Emma: The battle of Bull Run took place on July 21st, 1861, when Union soldiers, led by Irvin McDowell, marched out of Washington D.C. to Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital. This battle was the official start of the Civil War. As the battle raged on, Joseph E. Johnston, the Southerner’s general, sent Confederate reinforcements late in the afternoon to Shenandoah Valley, which held the North back from victory. On July 22nd, 1861, the Union soldiers retreated from the battle, with 2,896 Notherners dead, wounded, missing or captured. The Confederate soldiers claimed victory, but had lost 1,982 Southern fighters.