1 00:00:13,323 --> 00:00:14,856 Narrator: As a rebel army musters 2 00:00:14,858 --> 00:00:18,259 just a day's march from Washington, 3 00:00:18,261 --> 00:00:20,862 President Lincoln moves to crush the rebellion 4 00:00:20,864 --> 00:00:23,398 at the battle of bull run. 5 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,200 Man: Lincoln's attitude is, "we're gonna win this conflict. 6 00:00:26,202 --> 00:00:27,969 We'll do whatever it takes." 7 00:00:30,073 --> 00:00:33,941 Narrator: It's a decision that will change the nation forever. 8 00:00:33,943 --> 00:00:36,344 Forward, forward! 9 00:00:36,346 --> 00:00:39,080 Most think it will be over in a matter of hours. 10 00:00:39,082 --> 00:00:40,348 Man: You have a politician saying 11 00:00:40,350 --> 00:00:42,484 he'd be happy to drink all the blood spilled 12 00:00:42,486 --> 00:00:44,419 in this little war. 13 00:00:44,421 --> 00:00:46,688 Narrator: They're wrong. 14 00:00:46,690 --> 00:00:48,690 Man: The south couldn't believe the north was really serious. 15 00:00:48,692 --> 00:00:51,760 The north couldn't believe the south was really serious. 16 00:00:51,762 --> 00:00:55,697 Narrator: As 60,000 soldiers clash near the town of manassas, 17 00:00:55,699 --> 00:00:57,299 raw recruits from Wisconsin 18 00:00:57,301 --> 00:01:02,504 will collide with untested volunteers from Virginia 19 00:01:02,506 --> 00:01:04,840 over a key piece of high ground. 20 00:01:07,244 --> 00:01:09,244 Ultimately, the battle of bull run 21 00:01:09,246 --> 00:01:11,979 is the fight for Henry hill. 22 00:01:11,981 --> 00:01:14,382 Narrator: Their fight plunges an unprepared nation 23 00:01:14,384 --> 00:01:17,719 into a war of unimaginable violence. 24 00:01:17,721 --> 00:01:20,188 Man: They had sent their young men off to fight this battle. 25 00:01:20,190 --> 00:01:23,859 But the United States had never experienced anything like this. 26 00:01:23,861 --> 00:01:27,329 Narrator: It will claim over half a million lives 27 00:01:27,331 --> 00:01:31,533 and destroy the nation as it once was. 28 00:01:31,535 --> 00:01:36,137 Man: Nobody could anticipate the absolute annihilation 29 00:01:36,139 --> 00:01:39,474 of an entire society that would start at manassas. 30 00:01:51,488 --> 00:01:54,555 Captions by vitac... www.Vitac.Com 31 00:01:54,557 --> 00:01:57,492 captions paid for by discovery communications 32 00:01:57,494 --> 00:02:00,295 [ soft footsteps ] 33 00:02:11,909 --> 00:02:14,308 Narrator: The men of the 1st Massachusetts infantry 34 00:02:14,310 --> 00:02:15,910 are part of a large union force 35 00:02:15,912 --> 00:02:17,946 sent into northern Virginia. 36 00:02:20,384 --> 00:02:21,983 They've come to find a rebel army, 37 00:02:21,985 --> 00:02:23,985 believed to be mustering a day's march 38 00:02:23,987 --> 00:02:25,687 from Washington, D.C. 39 00:02:28,125 --> 00:02:29,390 It marks the first time, 40 00:02:29,392 --> 00:02:31,792 since war was declared 3 months ago, 41 00:02:31,794 --> 00:02:34,796 that the capital was threatened by rebel troops. 42 00:02:38,601 --> 00:02:41,403 I got men on our left and our right flanks 43 00:02:41,405 --> 00:02:43,338 and a big bunch of 'em comin' up the middle. 44 00:02:43,340 --> 00:02:46,140 Artillery? The trees are too thick to tell. 45 00:02:46,142 --> 00:02:49,477 Did you get a glimpse of 'em? 46 00:02:49,479 --> 00:02:52,113 What do they look like? They look like us. 47 00:02:52,115 --> 00:02:55,149 They're wearing gray. 48 00:02:55,151 --> 00:02:58,085 Spread the word. We're gonna move forward. 49 00:02:58,087 --> 00:02:59,954 Hey! Tell them to hold their fire. 50 00:02:59,956 --> 00:03:01,523 Those could be our men. 51 00:03:15,372 --> 00:03:16,971 Man: When the civil war erupts, 52 00:03:16,973 --> 00:03:20,242 there is no standard uniform, north or south. 53 00:03:20,244 --> 00:03:23,444 Uh, we often think of the union soldier wearing blue, 54 00:03:23,446 --> 00:03:25,914 and the confederate soldier clad in gray. 55 00:03:25,916 --> 00:03:27,582 But that first slug fest, 56 00:03:27,584 --> 00:03:31,519 the soldiers showed up in their militia uniforms. 57 00:03:31,521 --> 00:03:33,121 Narrator: Unlike most of the union army 58 00:03:33,123 --> 00:03:35,189 that is dressed in blue, 59 00:03:35,191 --> 00:03:39,127 these men wear the gray of the state militia, 60 00:03:39,129 --> 00:03:41,596 just like the majority of rebels. 61 00:03:43,867 --> 00:03:46,401 There! 62 00:03:54,477 --> 00:03:56,410 Man: So consider this. 63 00:03:56,412 --> 00:03:59,080 You got a line of men in gray 64 00:03:59,082 --> 00:04:02,484 and a line of men in gray facing each other. 65 00:04:02,486 --> 00:04:04,486 Friends? Foes? 66 00:04:04,488 --> 00:04:06,354 Who are they? 67 00:04:06,356 --> 00:04:09,824 Do we shoot, or don't we? 68 00:04:09,826 --> 00:04:12,327 Who's out there? 69 00:04:15,432 --> 00:04:20,902 Who are you? 70 00:04:20,904 --> 00:04:22,737 We are Massachusetts men. 71 00:04:36,586 --> 00:04:37,919 Narrator: In the white house, 72 00:04:37,921 --> 00:04:42,523 president Abraham Lincoln endures another sleepless night. 73 00:04:42,525 --> 00:04:44,259 After a bloody clash with rebels 74 00:04:44,261 --> 00:04:47,462 claimed dozens of his men 3 days earlier, 75 00:04:47,464 --> 00:04:51,132 he knows the real battle is about to begin. 76 00:04:51,134 --> 00:04:52,533 Man: Well, the greatest pressure Lincoln 77 00:04:52,535 --> 00:04:54,001 and everybody in the north faced 78 00:04:54,003 --> 00:04:57,739 in 1861 was this incredibly fast-paced rebellion 79 00:04:57,741 --> 00:05:02,343 that had turned into a confederacy of 11 states. 80 00:05:02,345 --> 00:05:04,145 Narrator: Following south Carolina's secession 81 00:05:04,147 --> 00:05:07,248 from the union in December of 1860, 82 00:05:07,250 --> 00:05:10,818 six other southern states follow suit. 83 00:05:10,820 --> 00:05:14,288 Then, in the wake of a rebel attack on fort sumter, 84 00:05:14,290 --> 00:05:16,558 a union base in south Carolina, 85 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,293 four more states join the confederacy 86 00:05:19,295 --> 00:05:22,831 and declare war on the United States. 87 00:05:22,833 --> 00:05:24,966 Their greatest advantage was 88 00:05:24,968 --> 00:05:26,767 the size of the land they possessed 89 00:05:26,769 --> 00:05:28,169 at the beginning of the rebellion. 90 00:05:28,171 --> 00:05:29,904 There's no other rebellion I can point to 91 00:05:29,906 --> 00:05:33,842 where they begin with 750,000 square miles of territory. 