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In July, he ordered Union forces to attack the

Confederate army in Virginia. The attack would

open a path to Richmond. This city served as the

Confederate capital. Union forces planned to take

the city and end the war quickly.

On July 16, 1861, Union general Irvin McDowell

followed Lincoln’s orders. His 35,000 soldiers

left the Union capital of Washington, DC. They

marched toward Bull Run, a small creek in

northern Virginia. Stationed behind the creek

were 20,000 Confederate soldiers led by General

P. G. T. Beauregard.

Beauregard’s men prepared to attack

McDowell’s left flank. This attack would move

the Confederates toward Centreville, Virginia.

There, they would cut off the Union forces from

Washington, DC. Beauregard called for backup to

help pull off this maneuver.

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