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103-535: Many sources often incorrectly state that the monument was constructed in the middle of the Lee flower garden (often mischaracterized as a "rose garden"). However, the monument is just west of the flower garden, in what was once a grove of oak and elm trees. In 1778, John Parke Custis purchased an 1,100-acre (450 ha) tract of forested land on the Potomac River north of the town of Alexandria, Virginia. This land became

206-520: A 35-mile (56 km) radius of the city of Washington, D.C. The bodies of 2,111 Union and Confederate dead were collected, most of them from the battlefields of First and Second Bull Run as well as the Union army's retreat along the Rappahannock River (which occurred after both battles). Some of the dead had been interred on the battlefield, but most were full or partial remains discovered unburied on

309-539: A boarding school run by Rev. Jonathan Boucher , initially in Caroline County, Virginia . Although Boucher too considered the boy indolent, the arrangement continued after Boucher moved the school to Annapolis, Maryland . In May 1773 Custis began to attend King's College (later Columbia University ) in New York City , but left soon after his sister died. Not long after reaching the legal age of eighteen, Jacky told

412-768: A canopy. An informal flower garden was planted beneath the trees and maintained by the Custis daughters. It is not clear when "the Grove" began to be developed, but it was under way by at least 1853. G.W.P.'s daughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis , married Robert E. Lee , an impoverished lieutenant in the United States Army , in June 1831. The Lees took up residence at Arlington House. Mary Custis died in 1853, and Mary Custis Lee had her buried in "the Grove". G.W.P. Custis died in October 1857, and he

515-434: A contingent of 6-pounder guns. The Hampton Legion, some 600 men strong, managed to buy Jackson time to construct a defensive line on Henry House Hill by firing repeated volleys at Sherman's advancing brigade. Hampton had purchased approximately 400 Pattern 1853 Enfield rifles to equip the men with; however, it is not clear if his troops had them at Bull Run or if the weapons arrived after the battle. If so, they would have been

618-461: A cultivated English landscape park , while a large flower garden with an arbor was constructed and planted south of the house. To the west of Arlington House, tall grass and low native plants led down a slope into a natural area of close-growing trees the Custises called "the Grove." About 60 feet (18 m) to the west of the flower garden, "the Grove" contained tall elm and oak trees which formed

721-579: A few artillery rounds across Mitchell's Ford on the Confederate right, some of which hit Beauregard's headquarters in the Wilmer McLean house as he was eating breakfast, alerting him to the fact that his offensive battle plan had been preempted. Nevertheless, he ordered demonstration attacks north toward the Union left at Centreville. Bungled orders and poor communications prevented their execution. Although he intended for Brig. Gen. Richard S. Ewell to lead

824-410: A glorious but dear-bought victory. Night closed on the enemy in full flight and closely pursued." The battle was a clash between relatively large, ill-trained bodies of recruits, led by inexperienced officers. Neither army commander was able to deploy his forces effectively; although nearly 60,000 men were present at the battle, only 36,000 had actually been engaged. Although McDowell had been active on

927-545: A prominent socialite with a wide range of contacts. He provided her with a code for messages. After he left to join the Confederate Army, he gave her control of his network but continued to receive reports from her. On July 9 and 16, Greenhow passed secret messages to Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard containing critical information regarding military movements for what would be the First Battle of Bull Run, including

1030-436: A seizure in 1773, aged 17 years, Custis became the sole heir of the Custis estate. His stepfather was not overly fond of Custis, and considered the child troubled, lazy and "free-willed" for taking no interest in his studies. Martha Washington had supervised the boy's earliest education, but by 1761 the family hired Scotsman Walter Magowan as a private tutor. When Magowan returned to England in 1767, Washington sent Custis to

1133-553: A surprise flank attack on the Confederate left was poorly executed although the Confederates, who had been planning to attack the Union left flank, found themselves at an initial disadvantage. Confederate reinforcements under Brigadier General Joseph E. Johnston arrived from the Shenandoah Valley by railroad, and the course of the battle quickly changed. A brigade of Virginians under a relatively unknown brigadier general from

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1236-676: Is an accepted version of this page Department of Northeastern Virginia: Department of Pennsylvania : Army of the Potomac Army of Northeastern Virginia: Patterson's Command : The First Battle of Bull Run , also called the Battle of First Manassas by Confederate forces, was the first major battle of the American Civil War . The battle was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia , just north of what

1339-457: Is making a ruinous hand of his Estate." By 1781, the financial strains of the Abingdon purchase had almost bankrupted Custis. He tried to renegotiate the terms before his death, and afterward David Stuart as guardian of Custis' minor children, reconveyed it to its former owner after paying £2,400 in rent for the period the estate had been in Custis hands. Most historians agree Custis did not join

1442-400: Is now the city of Manassas and about thirty miles west-southwest of Washington, D.C. The Union Army was slow in positioning themselves, allowing Confederate reinforcements time to arrive by rail. Each side had about 18,000 poorly trained and poorly led troops. The battle was a Confederate victory and was followed by a disorganized post-battle retreat of the Union forces. Just months after

