Battle of Bull Run by H. S. Smith, 1892

Battle of Bull Run by H. S. Smith, from Columbus and Columbia: A Pictorial History of the Man and the Nation, 1892. 

This steel engraving depicts the first Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas. The battle was fought on July 21,1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near Manassas Junction. It was the first major land battle of the American Civil War, and the bloodiest battle to take place on American soil at that point. While the Union Army under Brig. Gen. McDowell (1818-2885) initially held the advantage, the battle took a turn after Brig. Gen. Joseph Johnston arrived with reinforcements for the Confederate Army led by Brig. Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard (1818-1893). With the help of Col. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863) and his brigade of Virginians, the South forced a Union retreat and won. Beauregard chose not to pursue the Union to Washington due to the confused and unorganized state of his own army. 

The large number of casualties and the clear inexperience of both armies prompted people to realize that the war would last longer and be more devastating than they originally thought it would be. Despite having won, the Confederacy was sobered by the large number of casualties it sustained. McDowell was largely blamed for the Union's loss and replaced by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan. It had been pressure from politicians to take Richmond as quickly as possible that had led to the premature operation.  The Union army was inexperienced and McDowell felt himself unsuited for the position since he had never before commanded troops in combat. While his plan had been imaginative, his troops lacked the experience needed to carry it out effectively.