needed more training before fighting this battle. As told by R. Patterson “That I was informed by the General-in-Chief the attack on Manassas would be made on Tuesday, the 16th of July, instead of Sunday, the 21st; at which time he directed me to make such a demonstration upon Winchester as to keep the enemy at that place. I claim

The confederate had a lot of trained tactics in the war for their generals and soldiers as show in this quote by SIR “Finding that our battery did not provoke the enemy to discover his force and his batteries, I ordered Colonel Richardson to advance his brigade and to throw out skirmishers to scour the thick woods with which the whole bottom of Bull Run was covered. This order was skillfully executed, and the skirmishers came out of the wood into the road and close to the ford without provoking any considerable fire from the enemy.” This is because the confederacy troops were a little more trained then the United States troops and even the generals of the United States didn’t believe they were trained enough for the upcoming battles and the battle at bull run which this would give the United States a disadvantage compared to the more trained troops and officers of the south. Another quote told by R. Patterson explains how he felt “That I have suffered additional injustice at the hands of the General-in-Chief who sanctioned and fixed the impression that the enemy at Winchester was inferior to me in force in every arm of service, and yet has not corrected that report, although he knew two days after the battle of Bull Run that siege artillery heavier than mine, and three times as numerous, had been left by the enemy at