1545-491: Is said to have replied, "Then, Sir, we will give them the bayonet." Bee is then said to have exhorted his own troops to re-form by shouting, "There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Rally behind the Virginians." This exclamation is often held to be the source for Jackson's (and his brigade's ) nickname, "Stonewall". Bee was shot through the stomach shortly afterwards and died

1648-457: Is three stones high, or about 3 feet (0.91 m). A second base of large light grey granite slabs about 1 foot (0.30 m) high was placed on top of the first base. A third base, consisting of a single light grey granite slab, was installed above the second base. This third base was slightly smaller than the first two, but slightly larger than the memorial itself. Four light grey granite sections about 6 to 9 inches (15 to 23 cm) high sat atop

1751-402: The 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -hour delay after the Union victory on Matthews' Hill, which allowed the Confederates to bring up reinforcements and establish a defensive position on Henry Hill. On Henry Hill, Beauregard had also limited his control to the regimental level, generally allowing the battle to continue on its own and only reacting to Union moves. Johnston's decision to transport his infantry to

1854-637: The Ark of the Covenant described in the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible . The Rodman guns were placed muzzle-down into the earth, and the large pyramid of shot removed from the lid. Four small pyramids of shot were placed on either side of the east and west pathways leading to the memorial. The memorial was also raised off the earth onto a slightly larger base of rough-hewn dark grey granite blocks mortared together. This base

1957-716: The Confederate States of America was adopted in Montgomery, Alabama on February 8, 1861. On March 1, 1861, Confederate States Army forces assumed control of the military situation at Charleston, South Carolina from state forces. On April 12, 1861, open warfare between the Confederate States and the United States began when Confederate forces barraged Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor , which had been occupied by

2060-650: The Custis Estate negotiated for more than a decade to end the Abington transaction. Because Custis died intestate , his estate was not fully liquidated until the 1811 death of his widow. His four children inherited more than 600 slaves. Part of the Abingdon estate is now on the grounds of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport . When he purchased Abingdon, Custis also bought a nearby property that after his death became Arlington Plantation and later, Arlington National Cemetery . First Battle of Bull Run This

2163-462: The Leeward Islands , which prompted Martha Custis to seek assistance from John Robinson . In January 1759, when Custis was four years old, his mother married George Washington , who thereupon became his legal guardian and the administrator of the Custis Estate . The Washingtons raised Jacky and his younger sister Martha "Patsy" Parke Custis (1756–1773) at Mount Vernon . When his sister died of

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2266-528: The Virginia Military Institute , Thomas J. Jackson , stood its ground, which resulted in Jackson receiving his famous nickname, "Stonewall". The Confederates launched a strong counterattack, and as the Union troops began withdrawing under fire, many panicked and the retreat turned into a rout. McDowell's men frantically ran without order in the direction of Washington, D.C. Both armies were sobered by

2369-401: The 33rd Virginia followed by Stuart's cavalry attack against the flank of the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment ( Ellsworth 's Fire Zouaves ), which was supporting the battery, killed many of the gunners and scattered the infantry. Capitalizing on this success, Jackson ordered two regiments to charge Ricketts's guns and they were captured as well. As additional Federal infantry engaged,

2472-407: The 79th New York in revenge for the death of his nephew earlier in the day, although he had in fact been killed by soldiers of the 69th New York. Jackson posted his five regiments on the reverse slope of the hill, where they were shielded from direct fire, and was able to assemble 13 guns for the defensive line, which he posted on the crest of the hill; as the guns fired, their recoil moved them down

2575-511: The Arlington Estate. John Custis died in September 1781, and in 1799 his son, George Washington Parke Custis ("G.W.P.")—step-grandson of George Washington —inherited the site. G.W.P Custis and his wife, Mary, moved onto the estate, and between 1802 and 1814 they constructed Arlington House. The Custises extensively developed the site. Much of the steep slope to the east of the house became

2678-518: The Confederate States of America. On May 29, 1861, with the arrival in Richmond, Virginia of Confederate President Jefferson Davis , the Confederate States capital had been moved from Montgomery to Richmond. In Washington, D.C. , many of the regiments of volunteers raised by States under Lincoln's call rushed to defend the capital. General in Chief Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott laid out his strategy to subdue

2781-660: The Confederate States on May 3, 1861. He proposed that an army of 80,000 men be organized to sail down the Mississippi River and capture New Orleans . While the Army "strangled" the Confederacy in the west, the U.S. Navy would blockade Southern ports along the eastern and Gulf coasts. The press ridiculed what they dubbed as Scott's " Anaconda Plan ". Instead, many believed the capture of the Confederate capital at Richmond, only 100 miles (160 km) south of Washington, would quickly end

