First Bull Run
Relative Strength of the Opposing Forces

(by Davide Pastore)
Last Update 01 July 2005

U.S. Forces (McDowell) Staff Infantry Cavalry Artillery Aggregate
1st Division (Tyler) [less 4th Brigade] 9,223 202 9,425
2nd Division (Hunter) 5,489 420 258 6,167
3rd Division (Heintzelman) 8,863 184 9,047
Aggregate Engaged 23,575 420 644 24,639
% of enemy 139.7% 39.1% 97.7% 132.5%
NOT ENGAGED
Staff etc. 76 76
4th Brigade, 1st Division (Richardson) 3,242 110 3,352
5th Division (Miles) 5,903 258 6,161
Aggregate Total 76 32,720 420 1012 34,228


All strength are Present for Duty (from OR 2:309). Artillery strengths are calculated on a ratio of 18.4 men per gun (average for the Army of the Potomac). Cavalry strength is calculated on a ratio of 60 men per company (as E, 2nd U.S. cavalry, listed in OR 2:309).

Individual values are:



C.S. Forces (Johnston) Staff Infantry Cavalry Artillery Aggregate
1st Brigade, AoShe (Jackson) 3,054 148 3,202
2nd Brigade, AoShe (Bartow) 1,221 74 1,295
3rd Brigade, AoShe (Bee) 1,405 74 1,479
4th Brigade, AoShe (Elzey) 2,477 74 2,551
Unattached, AoShe 318 318
Part of 1st Brigade, AoPot (Bonham) 1,527 485 80 2,092
5th Brigade, AoPot (Cooke) 3,164 135 74 3,373
6th Brigade, AoPot (Early) 1,998 61 2,059
Provisional Brigade, AoPot (Evans) 889 135 74 1,098
Unattached, AoPot 1,135 1,135
Aggregate Engaged 16,870 1,073 659 18,602
% of enemy 71.6% 255.5% 102.3% 75.5%
NOT ENGAGED
Staff etc. 61 61
Unattached, AoShe 584 584
Part of 1st Brigade, AoPot (Bonham) 2,754 85 2,839
2nd Brigade, AoPot (Ewell) 2,440 209 79 2,728
3rd Brigade, AoPot (Jones) 2,117 68 40 2,225
4th Brigade, AoPot (Longstreet) 2,782 68 40 2,890
Holmes' Brigade 1,343 95 110 1,548
Unattached, AoPot 536 368 293 1,197
Aggregate Total 61 29,426 1,881 1,306 32,674


All strength are Present for Duty.

ARMY OF SHENANDOHA

From the report in OR 2:487, initial forces (1st, 2nd and 3rd brigades) were 6,000 men "ready for action on the field." As a rule for any Confederate report that does not explicitly say the contrary, I assumed that this number does not include officers (nor staff, calculated below with the Army of the Potomac) and so I added other 368 men (6.14% average for the Army of the Potomac), aggregate Pfd 6,368 men. I assumed that this number includes cavalry and artillery. Cavalry is 300 (as per OR 2:483) plus 18 officers (6.14%), aggregate Pfd 318. Artillery is 18.4 men per gun (average for the Army of the Potomac), aggregate Pfd 370 men (74 men per each battery). Aggregate Pfd infantry is 6,368 - 370 - 318 = 5,680 men, equally divided amongst brigades according to the number of companies (93 in total).

Individual values are:

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

Values are from the two tables in OR 2:568 (all units, and engaged units). For the Washington Artillery (220 men): Early's detachment had 61 men, so other three detachments had 159 men (220 - 61) with 8 (4 + 2 + 2) guns, calculated in three units of 79, 40 and 40 men. For cavalry: 30th Va. had 676 men, detachments had 4 x 2 + 2 x 1 companies, calculated here in 4 x 135 men + 2 x 68 men. Ten unattached companies had 583 men, detachments had 6 + 4 companies, calculated here in 350 + 233 men.

Individual values are: