I'd agree with that assessment of First Manassas (as The South referred to it), and it is one of the first "what ifs" of The War. I'm interested in that period of time on a number of levels. My opinions on it and the connections I see to anti-White discrimination and the caste system can be found on numerous posts and threads from years of CF past. Of course there is also my avatar, which says something about who I am. :icon_mrgreen: Looking back on it, I wish it had never happened, as my signature also indicates. The results of it have been an overall negative on our people and our culture (White Americans in general, and especially White Christian Southern men).
Another time the North was at a disadvantage playing on the South's home field! ;-)
Bull Run-First Manassas, was a very interesting event. If you read about it the whole thing was run like a football game with fans camped on both sides of the field to cheer on the players. Sad to think about it but it was a much simpler time. The War denigrated into an ugly slaughter for the most part as it was one of the first large scale modern wars.
I don't understand how millions of northern White men thought it would be a good idea to fight and possibly die to keep people in a union they didn't want to be in. But there's a lot about people I don't understand and that is why I'm facinated by the Civil War like I am the caste system in sports.
There were two generals I really liked and have read about. Wade Hampton who took over the Southern Cavalry after Jeb Stuart was killed. He was a rich plantation owner who used his own money to raise and arm a cavalry brigade. His own money-those were the days!
I also admired Winfield Scott Han****, the real hero of Gettysburg whose decisions on the first day of the battle were decisive in the Union victory. If he had not gotten hit with a ball in the hip (an injury that lingered his whole life) the course of the war would have been different as he might have been given command of the Army of the Potomoc instead of having Grant brought in. His subsequent command of the New Orleans area after the War was very controversial in his support for the Southern White man.