Picnickers Watched the War Become Real — The Battle of Bull Run (July 1861)
On July 21, 1861, Washington civilians rode out to watch the battle. They expected an easy Union victory. By afternoon, everything had changed.
Picnickers on the Battlefield
Sunday, July 21, 1861. Hundreds of Washington civilians rode carriages into Virginia. Some brought lunch baskets.
Rumors had spread that Union forces would easily crush the Confederates. They came to watch.
Stonewall Jackson
Early in the battle, Union forces had the advantage. Confederate lines began to waver.
Then, on Henry House Hill, one Confederate brigade held firm. Their commander: General Thomas Jackson. A nearby officer shouted:
"There stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!"
From that day on, he was Stonewall Jackson.
The Tide Turns
By afternoon, Confederate reinforcements arrived. The momentum shifted. Union forces began to retreat — and retreat became rout.
Soldiers and spectators tangled together on the road back to Washington. Panic filled the streets.
The Awakening
The picnickers went home in terror.
The entire North was shaken. This would not be a three-month war. Lincoln signed a call for 500,000 troops the next day.
Bull Run was when the real war began.
Date: July 21, 1861 | Union casualties: 2,896 | Confederate casualties: 1,982 | Nickname born: Stonewall Jackson
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