2884-558: The Confederate left (northwest) flank instead. He planned to attack with Brig. Gen. Daniel Tyler 's division at the Stone Bridge on the Warrenton Turnpike and send the divisions of Brig. Gens. David Hunter and Samuel P. Heintzelman over Sudley Springs Ford. From here, these divisions could outflank the Confederate line and march into the Confederate rear. The brigade of Col. Israel B. Richardson (Tyler's Division) would harass

2987-501: The Confederate right (southeast) flank. Tyler was drawn into a skirmish at Blackburn's Ford over Bull Run and made no headway. Also on the morning of 18 July Johnston had received a telegram suggesting he go to Beauregard's assistance if possible. Johnston marched out of Winchester about noon, while Stuart's cavalry screened the movement from Patterson. Patterson was completely deceived. One hour after Johnston's departure Patterson telegraphed Washington, "I have succeeded, in accordance with

3090-495: The Confederate right, and Brig. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith 's (commanded by Col. Arnold Elzey after Smith was wounded), which had just arrived from the Shenandoah Valley, moved forward and crushed Howard's brigade. Beauregard ordered his entire line forward, and the Union troops began to panic in retreat. At 5 p.m. everywhere McDowell's army was disintegrating. Thousands, in large and small groups or as individuals, began to leave

3193-461: The Confederate smoothbores and the predominantly rifled pieces on the Union side were not effective weapons at such close ranges, with many shots fired over the head of their targets. One of the casualties of the artillery fire was Judith Carter Henry, an 85-year-old widow and invalid, who was unable to leave her bedroom in the Henry House. As Ricketts began receiving rifle fire, he concluded that it

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3296-482: The Confederates were pushed back and they reformed and the guns changed hands several times. The capture of the Union guns turned the tide of battle. Although McDowell had brought 15 regiments into the fight on the hill, outnumbering the Confederates two to one, no more than two were ever engaged simultaneously. Jackson continued to press his attacks, telling soldiers of the 4th Virginia Infantry , "Reserve your fire until they come within 50 yards! Then fire and give them

3399-631: The Continental Army due to the determined opposition of his stepfather, as well as his mother, for Custis was her only son. However, one account claimed Custis served on Washington's staff during the Siege of Boston in 1775–1776 and as an emissary to the British forces there. In 1778, Custis ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates from both New Kent County and Fairfax County. Custis became one of

3502-486: The Department of Northeastern Virginia, which included the military forces in and around Washington ( Army of Northeastern Virginia ). McDowell immediately began organizing what became known as the Army of Northeastern Virginia, 35,000 men arranged in five divisions. Under public and political pressure to begin offensive operations, McDowell was given very little time to train the newly inducted troops. Units were instructed in

3605-516: The Shenandoah (C.S.A.), for June 30, 1861. Aggregate present for duty. On the morning of July 21, McDowell sent the divisions of Hunter and Heintzelman (about 12,000 men) from Centreville at 2:30 a.m., marching southwest on the Warrenton Turnpike and then turning northwest toward Sudley Springs to get around the Confederates' left. Tyler's division (about 8,000) marched directly toward

3708-540: The Shenandoah Valley. Abstract from the returns of the Department of Northeastern Virginia, commanded by Brigadier-General McDowell, U.S.A., for July 16 and 17, 1861. Abstract from return of the Department of Pennsylvania, commanded by Major-General Patterson, June 28, 1861. Abstract front field return, First Corps (Army of the Potomac), July 21, 1861. [Dated September 25, 1861.] Abstract from monthly report of Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's division, or Army of

3811-498: The Stone Bridge. The inexperienced units immediately developed logistical problems. Tyler's division blocked the advance of the main flanking column on the turnpike. The later units found the approach roads to Sudley Springs were inadequate, little more than a cart path in some places, and did not begin fording Bull Run until 9:30 a.m. Tyler's men reached the Stone Bridge around 6 a.m. At 5:15 a.m., Richardson's brigade fired

3914-547: The U.S. Army Quartermaster General in charge of this program. The Soldiers' Home in nearby Washington, D.C., and the Alexandria Cemetery were the primary burying grounds for war dead in the D.C. area, but by late 1863 both cemeteries were full. In May 1864, large numbers of Union forces died in the Battle of the Wilderness . Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs ordered that an examination of eligible sites be made for

4017-473: The Union, and ordered that more burials occur near the house in order to make it politically impossible for disinterment to occur. By 1865, most of "the Grove" had been lost. Its flower beds and paths had been trampled out of existence by troops and pack animals, and some of its trees had been cut down. That year, Meigs decided to build a monument to Civil War dead in the center of "the Grove". U.S. Army troops were dispatched to investigate every battlefield within

4120-662: The United States Army since December 26, 1860. On April 15, 1861 (two days after the Federal Army forces surrendered at Fort Sumter, one day after the formal surrender), President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring an insurrection against the laws of the United States had taken place. To suppress the insurrection of the Confederate States and restore federal law in the Southern States, Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers with ninety-day enlistments to augment

