"The evening of July 20, 1861, was the 'last night of American innocence,' writes author William C. Davis. The next morning 60,000 Americans from North and South would meet along the waters of Bull Run to kill each other and inaugurate the real fighting of a civil war that would rage for the next four years... Combining exhaustive research into the letters and diaries of the soldiers and generals alike, Davis tells the story of two armies in the making, how they planned their forthcoming campaign, and the hairbreadth nature of the Confederate railroad miracle that turned the fortune of the battle." -- From the book jacket.

"Originally published by Doubleday & Company, Inc., in 1977" -- Reverse of title page.

List of illustrations -- Preface --Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- 1. An army in the making -- 2. The "Southrons' gather -- 3. "Three years or the war" -- 4. The young Napoleon -- 5. McDowell plans a campaign -- 6. The march to Bull Run -- 7. The battle of Blackburn's ford -- 8. Shadows in the Shenandoah -- 9. McDowell's "victory" -- 10. "Trust to the bayonet" -- 11. "A tale of defeat" -- 12. Rout and resolution -- Documentation by chapter -- Bibliography -- Index.