Item No. 4979897

A CDV view of Union General Irvin McDowell, produced by E. Anthony of New York with credit to Mathew Brady’s negative. The image has been trimmed down to about 2 1/4” x 3 1/4”.

A career army officer and West Point graduate, Irvin McDowell played a pivotal role in the opening months of the Civil War. Best remembered as the Union commander at First Bull Run, McDowell led the hastily assembled Army of Northeastern Virginia in the first major battle of the conflict—a Union defeat that shocked the North and reshaped military planning on both sides. Despite the loss, McDowell retained high-level commands and went on to serve in the Second Bull Run Campaign under General Pope, where he again faced challenges in command coordination and communication. His cautious style and misfortune in the field earned criticism, but he continued to serve with distinction in administrative roles, including as head of the Department of the Pacific after the war.