4223-445: The United States capital. McDowell planned to attack this numerically inferior enemy army. Union Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson 's 18,000 men engaged Johnston's force (the Army of the Shenandoah at 8,884 effectives, augmented by Maj. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes 's brigade of 1,465 ) in the Shenandoah Valley , preventing them from reinforcing Beauregard. After two days of marching slowly in

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4326-601: The Washingtons of his engagement to 15 year old Eleanor Calvert , a daughter of Benedict Swingate Calvert and granddaughter of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore . The announcement greatly surprised George and Martha because both Jack and Eleanor were so young. Nonetheless, on February 3, 1774, Custis married Eleanor at her family's Mount Airy estate. Its restored mansion is the center of Rosaryville State Park in Prince George's County , Maryland . As discussed below,

4429-512: The attack, Ewell, at Union Mills Ford, was simply ordered to "hold ... in readiness to advance at a moment's notice". Brig. Gen. D.R. Jones was supposed to attack in support of Ewell, but found himself moving forward alone. Holmes was also supposed to support, but received no orders at all. All that stood in the path of the 20,000 Union soldiers converging on the Confederate left flank were Col. Nathan "Shanks" Evans and his reduced brigade of 1,100 men. Evans had moved some of his men to intercept

4532-698: The battle with such fanfare. Expecting an easy Union victory, the wealthy elite of nearby Washington, including congressmen and their families, had come to picnic and watch the battle. When the Union army was driven back in a running disorder, the roads back to Washington were blocked by panicked civilians attempting to flee in their carriages. The pell-mell retreat became known in the Southern press as "The Great Skedaddle". Since their combined army had been left highly disorganized as well, Beauregard and Johnston did not fully press their advantage, despite urging from Confederate President Jefferson Davis , who had arrived on

4635-429: The battlefield and head for Centreville in a rout. McDowell rode around the field trying to rally regiments and groups of soldiers, but most had had enough. Unable to stop the mass exodus, McDowell gave orders for Porter's regular infantry battalion, near the intersection of the turnpike and Manassas-Sudley Road, to act as a rear guard as his army withdrew. The unit briefly held the crossroads, then retreated eastward with

4738-410: The battlefield by rail played a major role in the Confederate victory. Although the trains were slow and a lack of sufficient cars did not allow the transport of large numbers of troops at one time, almost all of his army arrived in time to participate in the battle. After reaching Manassas Junction, Johnston had relinquished command of the battlefield to Beauregard, but his forwarding of reinforcements to

4841-428: The battlefield to see the Union soldiers retreating. An attempt by Johnston to intercept the Union troops from his right flank, using the brigades of Brig. Gens. Milledge L. Bonham and James Longstreet , was a failure. The two commanders squabbled with each other and when Bonham's men received some artillery fire from the Union rear guard, and found that Richardson's brigade blocked the road to Centreville, he called off

4944-437: The battlefield, he had expended most of his energy maneuvering nearby regiments and brigades, instead of controlling and coordinating the movements of his army as a whole. Other factors contributed to McDowell's defeat: Patterson's failure to hold Johnston in the valley; McDowell's two-day delay at Centreville; allowing Tyler's division to lead the march on 21 July, thus delaying the flanking divisions of Hunter and Heintzelman; and

5047-525: The bayonet! And when you charge, yell like furies!" For the first time, Union troops heard the disturbing sound of the Rebel yell . At about 4 p.m., the last Union troops were pushed off Henry House Hill by a charge of two regiments from Col. Philip St. George Cocke 's brigade. To the west, Chinn Ridge had been occupied by Col. Oliver Otis Howard 's brigade from Heintzelman's division. But at 4 p.m., two Confederate brigades-Col. Jubal Early 's, which had moved from

5150-505: The burial vault. The cenotaph consisted of two long light grey granite slabs, with the shorter ends formed by sandwiching a smaller slab between the longer two. On the west face was an inscription describing the number of dead in the vault below, and honoring the "unknowns of the Civil War". Originally, a Rodman gun was placed on each corner, and a pyramid of shot adorned the center of the lid. A circular walk, centered 45 feet (14 m) from

5253-412: The center of the memorial, provided access. A walk led east to the flower garden, and another west to a road. Sod was laid around the memorial, and planting beds filled with annual plants emplaced. By 1893, the original monument had been radically changed. The plain sarcophagus walls were replaced with more ornate ones, although the inscription had been retained. The lid was replaced by one modeled after

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5356-505: The city of Washington at will. Realizing Union forces were likely to seize her home, Mary Custis Lee packed up most of her belongings and fled to her family estate at Ravensworth on May 17. On May 24, Union troops occupied Arlington Estate and Arlington House. On July 16, 1862, the United States Congress passed legislation authorizing the U.S. federal government to purchase land for national cemeteries for military dead, and put

5459-687: The couple would have six daughters and a son, of whom four reached adulthood. After their marriage, the couple settled at his father's White House plantation in rural New Kent County. However, after two years, Custis sold the Custis family's town lots in Jamestown and Williamsburg, as well as several plantations in King and Queen, Hanover and New Kent counties in order to purchase two plantations in northern Virginia (in then-vast Fairfax County ) closer to his step father's Mount Vernon plantation. One tract of 1,100 acres (4.5 km ) acres which Custis named "Arlington"

