Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies: General Irvin McDowell's Account of the Battle of First Bull Run (Illustrated)

Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885) was a career American army officer, famous for his defeat during the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the Civil War. McDowell was promoted to brigadier general in the regular army on May 14, 1861, and given command of the Army of Northeastern Virginia, despite never having commanded troops in combat. The promotion was partly because of the influence of his mentor, Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase. Although McDowell knew that his troops were inexperienced and unready, pressure from the Washington politicians forced him to launch a premature offensive against Confederate forces in Northern Virginia. His strategy during the First Battle of Bull Run was imaginative but ambitiously complex, and his troops were not experienced enough to carry it out effectively, resulting in an embarrassing rout.

As the commanding officer at First Bull Run, McDowell had to write an official account of the campaign, and it was preserved in The War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate ArmiesThis edition of McDowell’s official account includes illustrations and maps of the campaign, as well as pictures of the important commanders of the battle.