What bad habit did the Union army start after Bull Run?
The Union army started the habit of retreating after each battle. The pattern was that the Yankees would find a way to cross the river and get on the same side as the Rebels. A battle would be fought, and usually not go particularly well for the Yankees. But the Confederates were often hanging on by a thread at the end of the battle, and another push might have ruined them. Nevertheless the Yankees would pull back to their own side of the River to lick their wounds, regroup, and think of ways to try again. This kept up until Grant took command of the army in the east. Grant crossed the river and fought a fierce battle, with tremendous losses. That evening one of his aides went to Grant’s tent to get some papers signed, and after leaving realized he had forgotten some business with the general. He turned and reentered Grant’s tent and found the general crying over the 18,000 men he had lost that day. The difference was, the next morning the army did not get the wearily expected orders t
