Union General Irvin McDowell, born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, was a major actor in the Civil War for a short, but critical time. At the First Battle

of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, McDowell commanded the largest army in American history to that time. He was a dutiful, dependable, and diligent

military officer. But in hindsight he may have been called upon to perform duties which were beyond his capacity and which served to enhance his

peculiarities, including impulsiveness. His defeat at First Bull Run and his lack of battlefield success thereafter, especially at Second Bull Run, led to

his obscurity and to his being forgotten in the history of the Civil War. This book, the first and only full-length biography of McDowell, makes the

journey of trying to understand him and his role in the Civil War era. The talk will focus on McDowell’s life, why he did…