aggregate of about thirty-five thousand men. They moved in four columns: one by the turnpike; one by the lateral country roads on the right; one on the left of the railroad; and another between the turnpike and railroad, following what is known as the "Braddock" road.* It was known that Fairfax Courthouse was held as an outpost by a brigade of South Carolina troops, and the three right columns were directed to co-operate on that point with the view of capturing this force; but on entering the place, at three o'clock on the afternoon of the 17th, it was found abandoned. General McDowell had hoped to have his columns concentrated at Centreville that night, but the troops being unused to march, did not arrive till the following day. As it was, however, the march was really made with a good deal of rapidity. From Centreville, General McDowell proceeded to push out reconnoissances, with a view to the projected manoeuvre by his left; but examination soon proved the impracticability of the ground for this purpose. Moreover, the character of General McDowell's move was revealed to Beauregard by an affair which the weak ambition of a division commander brought on that afternoon at Blackburn's Ford, on Bull Run. General Tyler had been ordered with his division to occupy Centreville, and thence "observe the roads to Bull Run," but was cautioned "not to bring on any engagement."+ In obedience to this he pushed a brigade forward to Blackburn's Ford, which proved to be about the centre of Beauregard's true defensive line along Bull Run. Reaching the heights on the northern side of the stream, he opened an artillery fire with two twenty-pounder rifle-guns, which had the effect of first developing and afterwards silencing the enemy's battery near the ford. Thus far he had not exceeded his instructions; but he had the impression that the enemy would run whenever seriously menaced; and he declared that "the great man of the war would be the

* So called from its having been made by that general on his memorable march to Fort Duquesne, in 1754, which terminated in his disastrous defeat and death.

+ McDowell's order: Report on the Conduct of the War, vol. i., p. 46.

man that got to Manassas, and he meant to go through that night."* His notion of the method of executing this project ,was to file his brigade down to the stream, draw it up parallel to the other shore, and open an unmeaning fusillade. While engaged in this foolery, a force crossed the stream from the other side, and striking his left flank (the Twelfth New York), disrupted it completely. This admonished General Tyler to defer his intended visit to Manassas that night, and he withdrew. The loss was inconsiderable, but the effect on the morale of the raw troops, was bad.

In consequence of the abandonment of the plan of operation on the Confederate right, the next two days (July 19th and 20th) were spent by the engineers in reconnoitring and determining how and where the attack should be made. It was found that there was a good ford over Bull Run at Sudley Spring, two miles above the point where the direct road from Centreville to Warrenton crosses Bull Run by the Stone Bridge. It was also found that this ford was unguarded by the enemy, and that above that point the stream was almost everywhere easily passable. On these data was based the plan of attack, which was as follows: The Fifth Division (Miles) to remain in reserve at Centreville, and to make with one of its brigades, added to Richardson's brigade of Tyler's division, a false attack at Blackburn's Ford; the First Division (Tyler) to move by the turnpike up to the Stone Bridge at daybreak, threaten that point, and, at the proper time, to carry it or cross if uncovered from above. Meantime, the principal column, consisting of the two divisions of Hunter and Heintzelman, of about twelve thousand men, was to diverge from the turnpike to the right a mile beyond Centreville, and, by a detour, reach Sudley Ford; thence, descending the right bank of Bull Run, it would take the defences of the Stone Bridge in reverse. The united force would then give

*My authority for this statement is Colonel Alexander, of the Corps Engineers, then engineer on Tyler's staff.

Barnard: The Battle of Bull Run, p. 49.

battle, strike at the enemy's railroad communications, or act otherwise as circumstances might dictate.* It was an excellent plan of battle.

The execution of this plan was set on foot three hours after midnight of the 20th, when the troops, breaking camp at Centreville, launched on their novel adventure, and, in a dewy moonlight night, took up the march destined to bring them into presence of the enemy. The divisions had been ordered to march at half-past two A. M., with the view of getting on the ground early in the morning of the 21st. Tyler's division had the advance on the main road from Centreville; and, as the two divisions under Hunter and Heintzelman, to which was intrusted the turning movement, had to follow on this road up to the point where they were to diverge to the right, it was especially urgent that no obstruction should bar their march. Nevertheless, there was delay in getting Tyler's division out of camp and on to the road, and delay in its advance, which, of course, retarded the turning column. Then the road over which Hunter and Heintzelman had to pass was found to be longer than was expected; so that, instead of getting into position by six in the morning, it was, as will subsequently appear, nine before this column debouched on the southern side of Bull Run, at Sudley's Spring. Tyler, meanwhile, had pushed on, and, by six, drew up his division. in front of Stone Bridge, where he opened an artillery fire on the enemy on the opposite side of Bull Run.

