A charismatic and flamboyant figure, G. T. Beauregard was an early Confederate hero from his command of the Confederate troops in Charleston during Fort Sumter. By June 1861 he was a brigadier general headquartered at Manassas. The Battle of Manassas, or Bull Run, on July 21, 1861 was the first significant land battle of the war.

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Report of the Battle of Manassa

General

Before entering upon a narration of the general military operations in the presence of the enemy on the 21^st of July, I propose, I hope not unreasonably, first to recite certain events, which belong to the strategy of the campaign and consequently, form an essential part of the history of the Battle.

Having become satisfied that the advance of the enemy, with a decidedly superior force both as to numbers and war equipage, to attack or turn my position in this quarter, was immediately impending. I dispatched, on the 13^th of July, one of my Staff, Col. James Chestnut of South Carolina, to submit, for the consideration of the President, a plan of operations substantially as follows:

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Fully conscious of this portentous disparity of force, as I posted the lines for the encounter, I sought to infuse into the hearts of my officers and men the confidence and determined spirit of resistance to this wicked invasion of the homes of a free people which I felt. I informed them that reinforcements would rapidly come up to their support, and that we must at all hazards hold our posts until re-inforced. I reminded them that we fought for our homes, our firesides and for the independence of our Country. I urged them to the resolution of Victory or Death on that field. These sentiments were loudly, eagerly, cheered wheresoever proclaimed, and I then felt reassured of the inconquerable spirit of that Army, which would enable us to wrench victory from the host then threatening us with destruction.

Oh! My country: I would readily have sacrificed my life and those of all the brave men around me to save your homes, and to maintain your independence from the degrading yoke which these ruthless invaders had come to impose and render perpetual and the day issues assured me that such emotions must have also [illeg.] all under my command.

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This Victory, the details of which I have thus sought to chronicle as fully as were fitting an official Report, it remains to record was clearly won by the death of many officers and men of inestimable value, belonging to all grades of our society.

In the death of General Barnard E. Bee the Confederacy has sustained an irreparable loss, for with great personal bravery and coolness, he possessed the qualities of an accomplished soldier, and an able reliable commander.

Cols. Bartow and Fisher, and Lt. Col. Johnston of Hampton’s Legion in the fearless command of their men gave earnest of great usefulness to the service, had they been spared to complete a career so brilliantly begun. Besides the Field officers already mentioned as having been wounded while in the gallant discharge of their duty, many others also received severe wounds after equally honorable and distinguished conduct whether in leading their men forward, or in rallying them when overpowered and temporarily shattered by the largely superior force to which we were generally opposed.

The subordinate grades were likewise abundantly conspicuous for zeal and capacity for the leadership of men in arms. To mention all, who fighting well, paid the lavish forfeit of their lives, or at least crippled, mutilated bodies on the field of Manassa, cannot well be done within the compass of this paper, but a grateful country and mourning friends will not suffer their names and services to be forgotten and pass away unhonored.

Nor are those officers and men who were so fortunate as to escape the thick of flying, deadly missiles of the enemy, less worthy of praise for their endurance firmness and valor than their brothers-in-arms whose lives were closed as bodies maimed on that memorable day.

To mention all who exhibited ability and brilliant courage were impossible in this Report, nor do the Reports of Brigade and other subordinate commanders supply full lists of all actually deserving of distinction. I can only mention those whose conduct came immediately under my notice, or the consequence of whose actions happened to be signally important.

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In the conclusion of this Report, it is proper, and doubtless expected, that I should acquaint my countrymen with some of the sufficient causes, that prevented the advance of our forces, and prolonged, rigorous, pursuit of the enemy to and beyond the Potomac. The War Department has been fully advised long since of all the causes, some of which only are proper to be here communicated.

An Army which had fought as ours that day, against uncommon odds, under a July sun, most of the time without water and without food, except a hastily snatched meal at dawn, was not in condition for the toil of an eager effective pursuit of an enemy immediately after the Battle. On the following day, an unusually heavy and unintermitting fall of rain intervened to obstruct our advance with reasonable prospects of fruitful results. Added to this the want of a Cavalry force of sufficient numbers made an efficient pursuit a military impossibility.

I remain very Resp.’ly

Your obt. Servt.

G. T. Beauregard

Gen.e Comdg.

Citation: G. T. (Gustave Toutant) Beauregard (1818-1893), Report of the battle of Manassas: manuscript. AMs 356/8