Blackburn's Ford, battle at.
Preliminary to the severe conflict at
Bull Run (July 21, 1861) was a sharp fight on the same stream.
at Blackburn's Ford.
This ford was guarded by a Confederate force under
Gen. James Longstreet.
Some National troops under
Gen. D. Tyler, a part of
McDowell's advancing army, went out towards this ford on a reconnoissance on the 18th.
The troops consisted of
Richardson's brigade, a squadron of cavalry, and
Ayres's battery. Sherman's brigade was held in reserve.
He found the
Confederates there in strong force, partly concealed by woods.
Hoping to draw their fire and discover their exact position, a 20-pound gun of
Ayres's batter fired a slot at random among them.
A battery in view only responded with grape-shot.
Richardson sent forward the 2d Michigan Regiment as skirmishers, who were soon engaged in a hot contest on low ground.
The 3d Michigan, 1st Massachusetts, and 12th New York pushed forward, and were son fighting severely.
Cavalry and two howitzers were fiercely assailed by musketry and a concealed battery, when the Nationals, greatly outnumbered, recoiled and withdrew behind
Ayres's battery on a hill.
Just then
Sherman came up with his brigade, when
Ayres's battery again opened fire, and for an hour an artillery duel was kept up, the
Confederates responding, gun for gun. Satisfied that he could not flank the
Confederates.
McDowell ordered the whole body to fall back to
Centreville.
The Confederates called this the “
Battle of Bull Run.”
and that which the Nationals designate by that name they called the “
Battle of Manassas.”
The loss of the combatants at Blackburn's Ford was nearly equal — that of the Nationals seventy-three and of the
Confederates seventy.