92 00:05:33,844 --> 00:05:36,978 It's extraordinary. 93 00:05:36,980 --> 00:05:38,779 Narrator: Lincoln's facing incredible pressure 94 00:05:38,781 --> 00:05:42,650 to put the rebellion down and save the nation. 95 00:05:42,652 --> 00:05:44,786 Lincoln said the union was the best hope 96 00:05:44,788 --> 00:05:46,388 for democracy in the world. 97 00:05:46,390 --> 00:05:48,856 Democracy was a fragile experiment. 98 00:05:48,858 --> 00:05:50,992 And it would only work 99 00:05:50,994 --> 00:05:53,928 if people accepted the results of elections. 100 00:05:53,930 --> 00:05:55,129 And he understood that other countries 101 00:05:55,131 --> 00:05:57,064 of the world did not have democracy 102 00:05:57,066 --> 00:05:59,734 and were perhaps rooting for the United States to fail. 103 00:05:59,736 --> 00:06:02,269 And that could not be allowed to happen. 104 00:06:02,271 --> 00:06:04,873 Man: And so what they needed to do was demonstrate 105 00:06:04,875 --> 00:06:07,675 that they were capable of putting that rebellion down. 106 00:06:07,677 --> 00:06:12,480 And, for Lincoln, that meant sending armies into the field. 107 00:06:12,482 --> 00:06:15,483 Narrator: Like many, Lincoln believes 108 00:06:15,485 --> 00:06:19,087 a decisive military victory will end the crisis. 109 00:06:19,089 --> 00:06:20,755 Man: It was assumed that even though 110 00:06:20,757 --> 00:06:22,757 the southern states had left the union, 111 00:06:22,759 --> 00:06:25,026 the majority of the people in the south 112 00:06:25,028 --> 00:06:26,961 really were loyal to the union. 113 00:06:26,963 --> 00:06:28,629 There was just a few troublemakers. 114 00:06:28,631 --> 00:06:31,299 You discredit them, you win the war. 115 00:06:34,771 --> 00:06:36,504 Narrator: Lincoln's hoping to achieve that victory 116 00:06:36,506 --> 00:06:38,506 near manassas, Virginia... 117 00:06:38,508 --> 00:06:42,043 A small town just 25 miles south of Washington, D.C. 118 00:06:43,380 --> 00:06:45,046 A large rebel force has gathered there 119 00:06:45,048 --> 00:06:47,115 to protect a key rail line 120 00:06:47,117 --> 00:06:48,649 that allows them to move soldiers 121 00:06:48,651 --> 00:06:50,718 and supplies through the state. 122 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,254 It's not only a rail junction, but it also protects 123 00:06:53,256 --> 00:06:55,256 the road south down to Richmond. 124 00:06:55,258 --> 00:06:58,192 So it's a key communication facility with the capital. 125 00:06:58,194 --> 00:06:59,994 The union doesn't like any of that. 126 00:06:59,996 --> 00:07:01,795 They don't like a force so close to Washington. 127 00:07:01,797 --> 00:07:04,465 They don't like, um, not having access to those railroads. 128 00:07:04,467 --> 00:07:05,667 They also don't like the confederates 129 00:07:05,669 --> 00:07:07,969 having those transportation facilities. 130 00:07:10,674 --> 00:07:13,140 Narrator: Thousands of union soldiers are now encamped 131 00:07:13,142 --> 00:07:14,375 near the bull run, 132 00:07:14,377 --> 00:07:17,078 a creek that flows to the north of manassas. 133 00:07:19,349 --> 00:07:21,482 They expect a clash with a large rebel army 134 00:07:21,484 --> 00:07:23,885 in the morning. 135 00:07:23,887 --> 00:07:26,687 Many are 90-day volunteers, 136 00:07:26,689 --> 00:07:28,022 men who enlisted following 137 00:07:28,024 --> 00:07:31,693 the rebel attack on fort sumter in April. 138 00:07:31,695 --> 00:07:34,429 Man: The idea was, they'd be gone for 90 days. 139 00:07:34,431 --> 00:07:36,431 They would, in that time, whip the rebels. 140 00:07:36,433 --> 00:07:38,632 And then they would come back home as heroes. 141 00:07:38,634 --> 00:07:41,168 Just kind of a easy, you know, little risk, 142 00:07:41,170 --> 00:07:43,905 lot of reward for going and joining the union army. 143 00:07:46,309 --> 00:07:48,576 Narrator: As their first major battle looms, 144 00:07:48,578 --> 00:07:50,812 many are too excited to sleep. 145 00:07:53,116 --> 00:07:55,249 Some, like William Collins, 146 00:07:55,251 --> 00:07:58,086 a watchmaker from Wisconsin, write home. 147 00:08:01,925 --> 00:08:03,857 He misses his wife, Kate, 148 00:08:03,859 --> 00:08:07,929 but is committed to defending the union. 149 00:08:07,931 --> 00:08:11,532 Man: Collins felt that, despite the potential sacrifice 150 00:08:11,534 --> 00:08:14,535 he would have to make in battle, and the possibility 151 00:08:14,537 --> 00:08:16,671 of being seriously wounded or being killed, 152 00:08:16,673 --> 00:08:21,342 by serving his country, he was defending his family. 153 00:08:21,344 --> 00:08:23,811 And the sense was widespread, that their families 154 00:08:23,813 --> 00:08:26,881 could not have the kind of upbringing they had had 155 00:08:26,883 --> 00:08:29,450 if the government was allowed to fall. 156 00:08:36,693 --> 00:08:40,160 And so union soldiers felt this strong sense 157 00:08:40,162 --> 00:08:42,664 that there was an obligation to serve. 158 00:08:45,835 --> 00:08:47,568 Narrator: As dawn approaches, 159 00:08:47,570 --> 00:08:49,903 prominent citizens like judge Daniel mccook 160 00:08:49,905 --> 00:08:52,240 arrive from Washington to watch the battle. 161 00:08:55,045 --> 00:08:56,511 Man: There was considerable confidence 162 00:08:56,513 --> 00:08:58,245 that they would beat the rebels. 163 00:08:58,247 --> 00:08:59,380 This was gonna be the great battle 164 00:08:59,382 --> 00:09:00,715 that would end the rebellion. 165 00:09:00,717 --> 00:09:03,718 And who would wanna miss that? 166 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,720 Um, that's why all the politicians came out there. 167 00:09:05,722 --> 00:09:08,923 They were certain they were gonna watch a victory. 168 00:09:08,925 --> 00:09:11,926 Narrator: Daniel mccook's also here to check on his young son, 169 00:09:11,928 --> 00:09:16,998 Charles, a private serving with the 2nd Ohio infantry. 170 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,267 Man: Charles mccook was 17 years old. 171 00:09:19,269 --> 00:09:22,737 And he decided his obligation to the family, 172 00:09:22,739 --> 00:09:25,072 to his community, to the country, 173 00:09:25,074 --> 00:09:26,975 was to join the union army. 174 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:31,412 Charles. 175 00:09:35,418 --> 00:09:37,218 You're looking well. 176 00:09:37,220 --> 00:09:40,355 Private's life must be agreeing with you. 177 00:09:40,357 --> 00:09:41,689 How is mother? 