[
584]
Chapter 25: the battle of Bull's Run,
- Composition of the opposing armies, 584.--585.
-- movements of the National troops on Fairfax Court House, 586.
-- the troops at Centreville, 587.
-- skirmish at Blackburn's Ford, 588.
-- plans of attack by each party, 590.
-- Beauregard re-enforced by Johnston, 591.
-- the forward movement, 592.
-- the battle of Bull's Run in the morning, 593.
-- battle in the afternoon, 598.
-- the Confederates re-enforced, 601.
-- flight of the National Army, 603.
-- the retreat to the defenses of Washington, 606.
-- the immediate result, of the battle, 607.
The long-desired forward movement of the greater portion of the
National Army that lay in the vicinity of the
Capital, full fifty thousand in number, began on the afternoon of Tuesday, the 16th of July,
leaving about fifteen thousand, under
General Mansfield, to guard the seat of Government.
The advancing troops consisted chiefly of volunteers from
New England, New York, and
New Jersey, and some from Western States.
A greater portion of them had enlisted for only three months, and their terms of service were nearly ended.
The remainder were chiefly recent volunteers for “three years or the war,” who were almost wholly undisciplined; and when the army moved, some of the regiments were not even brigaded.
There were also seven or eight hundred regular troops (the fragments of regiments), and a small cavalry force, and several light batteries.
With the exception of the regulars, the only troops on whom
McDowell might rely were the three-months men. He had only seven companies of regular cavalry in his army, and two of these were left for the defense of
Washington City.
1
McDowell's forces were organized in five divisions,
2 commanded respectively