5562-511: The direct threat from Tyler at the bridge, but he began to suspect that the weak attacks from the Union brigade of Brig. Gen. Robert C. Schenck were merely feints. He was informed of the main Union flanking movement through Sudley Springs by Captain Edward Porter Alexander , Beauregard's signal officer, observing from 8 miles (13 km) southwest on Signal Hill. In the first use of wig-wag semaphore signaling in combat, Alexander sent

5665-483: The earth. The walls and floor were lined with brick, and it was segmented it into compartments with mortared brick walls. Into each compartment were placed a different body part: skulls, legs, arms, ribs, etc. The vault was half full by the time it was ready for sealing in September 1866. The vault was sealed with concrete and soil. Meigs designed a 6-foot (1.8 m) tall, 12-foot (3.7 m) long, 4-foot (1.2 m) wide grey granite and concrete cenotaph to rest on top of

5768-403: The end sections. (This enables friction to help tie the monument together.) The new cover of the sarcophagus consisted of a single large light grey granite slab. Twenty-two bas-relief stars inside circles were added above the lip of the lid. Four stylized, partial fleur-de-lis faced outward at each corner. The top of the lid was rounded. The entire monument was about 12-foot (3.7 m) high at

5871-596: The enemy at Blackburn's Ford, preventing them from thwarting the main attack. Patterson would tie down Johnston in the Shenandoah Valley so that reinforcements could not reach the area. Although McDowell had arrived at a theoretically sound plan, it had a number of flaws: it was one that required synchronized execution of troop movements and attacks, skills that had not been developed in the nascent army; it relied on actions by Patterson that he had already failed to take; finally, McDowell had delayed long enough that Johnston's Valley force, which had trained under Stonewall Jackson ,

5974-505: The establishment for a large new national military cemetery. Within weeks, his staff reported that Arlington Estate was the most suitable property in the area. The property was high and free from floods (which might unearth graves), it had a view of the District of Columbia, and it was aesthetically pleasing. It was also the home of the leader of the armed forces of the Confederate States of America , and denying Robert E. Lee use of his home after

6077-403: The existing U.S. Army of about 15,000 present for duty. He later accepted an additional 40,000 volunteers with three-year enlistments and increased the strength of the U.S. Army to 156,861, further enlarged to 183,588 present for duty on July 1. Lincoln's actions caused four more Southern states, including Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee, to adopt ordinances of secession and join

6180-446: The field of battle. None were identifiable. Although Meigs had not intended to collect the remains of Confederate war dead, the inability to identify remains meant that both Union and Confederate dead were interred below the cenotaph . U.S. Army engineers chopped down the trees in eastern half of "the Grove", leaving only a small copse to the west. They dug a circular pit about 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and 20 feet (6.1 m) deep into

6283-423: The fierce fighting and the many casualties and realized that the war was going to be much longer and bloodier than either had anticipated. The First Battle of Bull Run highlighted many of the problems and deficiencies that were typical of the first year of the war. Units were committed piecemeal, attacks were frontal, infantry failed to protect exposed artillery, tactical intelligence was minimal, and neither commander

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6386-457: The grounds of Arlington House. The first officer burial had occurred next to the main flower garden on May 17, but with Meigs' order another 44 officers were buried along the southern and eastern sides of this area within a month. In December 1865, Robert E. Lee's brother, Sydney Smith Lee , visited Arlington House and observed that the house could be made livable again if the graves around the flower garden were removed. Meigs hated Lee for betraying

6489-544: The maneuvering of regiments, but they received little or no training at the brigade or division level. He was reassured by President Lincoln, "You are green, it is true, but they are green also; you are all green alike." Against his better judgment, McDowell commenced campaigning. During the previous year, U.S. Army captain Thomas Jordan set up a pro-Southern spy network in Washington, D.C. , recruiting Rose O'Neal Greenhow ,

6592-440: The message "Look out for your left, your position is turned." Evans hastily led 900 of his men from their position fronting the Stone Bridge to a new location on the slopes of Matthews Hill, a low rise to the northwest of his previous position. The Confederate delaying action on Matthews Hill included a spoiling attack launched by Major Roberdeau Wheat 's 1st Louisiana Special Battalion, " Wheat's Tigers ". After Wheat's command

6695-451: The next day, thus it is unclear exactly what he said or meant. Moreover, none of his subordinates wrote reports of the battle, so there is no first-hand account of the exchange. Major Burnett Rhett, chief of staff to General Johnston, claimed that Bee was angry at Jackson's failure to come immediately to the relief of Bee's and Bartow's brigades while they were under heavy pressure. Those who subscribe to this opinion believe that Bee's statement

