On July 21, 1861, two inexperienced armies of a divided nation clashed for the first time in Manassas, Virginia. As the 35,000-strong Union forces began their long-awaited campaign to capture Richmond, the public gathered to watch what they thought would be a colorful pageantry. Neither the citizens nor the soldiers could conceive of the long war that lay ahead. Culminating in a stalwart defensive fight by Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's Virginia Brigade, the Battle of Bull Run marked the Confederacy's first victory. By the day's end, after ten hours of fierce fighting, soldiers on both sides were shocked by the violence and destruction they had encountered. As the Union army retreated they took with them any notion that the war's outcome would be decided quickly. This book vividly evokes the real-life experiences of the men on the battlefield in graphic novel format and includes eight additional pages of background information detailing the key players, the experience of the forces, and the aftermath of the battle.