, ▁which ▁he ▁decl ined , ▁accepting ▁instead ▁a ▁commission ▁as ▁a ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁in ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁States ▁Army ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 4 . ▁John ston ▁rel ieved ▁Colonel ▁Thomas ▁J . ▁" St one wall " ▁Jackson ▁of ▁command ▁at ▁Har pers ▁Fer ry ▁in ▁May ▁and ▁organized ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁in ▁July . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁First ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bull ▁Run ▁( First ▁Man ass as ), ▁July ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁John ston ▁rapidly ▁moved ▁his ▁small ▁army ▁from ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley ▁to ▁rein force ▁that ▁of ▁Brig . ▁Gen . ▁P . ▁G . ▁T . ▁Be a ure g ard , ▁but ▁he ▁lack ed ▁familiar ity ▁with ▁the ▁terrain ▁and ▁c eded ▁tact ical ▁planning ▁of ▁the ▁battle ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁junior ▁Be a ure g ard ▁as ▁a ▁professional ▁cour tes y . ▁At ▁m idd ay , ▁while ▁Be a ure g ard ▁was ▁still ▁unclear ▁about ▁the ▁direction ▁his ▁Union ▁oppon ent ▁was ▁taking ▁in ▁the ▁battle , ▁John ston ▁decided ▁that ▁the ▁critical ▁point ▁was ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁his ▁headquarters ▁( the ▁Lewis ▁house , ▁" Port ici "), ▁at ▁Henry ▁House ▁Hill . ▁He ▁ab rupt ly ▁announced ▁" The ▁battle ▁is ▁there . ▁I ▁am ▁going ." ▁Be a ure g ard ▁and ▁the ▁staff s ▁of ▁both ▁gener als ▁followed ▁his ▁lead ▁and ▁rode ▁off . ▁John ston ▁encountered ▁a ▁scattered