In the West, at Il-li-nois, troops from Chi-ca-go took pos-ses-sion of Cai-ro.
So, by the prompt com-ing of troops to Wash-ing-ton and of those troops in the West keep-ing charge at Cai-ro, the plans of the South-ern foe were checked.
[CHAPTER IX.]
EARLY BATTLES OF THE WAR.
The foe moved their cap-i-tal from Mont-gom-er-y, Ala. to Rich-mond, Va. and the first bat-tle of weight was to lie be-tween the two cap-i-tals. The folks at the North thought the war would be a short one. Most of the North-ern vol-un-teers had been called out for but three months, so it was thought by some that a bat-tle must be fought ere that time came to an end. The press at the North made a loud call for a “for-ward move-ment.” From day to day there was the cry of “On to Rich-mond!”
This hot speed was not the wish of Gen. Scott, then Com-man-der-in-chief of all the U. S. troops. He said it would be “death to our cause.” It has since been thought that if the men in the North had been more slow to move, the first great loss would not have been theirs.
It was on the 21st, of Ju-ly, 1861, that the bat-tle of Bull Run was fought. Gen-er-al Mc-Do-well moved to-wards Rich-mond. The foe was led by Gens. Jo-seph E. John-ston and Beau-re-gard. The bat-tle was a sharp one and the loss large. At just the right mo-ment the foe had fresh troops sent to help them and thus gained the day. Af-ter a hard fight, the Un-ion for-ces had to give up. They fled back in haste to Wash-ing-ton.
MARCHING TO BULL RUN.