While the columns of McDowell were thus under way, events of equal moment were passing within the Confederate camp. General Johnston in person had joined Beauregard during the night of the 20th (his troops, however, not having yet arrived), and, being the ranking officer, he assumed command of all the Confederate forces. Nevertheless, as Beauregard knew his ground, the plans he had formed were adopted, and Johnston directed their execution under him. This plan contemplated an offensive movement before

* McDowell: Order of Battle.

McDowell should be able to strike; but, as a body of five thousand troops of Johnston's force, that were expected to arrive during the night from the Shenandoah Valley, did not reach the ground till some hours later, other dispositions had to be made.*

Beauregard, in stationing his forces, had committed the error of treating the line of Bull Run as a real defensive line that could be passed only at the fords; and hence he had stationed his brigades at these several fords-the brigades of Ewell and Holmes, at Union Mills Ford, forming his right; the brigades of Jones and Early, at McLean's Ford; the brigades of Longstreet and Jackson, at Blackburn's Ford; and Bonham's brigade, at Mitchell's Ford. Other commands were in reserve and between these forces, while Colonel Evans, with a demi-brigade, held Stone Bridge, which formed the Confederate left. Meantime, he had neglected to note that on his left, from Sudley Springs up, Bull Run could be passed anywhere. When, therefore, at six o'clock of the morning of the 21st, Beauregard learned from Colonel Evans that a Federal force (which was the head of Tyler's column) had drawn up opposite Stone Bridge, he assumed the attack would be made there-that is, against his left. He was ignorant that the real menace was a turning movement to take his whole line in the rear. Beauregard's military inspirations were, however, always essentially aggressive; and, on learning the appearance of the hostile force at Stone Bridge (being still unaware of the flanking operation in execution above), he resolved to assume the offensive to relieve his left. He judged the most effective method of accomplishing this, to be a counter move by his right and centre on the Union flank and rear at Centreville; and with this view orders were dispatched to General Ewell, whose brigade formed the right of the Confederate line at Union Mills Ford, to begin the movement, which was to be followed up by the brigades of Jones, at McLean's Ford; Longstreet, at Black

*Beauregard: Report of the Battle of Manassas,

burn's Ford; and Bonham, at Mitchell's Ford.* I must add here a fact which is an evidence that the staff-organization of the Confederate Army was, at this time, little better than that of the Union Army-these orders did not reach their destination for four hours after the time they were sent; and this, as will presently appear, gave a very peculiar turn to the whole earlier part of the battle.

Meanwhile, the force of Tyler had deployed in front of Stone Bridge, and a scattering skirmish fire was opened between his troops and those of Evans on the opposite side of Bull Run. This served as an excellent mask for the column executing the turning move, as it occupied the attention of the force behind Stone Bridge for a couple of hoursthat is, till about half-past eight. But, about that time, Evans becoming satisfied of the counterfeit character of the demonstrations on his front, and persuaded of an attempt to turn his left flank,t changed front, and marched towards Sudley Springs, leaving a skirmish line to observe for the while the Federal force opposite the Stone Bridge. Thus it was that the opposing forces were moving to meet each other; and when, towards ten o'clock, the head of Hunter's column, having passed to the right bank of Bull Run, by way of Sudley Ford, and advanced for a mile through a thick wood, debouched into the open country beyond, the gray-jackets could be descried already drawn up in line of battle. Colonel Evans, with his demi-brigade, had taken up a position west of the Warrenton road, almost at right angles to Bull Run, and considerably in advance of the ridge on which the main Confederate line was afterwards drawn.

Had now, at the first encounter, a moderate degree of skill or energy marked the conduct of the Union commander present on the field, there is little doubt that success was at this moment in the hands of General McDowell, who deserved

"By such a movement," adds Beauregard, "I confidently expected to achieve a complete victory for my country by 12 o'clock M." Report of the Battle of Manassas.

Beauregard: Report of the Battle of Manassas.