178 00:09:41,691 --> 00:09:44,825 She still can't believe you turned down that commission. 179 00:09:44,827 --> 00:09:49,697 It's not too late for me to put in a word. 180 00:09:49,699 --> 00:09:52,299 Father, we've talked about this many times. 181 00:09:52,301 --> 00:09:53,434 I appreciate the offer. 182 00:09:53,436 --> 00:09:55,102 But you know my thoughts on that. 183 00:09:55,104 --> 00:09:58,372 I'll make my own way. 184 00:09:58,374 --> 00:09:59,840 Of course you will, Charles. 185 00:09:59,842 --> 00:10:03,177 Of course you will. 186 00:10:03,179 --> 00:10:04,712 I had better get going. 187 00:10:04,714 --> 00:10:06,180 I don't have to tell you 188 00:10:06,182 --> 00:10:09,450 how important this day is to our nation. 189 00:10:09,452 --> 00:10:11,252 Washington will be watching. 190 00:10:11,254 --> 00:10:14,655 The whole country will be watching. 191 00:10:14,657 --> 00:10:18,859 And I know you won't let us down. 192 00:10:18,861 --> 00:10:21,462 Now go and show them what a mccook can do. 193 00:10:27,537 --> 00:10:29,670 Narrator: Charles mccook and the 2nd Ohio 194 00:10:29,672 --> 00:10:31,873 are part of a massive three-pronged attack, 195 00:10:31,875 --> 00:10:34,208 designed to crush the rebel force. 196 00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:36,143 After leaving camp near centreville, 197 00:10:36,145 --> 00:10:38,813 mccook and the others will put pressure on both the left 198 00:10:38,815 --> 00:10:41,082 and right sides of the confederate line, 199 00:10:41,084 --> 00:10:42,950 while a third force will try to sneak 200 00:10:42,952 --> 00:10:44,952 behind the left flank of the rebels 201 00:10:44,954 --> 00:10:46,954 and then destroy it. 202 00:10:50,827 --> 00:10:55,096 The men are to move out at any moment. 203 00:10:55,098 --> 00:10:56,564 Bet you wish you took that commission 204 00:10:56,566 --> 00:10:58,766 your daddy offered you now. 205 00:10:58,768 --> 00:11:01,302 You'd be ridin' on a horse and givin' orders. 206 00:11:01,304 --> 00:11:03,838 And miss all this? 207 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:07,241 And, besides, it was with a Massachusetts regiment. 208 00:11:07,243 --> 00:11:11,579 I'm not gonna trust my life to a bunch of fishermen. 209 00:11:11,581 --> 00:11:14,282 Man: Ohio! Fall in! 210 00:11:16,586 --> 00:11:18,252 I joined with the Ohio. 211 00:11:18,254 --> 00:11:20,988 I'm damn well gonna fight with the Ohio. 212 00:11:20,990 --> 00:11:22,790 You really think they'll fight? 213 00:11:22,792 --> 00:11:24,091 I don't know. 214 00:11:24,093 --> 00:11:25,860 My pop says they don't have the stomach for it. 215 00:11:25,862 --> 00:11:29,530 Thinks the whole rebellion will be over by lunch. 216 00:11:29,532 --> 00:11:31,198 Narrator: But like most Americans, 217 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,401 Charles' father has no conception 218 00:11:33,403 --> 00:11:35,069 of the wave of violence about to be 219 00:11:35,071 --> 00:11:38,338 unleashed by the battle of bull run. 220 00:11:38,340 --> 00:11:40,541 Man: The expectation by soldiers, 221 00:11:40,543 --> 00:11:42,143 north and south: 222 00:11:42,145 --> 00:11:44,078 One fight, we're done. 223 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:47,949 A boxing match that's only gonna go one round, not 15. 224 00:11:47,951 --> 00:11:52,953 And whoever the Victor is, it's complete. 225 00:11:52,955 --> 00:11:57,625 Nobody could anticipate the bloodshed. 226 00:11:57,627 --> 00:12:01,028 No one could anticipate the destruction 227 00:12:01,030 --> 00:12:03,064 that would start at manassas. 228 00:12:10,873 --> 00:12:14,942 ♪♪ 229 00:12:14,944 --> 00:12:16,410 Narrator: The battle of bull run, 230 00:12:16,412 --> 00:12:18,412 the first clash of the civil war 231 00:12:18,414 --> 00:12:21,149 and an event that will forever change the nation, 232 00:12:21,151 --> 00:12:24,085 is about to begin. 233 00:12:24,087 --> 00:12:26,887 Man: Many southerners were fighting to liberate themselves 234 00:12:26,889 --> 00:12:29,757 from what they believed to be an oppressive government. 235 00:12:29,759 --> 00:12:31,291 They were doing what the founding fathers 236 00:12:31,293 --> 00:12:32,960 were doing in 1776. 237 00:12:32,962 --> 00:12:35,563 Revolting, establishing their own government 238 00:12:35,565 --> 00:12:38,766 to restore the principles of the American revolution, 239 00:12:38,768 --> 00:12:41,368 which they believed a government under Abraham Lincoln 240 00:12:41,370 --> 00:12:43,371 and the north was going to pervert. 241 00:12:43,373 --> 00:12:47,341 So they had an obligation to defend their homes. 242 00:12:47,343 --> 00:12:49,376 Narrator: The rebel states have turned to Jefferson Davis 243 00:12:49,378 --> 00:12:51,679 to lead their fight for independence. 244 00:12:55,251 --> 00:12:57,117 Man: One reason he was selected 245 00:12:57,119 --> 00:12:59,653 was because of his military knowledge, 246 00:12:59,655 --> 00:13:02,723 his military understanding. 247 00:13:02,725 --> 00:13:06,460 Davis himself had fought in the Mexican war. 248 00:13:06,462 --> 00:13:07,995 He had studied war. 249 00:13:07,997 --> 00:13:11,933 And so he was very much controlling, uh, 250 00:13:11,935 --> 00:13:14,335 what was happening in the field. 251 00:13:18,540 --> 00:13:22,142 Narrator: Davis knows a massive battle is looming 252 00:13:22,144 --> 00:13:26,280 and has amassed thousands of troops in northern Virginia. 253 00:13:26,282 --> 00:13:29,550 Among them is John opey. 254 00:13:29,552 --> 00:13:34,622 I bet I take down 50 Yankees with one of these. 255 00:13:34,624 --> 00:13:38,559 Man: John opey was a young man in staunton, Virginia. 256 00:13:38,561 --> 00:13:43,231 His family lived in a small estate called Selma. 257 00:13:43,233 --> 00:13:44,698 And when the war came, 258 00:13:44,700 --> 00:13:48,969 he signed up with the 5th Virginia infantry. 259 00:13:48,971 --> 00:13:52,907 Narrator: But the 5th Virginia has a major problem. 260 00:13:52,909 --> 00:13:55,175 While most of the rebels are wearing gray, 261 00:13:55,177 --> 00:13:57,445 these men are going into battle dressed 262 00:13:57,447 --> 00:13:59,379 like the majority of union troops. 263 00:13:59,381 --> 00:14:03,718 Man: The state of Virginia equipped its militiamen 264 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,454 in a standard, regular blue uniform, 265 00:14:06,456 --> 00:14:09,056 which was the United States army uniform. 266 00:14:09,058 --> 00:14:12,459 The only thing that really was different was 267 00:14:12,461 --> 00:14:14,462 that you would have a Virginia belt buckle. 