BULL RUN, a small stream in n.e. Virginia, falling into the Occoquan about 25 m. s.w. of Washington, the site of two important battles early in the war of the rebellion. The first battle took place July 21, 1861, the national forces commanded by gen. McDowell and the confederates by gees. Johnson and Beauregard. The forces were about 28,000 for McDowell and very nearly the. same number on the other side, though not more than 18,000 union men were actually in the conflict. Until about 4 P.M. the advantage was evidently with the union side; but at that time an impetuous charge from Beauregard's whole line turned the tide, and the union army was completely routed and fled as best they could across the stream to Centreville, where a council of war was held and a retreat to Washington determined upon. The union loss was: killed, 481; wounded, 1011; missing, 1460. The confederate loss was: killed, 378; wounded, 1489; missing, 30.
On the 29th and 30th of Aug., 1862. the second battle was fought, gens. McDowell and Pope commanding the union forces, with gens. Lee, Jackson, and Longstreet on the other side. On the last clay the unionists were defeated and fell back to Chancellors ville, where they suffered another repulse, and then retired to Washington. The forces engaged were about 35,000 union, and 46,000 confederate. No complete report of the union losses was given, but the figures for killed, wounded, captured, and missing are put at 11,000: Lee reported the confederate loss to be 1090 killed, and 6514 wounded, but the report was incomplete, others making the total loss 8400. The confederates call these engagements the "first and second battles of Manassas."