William H. Russell

In July, the long-awaited advance of the Union army into Virginia began. On July 21, a Union force under Major General Irvin McDowell attacked a Confederate army at Manassas Junction, Virginia, a short ride from Washington, D.C. Expecting excitement and a glorious victory for the Union, thousands of Washington residents turned out to witness the battle, many of them packing picnics for the occasion.

The cheering crowds would not have their victory, however. While skirmishing continued near a small river known as Bull Run, Confederate reinforcements arrived. McDowell's outmaneuvered army broke ranks and fled in a panicked retreat along the roads back to Washington.

Watching from a nearby hillside was English journalist William Russell. In the following excerpt, Russell describes the battle and the Union army's ignominious retreat.

The sounds which came upon the breeze...