First Bull Run 1861

First victory for the south

Bull Run for the north, manassas for the south  ; the difference in the name given io the same battle is because the Southerners chose to give full-scale battles the name of the nearest town, in this case Manassas.

The Northerners associated the geographic features of the battle areas to the battles, hence the name taken from the river Bull Run ; nothing really destined this little river in Virginia bearing the same name to leave its mark on history in such a tragic way : the American people's collective memory has retained this name because it is synonymous with one of the first big battles of the Civil War.

The Battle of Bull Run took place in July 1861 and although its overall impact was in fact rather limited, its influence on the Civil War itself was considerable. Its psychological effect was undeniable, particularly for the Northerners who became aware of the realities of war and the challenges that they had to face up to. Besides, the first battle of Manassas was special since it was the first sizeable engagement that involved troops brought in by train and in this case it enabled the Confederates to win the battle.