Stonewall Jackson And The Battle Of Bull Run
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The Union referred the battle as the Battle of Bull Run, while the Confederates named it the Battle of Manassas. It was during this battle that Thomas Jackson got his nickname, Stonewall. The Battle of Bull Run was fought between the Union and Confederate soldiers on 21st July 1861. It was one of the first serious fights between the two sides during the American Civil War.
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Union were under the leadership of General Irwin McDowell, while the Confederates were under the leadership of Pierre Beauregard. When the northern states wanted to end the rebellion started by the Southern states, General McDowell marched the Union army towards Richmond in Virginia. This was the capital of the Confederates. However, the Confederate army was based at Manassas Junction, which was around twenty-five miles from Washington, and was planning to fight the Union forces. However, the Confederates did not expect McDowell’s forces and were reassigned to repel this attack.
Right from the very beginning, the Confederates were on the back foot. However, there was one Confederate brigade led by General Thomas Jackson that was not retreating and fighting the Union onslaught. Jackson’s stubborn and his ability to be calm in such a stressful situation made him seem like a stone wall and thus earning him the nickname Stonewall Jackson.
Jackson held his ground till reinforcements in the shape of 9,000 soldiers led by General Johnson arrived. This arrival of reinforcements changed the far of the battle and now the Union army was at the receiving end. The Union soldiers began running away from the battlefield.
The Union army and its supporters were certain that during the Battle of Bull Run, the Union army would be victorious and quickly overpower the Confederate army. However, this was not to be. The Union was miserably defeated during this battle and only because the Confederate army was too disorganized, Beauregard could pursue the fleeing soldiers. However, this victory motivated the Confederates and the Union army and its supporters had to eat humble pie.
Due to the Battle of Bull Run, Stonewall Jackson turned into a legend. Had it not been for his stand, the Confederates would have lost the battle and soon Richmond would have been taken over by the Northern states. Instead, many more battles were still to be fought in Shiloh, Gettysburg and Wilderness before the Southern states were routed by the Northern states and calls for secession were put to an end.
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ThinkQuest: The Battle Of Bull Run
http://library.thinkquest.org/3055/netscape/battles/bullrun.html
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Stonewall Jackson was born Thomas Jonathan on 21st January 1824. His birth took place in the city of Clarksburg in modern-day West Virginia. When young Thomas was just 2 years old, his father passed away. His mother was left handling debts and no money. To support her 3 children, Mrs. Jackson began taking orders to sew and also teach. However, she was forced to sell her home and property due to shortage of money. And, then after 4 years, Mrs. Jackson got married again and the family relocated to another county.