Lithograph entitled and captioned: "Battle of Bull Run Virginia, July 21st, 1861. Gallant charge of the Zouaves and defeat of the rebel black horse calvary." First Battle of Bull Run was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the city of Manassas. It was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. The Northern public was shocked at the unexpected defeat of their army when an easy victory had been widely anticipated. Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, but the name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War. Both sides quickly came to realize the war would be longer and more brutal than they had imagined.