6798-459: The only foreign-made weapons on the field. The 79th New York was thoroughly decimated by Hampton's musket fire and began to disintegrate. Wade Hampton gestured towards their colonel, James Cameron, and remarked "Look at that brave officer trying to lead his men and they won't follow him." Shortly afterwards, Cameron, the brother of US Secretary of War Simon Cameron , was fatally wounded. It has been claimed that Hampton deliberately targeted officers of

6901-422: The original sides, decorated with pilasters . Like the walls of the sarcophagus, these consisted of two long, unbroken sections with smaller sections inserted between them at the ends. These sections were mortised , so that all four sections appear to meet at the corners. A slightly larger light grey granite base flared out above the pilaster section. Unlike the lower section, longer sections were sandwiched between

7004-462: The plans of Union general McDowell. On July 16, McDowell departed Washington with the largest field army yet gathered on the North American continent, about 35,000 men (28,452 effectives). McDowell's plan was to move westward in three columns and make a diversionary attack on the Confederate line at Bull Run with two columns, while the third column moved around the Confederates' right flank to

7107-574: The possible father of William Costin (1780-1842), born to Custis slave Ann (Nancy) Dandridge-Costin. In September 1781 Custis persuaded Washington to let him serve as a civilian aide-de-camp to Washington during the siege of Yorktown . En route to Yorktown he also made inquiries about 17 slaves who had reportedly fled to British lines. However, the crowded camps near the battlefield were rife with smallpox and malaria, and Custis contracted "camp fever", which could have been an illness now labelled epidemic typhus , or dysentery while at Yorktown. He

7210-471: The purchase terms, George Washington informed Custis that "No Virginia Estate (except a few under the best management) can stand simple Interest how then can they bear compound Interest". Nonetheless, the couple settled there during the winter of 1778–1779. Custis' behavior in this and other matters prompted George Washington to write in 1778: "I am afraid Jack Custis, in spite of all of the admonition and advice I gave him about selling faster than he bought,

7313-399: The pursuit. In Washington, President Lincoln and members of the cabinet waited for news of a Union victory. Instead, a telegram arrived stating "General McDowell's army in full retreat through Centreville. The day is lost. Save Washington and the remnants of this army." The tidings were happier in the Confederate capital. From the battlefield President Davis telegraphed Richmond, "We have won

7416-468: The remainder of Evans's, Bee's, and Bartow's commands received some cover from Capt. John D. Imboden and his battery of four 6-pounder guns, who held off the Union advance while the Confederates attempted to regroup on Henry House Hill. They were met by generals Johnston and Beauregard, who had just arrived from Johnston's headquarters at the M. Lewis Farm, "Portici". Fortunately for the Confederates, McDowell did not press his advantage and attempt to seize

7519-587: The remaining Custis gravestones were moved to Bruton Parish Church. With Custis's premature death at 26, his widow sent her two youngest children (Eleanor/Nelly and George/Washy) to Mount Vernon to be raised by the Washingtons. In 1783, she married David Stuart of Alexandria, Virginia , with whom she had at least seven additional children who survived infancy. Although Custis had become well-established at Abingdon, his financial affairs were in disarray because of his poor business judgement as well as wartime conditions. After Custis died in 1781, administrators of

7622-556: The rest of the army. McDowell's force crumbled and began to retreat. ( Further map details, see: Additional Map 8 , Additional Map 9 , Additional Map 10 , Additional Map 11 and Additional Map 12 .) The retreat was relatively orderly up to the Bull Run crossings, but was poorly managed by the Union officers. A Union wagon was overturned by artillery fire on a bridge spanning Cub Run Creek, inciting panic in McDowell's force. As

7725-423: The reverse slope, where they could be safely reloaded. Meanwhile, McDowell ordered the batteries of Ricketts and Griffin to move from Dogan's Ridge to the hill for close infantry support. Their 11 guns engaged in a fierce artillery duel across 300 yards (270 m) against Jackson's 13. Unlike many engagements in the Civil War, here the Confederate artillery had an advantage. The Union pieces were now within range of

7828-488: The route soldiers often broke ranks to wander off to pick apples or blackberries or to get water, regardless of the orders of their officers to remain in ranks. The Confederate Army of the Potomac (21,883 effectives) under Beauregard was encamped near Manassas Junction where he prepared a defensive position along the south bank of the Bull Run river with his left guarding a stone bridge, approximately 25 miles (40 km) from

7931-487: The scene of fighting was decisive. Jackson and Bee's brigades had done the largest share of fighting in the battle; Jackson's brigade had fought almost alone for four hours and sustained over 50% casualties. Bull Run was the largest and bloodiest battle in United States history up until that point. Union casualties were 460 killed, 1,124 wounded, and 1,312 missing or captured; Confederate casualties were 387 killed, 1,582 wounded, and 13 missing (a very high 10% casualty rate of

8034-401: The soldiers streamed uncontrollably toward Centreville, discarding their arms and equipment, McDowell ordered Col. Dixon S. Miles 's division to act as a rear guard, but it was impossible to rally the army short of Washington. In the disorder that followed, hundreds of Union troops were taken prisoner. Wagons and artillery were abandoned, including the 30-pounder Parrott rifle , which had opened