268 00:14:14,464 --> 00:14:16,330 But otherwise it's a standard 269 00:14:16,332 --> 00:14:18,198 U.S. army blue uniform. 270 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:20,167 Gentlemen, fall in! 271 00:14:22,738 --> 00:14:25,606 By order of general Jackson, 272 00:14:25,608 --> 00:14:28,342 everyone is to wear a strip of white cloth 273 00:14:28,344 --> 00:14:29,744 around his arm 274 00:14:29,746 --> 00:14:33,080 or his hat to identify himself to another. 275 00:14:33,082 --> 00:14:36,951 [ Laughter ] Hold your tongues, men. 276 00:14:39,221 --> 00:14:42,022 If challenged, y'all are to report yourself 277 00:14:42,024 --> 00:14:45,159 as follows, "our homes." 278 00:14:45,161 --> 00:14:48,095 [ Laughter ] 279 00:14:48,097 --> 00:14:50,197 Silence! 280 00:14:54,437 --> 00:14:56,704 Now, get to it. 281 00:14:56,706 --> 00:14:59,140 We've got fightin' to do. 282 00:15:01,177 --> 00:15:02,443 Fall out! 283 00:15:02,445 --> 00:15:04,511 Man: Before the battle, 284 00:15:04,513 --> 00:15:07,048 the confederate high command developed a watchword. 285 00:15:07,050 --> 00:15:08,449 If you approach somebody 286 00:15:08,451 --> 00:15:09,783 and you didn't know who they were, 287 00:15:09,785 --> 00:15:13,120 you were to place your right arm on your left breast, 288 00:15:13,122 --> 00:15:16,923 hold out your weapon and say, "our homes." 289 00:15:16,925 --> 00:15:18,659 So that was the effort to try to alleviate 290 00:15:18,661 --> 00:15:20,428 these kinds of problems. 291 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:26,734 That don't make no sense. 292 00:15:26,736 --> 00:15:28,803 We're busy beatin' our breasts. 293 00:15:28,805 --> 00:15:30,738 The other fella's gonna have plenty of time 294 00:15:30,740 --> 00:15:33,340 to blow our brains out. 295 00:15:33,342 --> 00:15:34,941 Don't you fret, William. 296 00:15:34,943 --> 00:15:38,379 Them Yankees gonna quit just like they did at sumter. 297 00:15:43,686 --> 00:15:46,620 Narrator: Hours later, union private Charles mccook 298 00:15:46,622 --> 00:15:48,622 and the 2nd Ohio infantry 299 00:15:48,624 --> 00:15:51,092 have reached the edge of the rebel defenses. 300 00:15:52,428 --> 00:15:54,395 [ Gunshot ] 301 00:16:08,044 --> 00:16:12,179 Narrator: The real fight now rages a mile to the northwest. 302 00:16:12,181 --> 00:16:14,248 There, union troops sent to sneak 303 00:16:14,250 --> 00:16:16,049 behind the confederate lines 304 00:16:16,051 --> 00:16:19,720 have clashed with rebels atop Matthews hill. 305 00:16:19,722 --> 00:16:21,188 Rebel private John opey 306 00:16:21,190 --> 00:16:23,724 and the men of the 5th Virginia infantry 307 00:16:23,726 --> 00:16:26,393 are racing up the back slope of Henry hill, 308 00:16:26,395 --> 00:16:28,195 a piece of high ground that's about to play 309 00:16:28,197 --> 00:16:31,732 a pivotal role in the battle. 310 00:16:31,734 --> 00:16:32,999 Up the hill, boys! 311 00:16:33,001 --> 00:16:34,335 Forward now! 312 00:16:34,337 --> 00:16:36,871 On the double quick! 313 00:16:39,342 --> 00:16:41,375 Men, take cover in this grass here. 314 00:16:45,348 --> 00:16:46,814 Narrator: They've been ordered by their commander 315 00:16:46,816 --> 00:16:48,549 to hide in the tall grass 316 00:16:48,551 --> 00:16:50,584 and wait to be called into action. 317 00:16:53,089 --> 00:16:54,688 There were a couple reasons for this. 318 00:16:54,690 --> 00:16:57,691 One was he didn't want them to be visible to the enemy. 319 00:16:57,693 --> 00:17:01,362 And secondly, there was shell fire that was coming in. 320 00:17:01,364 --> 00:17:03,230 And he didn't want to create an easy target 321 00:17:03,232 --> 00:17:04,899 for the enemy artillerymen. 322 00:17:04,901 --> 00:17:06,634 And so they're down on the ground. 323 00:17:06,636 --> 00:17:08,235 They were safe for the moment. 324 00:17:08,237 --> 00:17:11,005 And they were prepared when the action began. 325 00:17:16,045 --> 00:17:19,447 John, for heaven's sake, get down! 326 00:17:23,186 --> 00:17:25,652 Why are we here? 327 00:17:25,654 --> 00:17:28,355 We should be out there fightin'! 328 00:17:32,528 --> 00:17:35,195 Man: So, many of these men were concerned 329 00:17:35,197 --> 00:17:36,530 that there would be one battle, 330 00:17:36,532 --> 00:17:37,998 it would be over and they'd miss it! 331 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,001 And then they would be chastised and laughed at 332 00:17:41,003 --> 00:17:42,469 for the rest of their life. 333 00:17:42,471 --> 00:17:44,705 "Well, where were you on the big day?" 334 00:17:47,276 --> 00:17:49,643 Narrator: The morning does not go well for the rebel troops 335 00:17:49,645 --> 00:17:53,013 fighting to the north of Matthews hill. 336 00:17:53,015 --> 00:17:54,748 Faced with superior numbers, 337 00:17:54,750 --> 00:17:56,884 the confederates are now fleeing back 338 00:17:56,886 --> 00:18:00,287 to the high ground of Henry hill. 339 00:18:00,289 --> 00:18:02,422 Man: The situation's really desperate. 340 00:18:02,424 --> 00:18:04,892 The confederate army's being pushed back. 341 00:18:04,894 --> 00:18:09,763 It's already lost the area around Matthews hill. 342 00:18:09,765 --> 00:18:13,367 Man: The fight for Matthews hill is a decisive union victory. 343 00:18:13,369 --> 00:18:16,103 Get back! They're coming! 344 00:18:16,105 --> 00:18:19,105 Narrator: As terrified rebel troops race back towards 345 00:18:19,107 --> 00:18:21,575 John opey and the men of the 5th Virginia, 346 00:18:21,577 --> 00:18:23,109 it looks like the confederate line 347 00:18:23,111 --> 00:18:24,978 is about to crack. 348 00:18:24,980 --> 00:18:27,781 Center men, hold your positions! 349 00:18:27,783 --> 00:18:30,251 That's an order! 350 00:18:41,864 --> 00:18:44,131 Narrator: In the war department's telegraph room, 351 00:18:44,133 --> 00:18:45,599 president Abraham Lincoln 352 00:18:45,601 --> 00:18:48,269 follows developments on the battlefield. 353 00:18:53,809 --> 00:18:55,409 Confident union generals tell him 354 00:18:55,411 --> 00:18:57,511 that victory is imminent. 355 00:19:00,015 --> 00:19:03,484 Man: Abraham Lincoln is convinced the day is his. 356 00:19:03,486 --> 00:19:04,818 The union is excited. 357 00:19:04,820 --> 00:19:06,220 They are winning the battle of manassas, 358 00:19:06,222 --> 00:19:08,088 as far as they are concerned. 359 00:19:11,827 --> 00:19:13,561 Narrator: Atop Henry hill, 360 00:19:13,563 --> 00:19:17,364 the confederate army is in real trouble. 