78 



BULL RUN. 



Mitchell's Ford, spoken of in the above or- 

 ders, is a short distance above Blackburn's 

 Ford. McLane's Ford is about the same dis- 

 tance below Blackburn's Ford. Union Mills is 

 still further below, near the crossing of the 

 Alexandria and Orange Railroad. The Stone 

 Bridge is the crossing for the Warrenton turn- 

 pike. 



The result of observations on the part of Gen- 

 eral McDowell convinced him that the mass of 

 the Confederate force had not been advanced 

 from Manassas to the back of the creek called 

 Bull Run. This tortuous stream runs from north- 

 west to southeast, through the entire field of 

 battle. At the extreme part on the northwest, 

 is Sndley's Spring, where it is fordable ; three 

 miles lower down is a crossing known as the 

 Stone Bridge, and still lower is Blackburn's 

 Ford ; further down is Union Mills, mentioned 

 in General Beauregard's order. Centreville is 

 a village of a few houses, mostly on the west 

 side of a ridge running nearly north and south. 

 The road from Centreville to Manassas Junc- 

 tion was along this ridge, and crossed Bull Run 

 about three miles from the former place. 

 Through Centreville, running nearly east and 

 west, passes the Warrenton turnpike, and 

 crosses Bull Run about four miles distant. 



The conviction of General McDowell was that 

 the mass of the Confederate force was at Ma- 

 nassas. He says in his report : " On the even- 

 ing of the 20th, my command was mostly at or 

 near Centreville. The enemy was at or near 

 Manassas, distant from Centreville about seven 

 miles to the southwest." He was looking to 

 the intrenchments at Manassas to find the body 

 of the Confederate army ; and there, it was 

 anticipated, would be fought, in one or two 

 days after crossing Bull Run, the great battle, 

 or the enemy would retire. Every effort was 

 made by the Confederate officers to conceal 

 their strength at Bull Run. In the recounois- 

 sance of the 18th, they did not appear outside 

 the wood. On the 19th, when a flag of truce 

 was sent by General McDowell to the Confed- 

 erate lines, in order to recover the dead and 

 wounded of the day previous, admission was re- 

 fused to it. Thus conceiving the mass of the 

 Confederate army to be at Manassas, the order 

 of battle was prepared accordingly, and issued 

 on the night of the 20th, to be executed the 

 next day. It was manifest that the crossing of 

 Bull Run would be disputed ; but the greatest 

 contest, anticipated the next day, was expected 

 to come when the attempt should be made to 

 destroy the railroad leading from Manassas to 

 the valley of Virginia. The orders for the 21st 

 were as follows : 



HEAD-QTTARTEBS, DEPARTMENT ARMY EASTERN VA., ) 

 CENTRBVILLE, July 20, 1861. ) 



The enemy has planted a battery on the Warrenton 

 turnpike to defend the passage of Bull Run ; has seized 

 the Stone Bridge and made a heavy abatis on the right 

 bank, -to oppose our advance in that direction. The 

 ford above the bridge is also guarded, whether with 

 artillery or not is not positively known, but every in- 

 dication favors the belief that he proposes to defend 

 the passage of the stream. 



It is intended to turn the position, force the enemy 

 from the road, that it may be reopened, and, if possi- 

 ble, destroy the railroad leading from Manassas to the 

 valley of Virginia, where the enemy has a large force. 

 As this may be resisted by all the force of the enemy, 

 the troops will be disposed as follows : 



The first division, (General Tyler's,) with the excep- 

 tion of Richardson's brigade, will, at half-past two 

 o'clock in the morning precisely, be on the Warrenton 

 turnpike to threaten the passage of the bridge, but 

 will not open fire until full daybreak. 



The second division (Hunter's) will move from its 

 camp at two o'clock in the morning precisely, and, led 

 by Captain Woodbury, of the Engineers, will, after 

 passing Cub Run, turn to the right and pass the Bull 

 Run stream above the ford at Sudley's Spring, and 

 then turning down to the left, descend the stream and 

 clear away the enemy who may be guarding the lower 

 ford and bridge. It will then bear off to the right and 

 make room for the succeeding division. 



The third division (Heintzelman's) will march at 

 half-past two o'clock in the morning, and follow the 

 road taken by the second division, out will cross at 

 the lower ford after it has been turned as above, and 

 then, going to the left, take place between the stream 

 and second division. 



The fifth division (Miles') will take position on the 

 Centreville Heights, (Richardson's brigade will, for 

 the time, form part of the fifth division, and will con- 

 tinue in its present position.) One brigade will be in 

 the village, and one near the present station of Rich- 

 ardson's brigade. This division will threaten the 

 Blackburn Ford, and remain in reserve at Centreville. 

 The commander will open fire with artillery only, and 

 will bear in mind that it is a demonstration only he is 

 to make. He will cause such defensive works, abatis, 

 earthworks, Ac., to be thrown up as will strengthen 

 his position. Lieutenant Prime, of the Engineers, will 

 be charged with this duty. 



These movements may lead to the gravest results, 

 and commanders of divisions and brigades should bear 

 in mind the immense consequences involved. There 

 must be no failure, and every effort must be made to 

 prevent straggling.. 



No one must be allowed to leave the ranks without 

 special authority. After completing the movements 

 ordered, the troops must be held in order of battle, as 

 they may be attacked at any moment. 

 By command of 



Brigadier-General McDOWELL. 



JAMES B. FEY, Adjutant-General. 



The position of the Federal forces on the 

 night previous to the battle can be briefly told-. 

 The first division, which had been the right 

 wing thus far, was stationed on the north side 

 of the "Warrenton turnpike and on the eastern 

 slope of the Centreville ridge, two brigades on 

 the same road and a mile and a half in advance, 

 to the west of the ridge, and one brigade on 

 the road from Centreville to Manassas, where 

 it crosses Bull Run at Blackburn's Ford, where 

 the engagement on the 18th was. The second 

 division was on the "Warrenton turnpike, one 

 mile east of Centreville. The third division 

 was about a mile and a half out on the old 

 Braddock road, which comes into Centreville 

 from the southeast. The fifth division was 

 on the same road as the third division, and be- 

 tween it and Centreville. The orders given to 

 the respective divisions are thus described by 

 General McDowell in his report : 

 > " On Friday night a train of subsistence ar- 

 rived, and on Saturday its contents were or- 

 dered to be issued to the command, and the 

 men required to have three days' rations in 



