Battle of Blackburn's Ford

Overview

The Battle of Blackburn's Ford took place on July 18, 1861, in the Confederate state of Virginia, as part of the Manassas campaign of the American Civil War. Union general Irvin McDowell's Army of Northeastern Virginia was marching south towards the Confederate capital of Richmond, and encountered the Confederate Army of the Potomac under the command of P. G. T. Beauregard. McDowell sent troops from Daniel Tyler's division to probe the Confederate defenses along Bull Run Creek to locate the Confederate left flank. At Blackburn's Ford, the Union troops attempted to cross but Confederate fire broke up the attack. The repulse at Blackburn's Ford led McDowell to seek to attack the Confederates at a different point along their line, leading to the First Battle of Bull Run three days later.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Blackburn's Ford was a preliminary action of the Manassas campaign, fought three days before the First Battle of Bull Run. McDowell sent elements of Tyler's division to probe Confederate defenses along Bull Run Creek in order to locate Beauregard's left flank. The failed crossing attempt, driven back by Confederate fire, denied McDowell the avenue of attack he had sought and compelled him to look elsewhere along the Confederate line. That repulse directly shaped his operational decision-making for the larger engagement that followed on July 21, redirecting Union effort toward the flank action that would define First Bull Run.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)