8137-506: The south, cutting the railroad to Richmond and threatening the rear of the Confederate army. He assumed that the Confederates would be forced to abandon Manassas Junction and fall back to the Rappahannock River , the next defensible line in Virginia, which would relieve some of the pressure on the U.S. capital. McDowell had hoped to have his army at Centreville by 17 July, but the troops, unaccustomed to marching, moved in starts and stops. Along

8240-488: The start of the war at Fort Sumter , the northern public clamored for a march against the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia , which was expected to bring an early end to the Confederacy. Yielding to political pressure, Brigadier General Irvin McDowell led his unseasoned Union Army across Bull Run against the equally inexperienced Confederate Army of Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard , whose forces were camped near Manassas Junction. McDowell's ambitious plan for

8343-513: The stone bridge around 10:00 a.m., and crossed at an unguarded ford and struck the right flank of the Confederate defenders. This surprise attack, coupled with pressure from Burnside and Maj. George Sykes , collapsed the Confederate line shortly after 11:30 a.m., sending them in a disorderly retreat to Henry House Hill. ( Further map details, see: Additional Map 4 , Additional Map 5 , Additional Map 6 and Additional Map 7 .) As they retreated from their Matthews Hill position,

8446-435: The strategic ground immediately, choosing to bombard the hill with the batteries of Capts. James B. Ricketts (Battery I, 1st U.S. Artillery) and Charles Griffin (Battery D, 5th U.S.) from Dogan's Ridge. Brig. Gen Thomas J. Jackson 's Virginia Brigade came up in support of the disorganized Confederates around noon, accompanied by Col. Wade Hampton and his Hampton's Legion , and Col. J.E.B. Stuart 's cavalry along with

8549-485: The sweltering heat, the Union army was allowed to rest in Centreville . McDowell reduced the size of his army to approximately 31,000 by dispatching Brig. Gen. Theodore Runyon with 5,000 troops to protect the army's rear. In the meantime, McDowell searched for a way to outflank Beauregard, who had drawn up his lines along Bull Run. On July 18, the Union commander sent a division under Brig. Gen. Daniel Tyler to pass on

8652-480: The two Fairfax County delegates, alongside his stepfather's neighbor and mentor George Mason , and both were re-elected twice before Custis' death, after which only Benjamin Dulaney represented the county for the 1781/2 term. Washington at least once chided Custis concerning his habitual late arrival. Eleanor bore seven children during their marriage, three of whom died in infancy: Speculation has also linked Custis as

8755-405: The uppermost portion of the lid. The Civil War Unknowns Monument was the inspiration for Montgomery Meigs' own tomb, also located at Arlington National Cemetery. Meigs erected the sarcophagus over the grave of his wife, and he himself was buried there in 1892. John Parke Custis John Parke Custis (November 27, 1754 – November 5, 1781) was an American planter and politician. Custis

8858-401: The war was a valuable political consideration. Although the first military burial at Arlington had been made on May 13,. of Private William Christman Meigs did not authorize establishment of burials until June 15, 1864. Although most burials initially occurred near the freedmen's cemetery in the northeast corner of the estate, Meigs ordered in mid-June 1864 that burials commence immediately on

8961-466: The war. By July 1861 many of the thousands of Union volunteers were camped in and around Washington. Since General Scott was seventy-five years old and physically unable to lead this force against the Confederates, the administration searched for a more suitable field commander. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase championed fellow Ohioan, 42-year-old Maj. Irvin McDowell . Although McDowell

9064-467: The wishes of the General-in-Chief, in keeping General Johnston's force at Winchester." For the maneuver to be successful McDowell felt he needed to act quickly. He had already begun to hear rumors that Johnston had slipped out of the valley and was headed for Manassas Junction. If the rumors were true, McDowell might soon be facing 34,000 Confederates instead of 22,000. Another reason for quick action

9167-537: Was McDowell's concern that the ninety-day enlistments of many of his regiments were about to expire. "In a few days I will lose many thousands of the best of this force", he wrote Washington on the eve of battle. In fact, the next morning two units of McDowell's command, their enlistments expiring that day, would turn a deaf ear to McDowell's appeal to stay a few days longer. Instead, to the sounds of battle, they would march back to Washington to be mustered out of service. Becoming more frustrated, McDowell resolved to attack

9270-622: Was a West Point graduate, his command experience was limited. In fact, he had spent most of his career engaged in various staff duties in the Adjutant General's Office. While stationed in Washington he had become acquainted with Chase, a former Ohio governor and senator. Now, through Chase's influence, McDowell was promoted three grades to brigadier general in the Regular Army and on 27 May was assigned command (by President Abraham Lincoln ) of

9373-565: Was a son of Martha Washington and Daniel Parke Custis as well as a stepson of George Washington . The only son to survive childhood of Daniel Parke Custis , a wealthy planter with nearly three hundred slaves and thousands of acres of land in five Virginia counties, and the former Martha Dandridge , he was most likely born at White House , his parents' plantation on the Pamunkey River in New Kent County, Virginia . To his family, he