361 00:19:17,366 --> 00:19:19,633 Man: The confederate army is being pushed back. 362 00:19:19,635 --> 00:19:22,102 They are now running around Henry hill 363 00:19:22,104 --> 00:19:24,171 like a bunch of ants that... 364 00:19:24,173 --> 00:19:26,239 That's had its hive disturbed. 365 00:19:26,241 --> 00:19:28,842 There's no real order. There's just chaos. 366 00:19:28,844 --> 00:19:30,978 It doesn't look good at all for the confederates. 367 00:19:30,980 --> 00:19:33,380 I mean, this battle's gonna be lost. 368 00:19:33,382 --> 00:19:34,581 Narrator: If it is, 369 00:19:34,583 --> 00:19:36,183 the dream of an independent south 370 00:19:36,185 --> 00:19:38,619 is all but over. 371 00:19:40,723 --> 00:19:43,523 As the line is collapsing, John opey witnesses 372 00:19:43,525 --> 00:19:45,926 the birth of a legend. 373 00:19:45,928 --> 00:19:50,931 Man: Into this chaos comes Jackson. 374 00:19:50,933 --> 00:19:52,565 Narrator: Just months earlier, 375 00:19:52,567 --> 00:19:55,803 he was a little-known instructor at a military college. 376 00:19:55,805 --> 00:19:57,538 General Thomas Jonathan Jackson 377 00:19:57,540 --> 00:20:00,407 now commands the 1st Virginia brigade. 378 00:20:00,409 --> 00:20:04,812 He's about to become one of the most famous men in america. 379 00:20:04,814 --> 00:20:07,480 Jackson is on his horse. 380 00:20:07,482 --> 00:20:10,550 So he can see out over top of the hill 381 00:20:10,552 --> 00:20:13,954 where the union army is, what it's doing. 382 00:20:13,956 --> 00:20:16,156 Narrator: As terrified rebels prepare to flee, 383 00:20:16,158 --> 00:20:18,959 Jackson bravely rides along the summit, 384 00:20:18,961 --> 00:20:23,630 almost daring yankee gunners to cut him down. 385 00:20:23,632 --> 00:20:26,100 Another rebel general, trying to rally his men, 386 00:20:26,102 --> 00:20:30,170 sees Jackson's act of incredible courage. 387 00:20:30,172 --> 00:20:31,905 He points. And he says, 388 00:20:31,907 --> 00:20:36,643 "there stands Jackson like a stone wall. 389 00:20:36,645 --> 00:20:39,245 Let us go to his assistance." 390 00:20:39,247 --> 00:20:42,382 A legend is born. 391 00:20:42,384 --> 00:20:43,517 Narrator: Were it not for 392 00:20:43,519 --> 00:20:45,518 stonewall Jackson's coolness under fire, 393 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,522 the battle, and perhaps the entire civil war, 394 00:20:48,524 --> 00:20:51,925 could have ended then and there. 395 00:20:51,927 --> 00:20:53,927 As Jackson holds his ground, 396 00:20:53,929 --> 00:20:57,264 more confederate troops start to reform behind him. 397 00:20:59,534 --> 00:21:02,469 As rebels begin to gather atop Henry hill, 398 00:21:02,471 --> 00:21:04,137 union private William Collins 399 00:21:04,139 --> 00:21:05,739 and the men of the 2nd Wisconsin 400 00:21:05,741 --> 00:21:08,676 had been ordered to march immediately to the battlefield. 401 00:21:40,643 --> 00:21:43,143 Is he one of ours or theirs? 402 00:21:47,315 --> 00:21:49,916 He's a reb. 403 00:21:49,918 --> 00:21:51,852 Told you they'd run. 404 00:21:51,854 --> 00:21:54,721 Gotta ride to the back. 405 00:21:54,723 --> 00:21:56,523 You men! 406 00:21:56,525 --> 00:21:58,392 You leave that man be! Fall in! 407 00:22:07,403 --> 00:22:08,602 Man: Going into battle, 408 00:22:08,604 --> 00:22:11,271 the biggest problem both armies face 409 00:22:11,273 --> 00:22:13,874 is the psychological aspects of experiencing a battle 410 00:22:13,876 --> 00:22:15,409 in which soldiers are dying. 411 00:22:15,411 --> 00:22:16,944 What that actually really meant, 412 00:22:16,946 --> 00:22:19,078 in terms of the scenes you would see, 413 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:20,481 the emotions you would feel, 414 00:22:20,483 --> 00:22:22,783 that was something that they just weren't ready for. 415 00:22:25,755 --> 00:22:27,620 Narrator: Near the banks of the bull run, 416 00:22:27,622 --> 00:22:29,489 Charles mccook has been ordered to help at 417 00:22:29,491 --> 00:22:32,693 a union field hospital. 418 00:22:32,695 --> 00:22:36,830 You sure your daddy didn't have somethin' to do with this? 419 00:22:36,832 --> 00:22:38,365 Bet he pulled some strings 420 00:22:38,367 --> 00:22:43,102 so that his son didn't end up in front of a rebel Cannon. 421 00:22:43,104 --> 00:22:44,705 You don't know my father. 422 00:22:44,707 --> 00:22:45,972 If he had his way, 423 00:22:45,974 --> 00:22:49,108 I'd be sent in with the first charge. 424 00:22:49,110 --> 00:22:52,746 I swear, I think having his son wounded in battle 425 00:22:52,748 --> 00:22:54,581 would be the best thing that ever happened to his career 426 00:22:54,583 --> 00:22:57,084 in Washington. 427 00:23:03,058 --> 00:23:04,791 Hold, men! 428 00:23:04,793 --> 00:23:08,195 Hold to the treeline! 429 00:23:08,197 --> 00:23:10,263 Narrator: As the union prepares to launch 430 00:23:10,265 --> 00:23:11,732 another assault on the rebels, 431 00:23:11,734 --> 00:23:13,400 the 2nd Wisconsin makes their way 432 00:23:13,402 --> 00:23:15,935 towards the base of Henry hill, 433 00:23:15,937 --> 00:23:18,672 where the next attack will soon begin. 434 00:23:18,674 --> 00:23:20,674 We're gonna cut through this field, 435 00:23:20,676 --> 00:23:23,743 through those trees. 436 00:23:23,745 --> 00:23:26,947 And then we muster at a farm on the other side. 437 00:23:26,949 --> 00:23:28,282 Captain, we don't know 438 00:23:28,284 --> 00:23:31,051 who or what is on the other side over there. 439 00:23:33,755 --> 00:23:37,423 The enemy's retreated. You can see for yourself. 440 00:23:37,425 --> 00:23:39,359 Given the soldiers and their officers 441 00:23:39,361 --> 00:23:41,094 are inexperienced altogether, 442 00:23:41,096 --> 00:23:42,963 it's not so cut and dry. 443 00:23:42,965 --> 00:23:45,032 "Okay, I give you an order, and you obey that order." 444 00:23:45,034 --> 00:23:46,766 Maybe it's "I give you that order," and you say, 445 00:23:46,768 --> 00:23:49,436 "well, I think maybe I should do it another way." 446 00:23:57,179 --> 00:23:58,378 I mean, couldn't they be lying... 447 00:23:58,380 --> 00:23:59,179 You know, I don't have time for this... 448 00:23:59,181 --> 00:24:01,381 Collins! Let's go! 449 00:24:01,383 --> 00:24:04,151 Company f, forward! 