Irvin McDowell

Biography

Irvin McDowell was a prominent Union general during the American Civil War, best known for commanding the Army of Northeastern Virginia. He graduated from West Point in 1838 and served with distinction in the Mexican-American War before the Civil War erupted. McDowell's most notable engagement was the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, where his inexperienced forces were defeated by Confederate troops, a setback that demonstrated the war would be longer and more costly than initially anticipated.