9476-413: Was able to board trains at Piedmont Station and rush to Manassas Junction to reinforce Beauregard's men. On July 19–20, significant reinforcements bolstered the Confederate lines behind Bull Run. Johnston arrived with all of his army except for the troops of Brig. Gen. Kirby Smith , who were still in transit. Most of the new arrivals were posted in the vicinity of Blackburn's Ford, and Beauregard's plan

9579-515: Was able to employ his whole force effectively. McDowell, with 35,000 men, could commit only about 18,000, and the combined Confederate forces, with about 32,000 men, also committed 18,000. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first of seven Southern States to declare secession from the Union of the United States. By February 1, 1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas passed ordinances of secession, The Constitution of

9682-402: Was about 35,000 although only about 18,000 were actually engaged. The Union army was organized as follows: While McDowell organized the Army of Northeastern Virginia, a smaller Union command was organized and stationed northwest of Washington, near Harper's Ferry. Commanded by Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson , 18,000 men of the Department of Pennsylvania protected against a Confederate incursion from

9785-415: Was being demonstrated by Prof. Thaddeus S. C. Lowe in Washington, to perform aerial reconnaissance. McDowell 's Army of Northeastern Virginia was organized into five infantry divisions of three to five brigades each. Each brigade contained three to five infantry regiments. An artillery battery was generally assigned to each brigade. The total number of Union troops present at the First Battle of Bull Run

9888-562: Was bought outright for £12,000 (and later became Arlington National Cemetery ). The other plantation, 904 acres (3.66 km ) acres called Abingdon (now Reagan National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia ), Custis purchased on unfavorable terms: a mortgage at £12 per acre, with substantial annual payments over £2,000 each year, and the principal due in 1802. Washington believed Abingdon's owner, Robert Alexander, took advantage of Custis's inexperience and eagerness. When he learned of

9991-542: Was buried next to his wife in Arlington Forest near "the Grove". Arlington Estate's history changed forever with the outbreak of the American Civil War. Robert E. Lee resigned from the United States Army on April 20, 1861, and took command of Virginia's armed forces on April 23. Armed forces loyal to the United States ("Union" forces) realized that artillery placed on the heights of the estate would be able to shell

10094-415: Was coming from the Henry House and turned his guns on the building. A shell that crashed through the bedroom wall tore off one of the widow's feet and inflicted multiple injuries, from which she died later that day. As his men were pushed back towards Henry House Hill, Bee exclaimed to Jackson, "The Enemy are driving us." Jackson, a former U.S. Army officer and professor at the Virginia Military Institute ,

10197-442: Was known as "Jacky" as a boy, then "Jack", especially after attaining his inheritance. Following his father's death in 1757, under Virginia's laws concerning intestacy (dying without a will), almost 18,000 acres (73 km ) of land and personal property including about 285 enslaved persons (worth £30,000) were held in trust for Custis until he came of age. However, the estate prompted a transatlantic legal battle with relatives in

10300-613: Was meant to be pejorative: "Look at Jackson standing there like a stone wall!" After Bee's wounding, Col. States Rights Gist , serving as Bee's aide-de-camp, took command of the brigade. Artillery commander Griffin decided to move two of his guns to the southern end of his line, hoping to provide enfilade fire against the Confederates. At approximately 3 p.m., these guns were overrun by the 33rd Virginia, whose men were outfitted in blue uniforms, causing Griffin's commander, Maj. William F. Barry , to mistake them for Union troops and to order Griffin not to fire on them. Close range volleys from

10403-621: Was moved 30 miles upriver to Eltham plantation the home of his uncle Colonel Burwell Bassett (Martha Washington's brother-in-law), where Martha Washington as well as his wife Eleanor (both of whom had journeyed to Williamsburg a few weeks before) attempted to help nurse him. Shortly after the surrender of Cornwallis , Custis died on November 5, 1781, at Eltham. He was buried at his family's plot at their Queen's Creek plantation, in York County , near Williamsburg, Virginia . However, if any grave marker had been erected, none remained by 1895 when

10506-483: Was thrown back, and Wheat seriously wounded, Evans received reinforcement from two other brigades under Brig. Gen. Barnard Bee and Col. Francis S. Bartow , bringing the force on the flank to 2,800 men. They successfully slowed Hunter's lead brigade (Brig. Gen. Ambrose Burnside ) in its attempts to ford Bull Run and advance across Young's Branch, at the northern end of Henry House Hill . One of Tyler's brigade commanders, Col. William Tecumseh Sherman , moved forward from

10609-415: Was to attack from there to the north toward Centreville. Johnston, the senior officer, approved the plan. If both of the armies had been able to execute their plans simultaneously, it would have resulted in a mutual counterclockwise movement as they attacked each other's left flank. McDowell was getting contradictory information from his intelligence agents, so he called for the balloon Enterprise , which

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