450 00:24:11,793 --> 00:24:14,194 Narrator: William Collins and the men of the 2nd Wisconsin 451 00:24:14,196 --> 00:24:18,665 have no idea that the rebel line has held 452 00:24:18,667 --> 00:24:21,401 and that the confederates are about to launch a counterattack 453 00:24:21,403 --> 00:24:23,736 that will set the course of American history 454 00:24:23,738 --> 00:24:26,173 for years to come. 455 00:24:35,618 --> 00:24:37,350 Narrator: The battle of bull run, 456 00:24:37,352 --> 00:24:41,354 the first major clash of the civil war, has begun. 457 00:24:41,356 --> 00:24:44,491 After driving rebels from their first line of defense, 458 00:24:44,493 --> 00:24:49,162 union troops believe the day is theirs. 459 00:24:49,164 --> 00:24:50,630 They've no idea that the rebels 460 00:24:50,632 --> 00:24:53,033 are about to launch an attack of their own. 461 00:25:00,241 --> 00:25:03,176 Stay together, men! For the trees! 462 00:25:03,178 --> 00:25:05,712 The trees! 463 00:25:17,993 --> 00:25:19,860 Collins! 464 00:25:23,665 --> 00:25:25,932 Get up. Get up! 465 00:25:25,934 --> 00:25:28,869 [ Tinnitus ] 466 00:25:32,474 --> 00:25:34,274 [ Muffled explosion ] 467 00:25:34,276 --> 00:25:37,277 Collins! 468 00:25:37,279 --> 00:25:40,347 Get up! 469 00:25:40,349 --> 00:25:42,249 [ Tinnitus fades ] Get up! 470 00:25:49,624 --> 00:25:52,960 Man: Soldiers hated being under artillery fire 471 00:25:52,962 --> 00:25:54,761 because what you're waiting for is to go into battle 472 00:25:54,763 --> 00:25:56,162 to prove your manhood, 473 00:25:56,164 --> 00:25:58,498 to prove you're a soldier, to defend your country. 474 00:25:58,500 --> 00:26:01,634 And you're not being given the opportunity to fight back 475 00:26:01,636 --> 00:26:04,104 when you're under artillery fire. 476 00:26:06,709 --> 00:26:08,241 Narrator: At a nearby field hospital, 477 00:26:08,243 --> 00:26:09,976 union private Charles mccook 478 00:26:09,978 --> 00:26:14,180 has orders to continue helping with the wounded. 479 00:26:14,182 --> 00:26:17,383 Like several prominent union citizens, 480 00:26:17,385 --> 00:26:19,385 his father, Daniel, came to picnic 481 00:26:19,387 --> 00:26:24,391 and watch the battle many felt would be over in minutes. 482 00:26:24,393 --> 00:26:26,592 Shocked by the ferocity of the fighting, 483 00:26:26,594 --> 00:26:28,528 he now helps union doctors deal 484 00:26:28,530 --> 00:26:33,467 with the wave of injured and dying young men. 485 00:26:33,469 --> 00:26:34,935 The civil war takes place at a time 486 00:26:34,937 --> 00:26:37,404 when medicine had not been able to repair 487 00:26:37,406 --> 00:26:40,340 a lot of the damaged bodies. 488 00:26:40,342 --> 00:26:42,876 Narrator: Facing bones shattered by rifled muskets 489 00:26:42,878 --> 00:26:44,478 and high-powered artillery, 490 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,148 for many patients, there was only one option. 491 00:26:48,150 --> 00:26:50,750 Man: Oftentimes the solution for a person 492 00:26:50,752 --> 00:26:53,887 who was injured in an extremity, in a leg, was amputation. 493 00:26:53,889 --> 00:26:57,290 Limbs were stacked up like corn outside the hospital. 494 00:27:05,034 --> 00:27:07,801 [ Man screaming ] 495 00:27:12,974 --> 00:27:14,775 Narrator: Following their retreat from Matthews hill 496 00:27:14,777 --> 00:27:17,844 in late morning, rebel forces have regrouped 497 00:27:17,846 --> 00:27:19,512 on the high ground of Henry hill. 498 00:27:19,514 --> 00:27:22,648 Thousands are ready for the fight. 499 00:27:22,650 --> 00:27:26,319 We know, on July the 21st by mid-afternoon, 500 00:27:26,321 --> 00:27:28,722 just based on the movements of the troops, 501 00:27:28,724 --> 00:27:31,925 that there is going to be a massive collision, 502 00:27:31,927 --> 00:27:34,061 uh, on Henry hill. 503 00:27:36,931 --> 00:27:39,265 John opey and the 5th Virginia infantry 504 00:27:39,267 --> 00:27:40,567 have been sent forward. 505 00:27:45,006 --> 00:27:49,876 Their orders: Hold the ground at any cost. 506 00:27:49,878 --> 00:27:51,211 The dream of a free south 507 00:27:51,213 --> 00:27:55,148 will live or die on these slopes. 508 00:27:55,150 --> 00:27:56,750 Man: Fortunately for the confederates here, 509 00:27:56,752 --> 00:27:58,685 they're in the position of defense. 510 00:27:58,687 --> 00:28:00,754 They're in the position of holding. 511 00:28:00,756 --> 00:28:02,889 And so, unfortunately for the federals, 512 00:28:02,891 --> 00:28:05,292 they have to come up... Up the hill. 513 00:28:08,029 --> 00:28:10,830 Narrator: Despite this obstacle, hundreds of yankee troops 514 00:28:10,832 --> 00:28:13,467 are ordered to drive the rebels from Henry hill. 515 00:28:19,842 --> 00:28:21,107 John opey must hold off 516 00:28:21,109 --> 00:28:23,677 a wave of gray-clad union troops. 517 00:28:55,810 --> 00:28:57,677 Overwhelmed by union forces, 518 00:28:57,679 --> 00:29:00,680 opey and the 5th Virginia must abandon their position 519 00:29:00,682 --> 00:29:03,183 and race for safety. 520 00:29:15,764 --> 00:29:17,897 Man: You have soldiers who are completely inexperienced 521 00:29:17,899 --> 00:29:21,768 engaged in a savage battle. 522 00:29:21,770 --> 00:29:24,503 And you have soldiers on both sides wearing blue. 523 00:29:24,505 --> 00:29:28,241 You have soldiers on both sides wearing gray. 524 00:29:28,243 --> 00:29:30,310 I can't think of a more dysfunctional way 525 00:29:30,312 --> 00:29:31,945 to try to fight a battle. 526 00:29:44,459 --> 00:29:47,927 It's very hard to imagine the ferocity of the fight. 527 00:29:47,929 --> 00:29:49,996 You have people wounded and picking up other guns 528 00:29:49,998 --> 00:29:51,198 while they are still wounded. 529 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:52,665 You have people gurgling blood. 530 00:29:52,667 --> 00:29:54,334 You have people carrying their dying 531 00:29:54,336 --> 00:29:55,935 and dead friends off the battlefield. 532 00:29:55,937 --> 00:29:58,471 Our homes! Our homes! 533 00:30:01,677 --> 00:30:03,276 Our homes! 534 00:30:13,355 --> 00:30:15,688 Narrator: In Washington, president Abraham Lincoln 535 00:30:15,690 --> 00:30:17,958 awaits news from the battlefield. 536 00:30:20,362 --> 00:30:23,396 After receiving positive reports earlier in the day, 537 00:30:23,398 --> 00:30:25,599 the telegraph has fallen silent. 538 00:30:30,838 --> 00:30:33,006 He's beginning to fear the worst. 