When he set out from Washington he carried with him full instructions and the confidence of all concerned. Never was a battle more carefully planned. Every move likely to take place had been canvassed and discussed, President Lincoln and General Scott giving their personal consideration and assistance to McDowell. When the latter marched away at the head of his 30,000 men, it was thought that he had nothing to do but to act quickly and victory must rest with him. General Sherman afterwards said that Bull Run was one of the best planned and one of the worst fought battles of the Civil War. On July 16th McDowell issued his orders to march. J. G. Nicolay, who was private secretary to Lincoln, gives this as the organisation of McDowell’s army:-- “First Division, commanded by Tyler: an aggregate of 9,936 men, divided into four brigades, respectively under Keyes, Schenck, Sherman, and Richardson. “Second Division, commanded by Hunter: an aggregate of 2,648 men, divided into two brigades, under Porter and Burnside. “Third division, commanded by Heintzelman: an aggregate of 9,777 men, divided into three brigades, under Franklin, Wilcox, and Howard. “Fourth Division, commanded by Runyon: an aggregate of 5,752 men; no brigade commanders. “Fifth Division, commanded by Miles: an aggregate of 6,207 men, divided into two brigades, under Blenker and Davies.” From these figures, it will be seen that McDowell marched with more than 34,000 men. But as Runyon’s division was left to guard communications, and as some days before the fight a number of the volunteers were mustered out, their three months’ time having expired, defections left the Federal general in command of something like 28,000 men to meet an equal or larger number of Confederates, entrenched, as we have seen, in a strong position, and fully prepared for a stubborn fight.