As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I am going to educate you on the first battle of the Civil War which was a military battle of consequence in the First Battle of Bull Run. Due to the idiocy of scholars and the lack of people understanding battles, this most interesting of battles has not reached it's glorious heights it should, because there is a most fantastic reality in this battle among the Americans, in neither side made any mistakes.
To understand this you have Washington DC to the north. The Shenandoah Valley lays to the west of Bull Run Creek which runs into the Potomac. This is the battlefield with the Blue Ridge in the west.
General McDowell of the Union Forces was to attack the Confederate center, where General Longstreet commanded in Beauregard's Division. It was all perfect in the Confederates were to advance, draw fire and retreat and bring the Union in. McDowell though moved to the Confederate left flank where the battle was not even in array.
McDowell's long artillery was raking the Confederate left and doing immense damage, and in that this most fluid battle where McDowell flowed left, the Confederate forces now flowed left, and those opposing McDowell began retreat, where at a place called Henry Hill, a General by the name of Thomas Jackson had been sent to deploy his lines. It was here that the retreating Confederates witnessed Jackson's line in repose, looking like a stonewall to seek shelter. That is where Stonewall Jackson's name arose from.
The Confederates in retreat and in reinforcements reformed on Jackson's line, and Kirby Smith's forces made an advance on McDowell's lines, seized his cannon, and with that battle put the fangs and claws in the Confederates.
As General Longstreet noted, as McDowell moved to attempt to retake his cannon, the Confederate lines had formed a U shape. It was into this that McDowell advanced, and moved into a kill zone which shattered his forces, and without his cannon, he was forced into retreat.
That is the amazing thing about Bull Run. No one made a mistake, and the Americans on both sides had masterful battle plans, adjusted their orders of battle and none of them made any mistakes. It all fell to a battle line formed which did not exist and was without any importance before the battle and only became important in a left flank battle.
That is the first Battle of Bull Run told in understandable terms.
agtG