539 00:30:43,985 --> 00:30:47,387 25 miles away, the fight is still too close to call. 540 00:30:51,260 --> 00:30:53,193 It now centers on union cannons 541 00:30:53,195 --> 00:30:55,195 placed near the top of Henry hill. 542 00:31:00,535 --> 00:31:03,269 In a bold attempt to drive the rebels from the field, 543 00:31:03,271 --> 00:31:04,804 the union has moved two batteries 544 00:31:04,806 --> 00:31:08,141 of cannons onto the forward slopes of the hill. 545 00:31:08,143 --> 00:31:11,278 A savage fight to control them now rages on. 546 00:31:14,016 --> 00:31:15,548 Man: Ultimately, the battle of bull 547 00:31:15,550 --> 00:31:17,017 run and the fight for Henry hill 548 00:31:17,019 --> 00:31:20,253 will devolve into a battle around these very cannons here. 549 00:31:22,424 --> 00:31:24,557 Man: The struggle just back and forth, 550 00:31:24,559 --> 00:31:28,094 back and forth, wave after wave, attack after attack. 551 00:31:28,096 --> 00:31:29,962 Really what we're talking about is the high ground. 552 00:31:29,964 --> 00:31:31,230 Who's gonna hold the high ground? 553 00:31:31,232 --> 00:31:34,100 But the guns were the focal point on the high ground. 554 00:31:34,102 --> 00:31:38,171 Keep your heads down! 555 00:31:38,173 --> 00:31:39,839 Narrator: As they are seized again by the rebels, 556 00:31:39,841 --> 00:31:44,444 the 2nd Wisconsin is ordered to take them back. 557 00:31:44,446 --> 00:31:46,312 William Collins is about to be thrown 558 00:31:46,314 --> 00:31:48,848 into the epicenter of a storm of violence 559 00:31:48,850 --> 00:31:52,285 that's about to sweep across an unsuspecting nation. 560 00:31:57,592 --> 00:32:00,126 Narrator: Near the banks of the bull run, 561 00:32:00,128 --> 00:32:02,862 america is being given its first taste of the violence 562 00:32:02,864 --> 00:32:05,031 that's about to engulf the nation. 563 00:32:07,335 --> 00:32:10,003 A battle that many felt would be over by noon 564 00:32:10,005 --> 00:32:12,672 has now entered its 10th hour of carnage. 565 00:32:16,344 --> 00:32:20,947 The fight now centers on one key objective: 566 00:32:20,949 --> 00:32:24,884 The cannons that control the battlefield's high ground. 567 00:32:24,886 --> 00:32:25,819 All right. Go forward. 568 00:32:25,821 --> 00:32:27,754 Keep your heads down along the fence! 569 00:32:34,295 --> 00:32:36,162 Forward, forward! 570 00:32:36,164 --> 00:32:38,565 Hold here! Hold! 571 00:32:38,567 --> 00:32:41,100 Man: When the 2nd Wisconsin arrives on the scene, 572 00:32:41,102 --> 00:32:46,239 the guns are in the possession of the confederates. 573 00:32:46,241 --> 00:32:47,973 Narrator: Union soldier William Collins 574 00:32:47,975 --> 00:32:52,378 and the men of the 2nd Wisconsin have orders to take them back. 575 00:32:52,380 --> 00:32:57,317 Affix bayonets! 576 00:32:57,319 --> 00:33:00,987 I can't... I can't do it. 577 00:33:00,989 --> 00:33:03,857 I can't do it. I can't do it. 578 00:33:03,859 --> 00:33:05,658 Yes, you can! I can't do it. No. 579 00:33:05,660 --> 00:33:06,993 Breathe! No. No. 580 00:33:06,995 --> 00:33:08,194 Breathe! 581 00:33:10,999 --> 00:33:12,198 Forward! 582 00:33:15,136 --> 00:33:16,936 Man: They have to come up the hill, 583 00:33:16,938 --> 00:33:18,204 over all this open ground. 584 00:33:18,206 --> 00:33:19,939 They're extremely vulnerable. 585 00:33:19,941 --> 00:33:21,775 And they can easily be shot. 586 00:33:21,777 --> 00:33:24,411 They are susceptible to confederate artillery fire. 587 00:33:24,413 --> 00:33:27,380 [ Gunshots and artillery fire ] 588 00:33:40,762 --> 00:33:43,897 Forward! 589 00:34:25,740 --> 00:34:28,141 Narrator: Still hoping to get into the fight, 590 00:34:28,143 --> 00:34:29,675 union private Charles mccook 591 00:34:29,677 --> 00:34:31,810 remains stuck at the field hospital, 592 00:34:31,812 --> 00:34:34,414 dealing with a steady flow of federal wounded. 593 00:34:44,092 --> 00:34:46,693 His father, Daniel, a prominent judge, 594 00:34:46,695 --> 00:34:48,761 does what he can as well. 595 00:34:53,834 --> 00:34:55,368 Here. 596 00:34:55,370 --> 00:34:57,871 Save your breath, son. 597 00:35:01,309 --> 00:35:02,976 Take a sip. 598 00:35:02,978 --> 00:35:05,411 You've done your country a great service. 599 00:35:08,516 --> 00:35:11,517 I know you wanna help, father. But perhaps it would be best 600 00:35:11,519 --> 00:35:15,121 if we take care of our own first. 601 00:35:15,123 --> 00:35:18,024 Look at the buttons. He's a damn rebel. 602 00:35:21,796 --> 00:35:25,064 Charles! 603 00:35:25,066 --> 00:35:28,268 Just be careful, all right? 604 00:35:34,743 --> 00:35:35,743 Come on, men! 605 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:40,613 All right, spin it! 606 00:35:40,615 --> 00:35:42,081 Narrator: Near the summit of Henry hill, 607 00:35:42,083 --> 00:35:43,950 William Collins and the 2nd Wisconsin 608 00:35:43,952 --> 00:35:46,853 have reclaimed a vitally important union gun. 609 00:35:48,956 --> 00:35:51,624 With it, they hope to turn the tide of the battle, 610 00:35:51,626 --> 00:35:55,528 drive the rebels from the field and end the rebellion. 611 00:36:03,772 --> 00:36:08,174 But the rebels have one last card to play. 612 00:36:08,176 --> 00:36:11,444 They've moved fresh troops up the back side of Henry hill. 613 00:36:11,446 --> 00:36:14,380 And, alongside the 5th Virginia infantry, 614 00:36:14,382 --> 00:36:17,583 they're about to be unleashed upon the unsuspecting Yankees. 615 00:36:17,585 --> 00:36:20,086 Forward, men! That's the ride! 616 00:36:30,932 --> 00:36:33,399 Narrator: Faced with a wave of fresh rebel troops, 617 00:36:33,401 --> 00:36:38,338 Collins and the exhausted Yankees run for their lives. 618 00:36:38,340 --> 00:36:40,540 Union troops are hit with a panic. 619 00:36:40,542 --> 00:36:45,144 The retreat from bull run becomes a route from bull run. 620 00:36:45,146 --> 00:36:47,613 Those troops abandoned their cannons and supplies 621 00:36:47,615 --> 00:36:49,014 and ran pell-mell toward 622 00:36:49,016 --> 00:36:51,417 the union defenses at centreville, Virginia. 623 00:36:51,419 --> 00:36:53,119 Let's go! 624 00:37:05,367 --> 00:37:07,066 Narrator: Sent to get more water 625 00:37:07,068 --> 00:37:10,236 for the union field hospital, 626 00:37:10,238 --> 00:37:12,972 union private Charles mccook has no idea 627 00:37:12,974 --> 00:37:15,040 that they union line has been shattered 628 00:37:15,042 --> 00:37:16,442 and that rebel troops 629 00:37:16,444 --> 00:37:18,411 are now racing towards him. 630 00:37:23,518 --> 00:37:27,053 [ Horse whinnies ] 631 00:37:31,326 --> 00:37:34,193 Narrator: The first major battle of the American civil war 632 00:37:34,195 --> 00:37:36,462 is now 11 hours old. 633 00:37:36,464 --> 00:37:39,932 For union troops, the unthinkable has happened. 