Turning the Tide

The Confederate army had been fighting for time, and bloody efforts to delay the enemy's advance bought essential hours for Southern reinforcements to reach the battlefield. Many regiments marched up from defensive positions downstream, while others had just disembarked from trains at Manassas Junction, and all moved rapidly to the front, many following the growing sound of battle. Their arrival coincided with the Union advance to Henry Hill. The 33rd Virginia Infantry, deployed here behind the fence line, waited tensely under enemy bombardment, then spotted two Union cannon unlimbering on the knoll directly ahead, though the guns focused on Rebel batteries and paid little heed to the Virginians. More than 16,000 troops, approximately half of the Confederate forces, participated in the fight for Henry Hill. Their timely arrival offset the initial numerical advantage enjoyed by the Federals and helped turn the tide of battle, while the rest of Beauregard's army remained in defensive positions guarding the lower fords of Bull Run.

Sudley, Virginia · United States