CIVIL WAR BAPTISM OF FIRE: FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN: 50 People Who Stepped on the Civil War Stage at This Critical Battle (Civil War Personalities, 50

CIVIL WAR BAPTISM OF FIRE: FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN: 50 People Who Stepped on the Civil War Stage at This Critical Battle (Civil War Personalities, 50

“A single grand victory, Northerners and Southerners were equally sanguine, would be sufficient to convince the other side of the hopelessness of its cause and persuade its adherents to abandon their war aims.” (Ethan Rafuse) The battle which would bring that victory was, many presumed, going to take place at Manassas, Virginia, in the summer of 1861. As a result, If the war were going to be over quickly, every military man worth his salt would want to be there and participate. As we now know, this prediction of a quick and convincing victory was misguided. That single, grand major battle, the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, did not cause either side to “abandon their war aims.” But it did bring an estimated 65,000 men – and one brave woman – together for the largest land battle in American history to that time. Among those 65,000 were many who would become famous during the Civil War. Jefferson Davis, William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, Ambrose Burnside, Joseph Johnston, Irvin McDowell, Jeb Stuart, George Custer, and many more stepped on the Civil War stage and had their Civil War “baptism of fire” on the Manassas battlefield that day. This book, part of the series, “Civil War Personalities, 50 At a Time,” describes those men, many others, and one woman who made history that day. . Readers should also look forward to the next book in this series, which will be a companion piece to this one. Entitled “Last Rites” of the Civil War at Appomattox Court House and Bennett Place," it chronicles the two major surrenders and the men who were there making it happen. From "Baptism" to "Last Rites," the Civil War was truly the American Iliad and the Second American Revolution. These two books will give the reader a fuller understanding of the men and women who made it all possible. .