634 00:37:39,934 --> 00:37:41,267 After almost driving the rebels 635 00:37:41,269 --> 00:37:43,936 from the field earlier in the day, 636 00:37:43,938 --> 00:37:45,738 yankee soldiers now flee in the face 637 00:37:45,740 --> 00:37:48,674 of a savage rebel counterattack. 638 00:37:48,676 --> 00:37:51,010 Man: When the union army start retreating, 639 00:37:51,012 --> 00:37:52,611 the confederates begin 640 00:37:52,613 --> 00:37:56,883 trying to organize some kind of pursuit. 641 00:37:56,885 --> 00:38:00,420 And what they do is they send across some cavalry, 642 00:38:00,422 --> 00:38:03,356 and their advance carries them toward where the hospital is, 643 00:38:03,358 --> 00:38:05,358 where Charles mccook is. 644 00:38:07,228 --> 00:38:09,329 [ Horse whinnies ] 645 00:38:31,119 --> 00:38:33,452 Surrender! 646 00:38:33,454 --> 00:38:35,988 Charles, surrender! 647 00:38:35,990 --> 00:38:38,390 Surrender now, boy! 648 00:38:38,392 --> 00:38:39,625 Charles! 649 00:38:53,341 --> 00:38:56,742 Help! Help! 650 00:38:56,744 --> 00:38:59,746 Man: Daniel mccook immediately came to his wounded son. 651 00:38:59,748 --> 00:39:01,881 Help, doctor! 652 00:39:01,883 --> 00:39:04,016 Just seeing it happen himself personally, 653 00:39:04,018 --> 00:39:05,484 just a really horrible, 654 00:39:05,486 --> 00:39:09,087 horrible, uh, scene to contemplate. 655 00:39:09,089 --> 00:39:13,159 Narrator: As Daniel mccook tries to save his wounded son, 656 00:39:13,161 --> 00:39:17,830 a wave of rebels drive the Yankees from the field. 657 00:39:17,832 --> 00:39:21,633 The day is theirs. 658 00:39:21,635 --> 00:39:23,101 Man: John opey and the 5th virginians 659 00:39:23,103 --> 00:39:25,838 had recaptured the battery. 660 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,507 It had been a hard fought battle on Henry hill. 661 00:39:28,509 --> 00:39:31,377 And what they undoubtedly felt was a strong sense of a relief 662 00:39:31,379 --> 00:39:33,346 that they had won the battle. 663 00:39:38,386 --> 00:39:40,653 Man: There was a great deal of confidence 664 00:39:40,655 --> 00:39:43,189 and belief that, for the confederates, 665 00:39:43,191 --> 00:39:46,926 um, this is the beginning of a new nation. 666 00:39:46,928 --> 00:39:50,229 This is the new dawn for a new south. 667 00:39:58,206 --> 00:40:01,274 Narrator: Later that day, president Abraham Lincoln 668 00:40:01,276 --> 00:40:06,278 learns of the catastrophic defeat of his troops. 669 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:07,813 He's stunned that the south 670 00:40:07,815 --> 00:40:09,882 has taken on the best the United States 671 00:40:09,884 --> 00:40:11,283 could muster... 672 00:40:11,285 --> 00:40:13,686 And triumphed. 673 00:40:13,688 --> 00:40:16,155 Man: The outcome at bull run was shocking 674 00:40:16,157 --> 00:40:17,556 to northern public opinion. 675 00:40:17,558 --> 00:40:20,226 It was shocking to the political leadership in Washington. 676 00:40:20,228 --> 00:40:23,362 A real consequence of that first battle 677 00:40:23,364 --> 00:40:26,966 is that I think both sides quickly discovered, 678 00:40:26,968 --> 00:40:29,101 this war is not gonna end in 90 days. 679 00:40:29,103 --> 00:40:33,039 It's gonna be a very difficult haul. 680 00:40:35,510 --> 00:40:38,611 Narrator: But Lincoln has no intention of backing down. 681 00:40:40,848 --> 00:40:45,117 Man: Lincoln's response is, "we're not gonna quit." 682 00:40:45,119 --> 00:40:46,385 The south had sort of thought 683 00:40:46,387 --> 00:40:48,854 that one defeat would lead the... 684 00:40:48,856 --> 00:40:50,656 The north to think it wouldn't be worth it. 685 00:40:50,658 --> 00:40:53,992 But, to Lincoln, this war is worth it. 686 00:40:53,994 --> 00:40:55,528 Man: After the defeat, what does he do? 687 00:40:55,530 --> 00:40:56,795 He stays up all night. 688 00:40:56,797 --> 00:40:59,331 And he starts drafting a memo for what to do next. 689 00:40:59,333 --> 00:41:01,333 This is a man who never gives up. 690 00:41:01,335 --> 00:41:04,136 Lincoln was dedicated first and foremost 691 00:41:04,138 --> 00:41:08,274 to the absolute guaranteed preservation of the union. 692 00:41:08,276 --> 00:41:10,442 And if that meant continued sacrifice, 693 00:41:10,444 --> 00:41:13,346 continued killing, continued war, 694 00:41:13,348 --> 00:41:15,147 that would happen. 695 00:41:20,221 --> 00:41:21,753 Narrator: The rebels have won the day, 696 00:41:21,755 --> 00:41:23,923 but the cost has been tremendous. 697 00:41:27,094 --> 00:41:30,429 3,600 men were killed or wounded, 698 00:41:30,431 --> 00:41:33,799 making it the deadliest day in the nation's history so far. 699 00:41:36,170 --> 00:41:39,539 Among the victims is John opey's close friend. 700 00:41:41,642 --> 00:41:44,844 Man: The United States had never experienced anything like this. 701 00:41:44,846 --> 00:41:47,913 They'd sent their young men, um, off to fight this battle. 702 00:41:47,915 --> 00:41:49,715 They understood there would be losses. 703 00:41:49,717 --> 00:41:50,983 But of this scale, 704 00:41:50,985 --> 00:41:53,486 this was not what Americans had anticipated. 705 00:41:59,127 --> 00:42:01,660 Narrator: As the sun sets on the battlefield, 706 00:42:01,662 --> 00:42:04,030 it sets as well on the old america. 707 00:42:14,409 --> 00:42:16,208 The battle of bull run marks the beginning 708 00:42:16,210 --> 00:42:18,778 of the greatest struggle in the nation's history. 709 00:42:20,882 --> 00:42:25,217 By the time it's over, 600,000 men will be dead, 710 00:42:25,219 --> 00:42:30,156 a nation will be torn apart, and a new one born. 711 00:42:37,498 --> 00:42:40,366 Narrator: The day after bull run, at 2:30 A.M., 712 00:42:40,368 --> 00:42:43,035 Charles mccook dies from his wounds. 713 00:42:46,507 --> 00:42:48,641 Like so many fathers in the civil war, 714 00:42:48,643 --> 00:42:51,177 Daniel mccook must Bury his own son. 715 00:42:54,582 --> 00:42:57,249 Soon after, he enlists in the union army 716 00:42:57,251 --> 00:43:00,286 and is killed in action in 1863. 717 00:43:04,992 --> 00:43:06,992 William Collins survives the war 718 00:43:06,994 --> 00:43:09,728 and returns to Wisconsin to run a jewelry shop 719 00:43:09,730 --> 00:43:12,198 with his wife, Kate. 720 00:43:17,504 --> 00:43:19,938 John opey joins the confederate cavalry 721 00:43:19,940 --> 00:43:22,575 and fights at the battle of gettysburg. 722 00:43:22,577 --> 00:43:25,811 In 1865, with the war finally over, 723 00:43:25,813 --> 00:43:27,613 he returns home to Virginia.