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All that stood in the path of the 20,000 Union soldiers converging on the Confederate left flank were Col. [[Nathan George Evans|Nathan "Shanks" Evans]] and his reduced brigade of 1,100 men.<ref name=Rafuse312>Rafuse, "First Battle of Bull Run", p. 312.</ref> Evans had moved some of his men to intercept the direct threat from Tyler at the bridge, but he began to suspect that the weak attacks from the Union brigade of Brig. Gen. [[Robert C. Schenck]] were merely feints. He was informed of the main Union flanking movement through Sudley Springs by Captain [[Edward Porter Alexander]], Beauregard's signal officer, observing from {{convert|8|mi|km}} southwest on Signal Hill. In the first use of [[Wig-Wag Signaling|wig-wag semaphore signaling]] in combat, Alexander sent the message "Look out for your left, your position is turned."<ref>Brown, pp. 43–45; Alexander, pp. 50–51. Alexander recalls that the signal was "You are flanked."</ref> Evans hastily led 900 of his men from their position fronting the Stone Bridge to a new location on the slopes of Matthews Hill, a low rise to the northwest of his previous position.<ref name=Rafuse312 />
The Confederate delaying action on Matthews Hill included a spoiling attack launched by [[Major (rank)|Major]] [[Roberdeau Wheat]]'s 1st Louisiana Special Battalion, "[[Louisiana Tigers|Wheat's Tigers]]". After Wheat's command was thrown back, and Wheat seriously wounded, Evans received reinforcement from two other brigades under Brig. Gen. [[Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr.|Barnard Bee]] and Col. [[Francis S. Bartow]], bringing the force on the flank to 2,800 men.<ref name=Rafuse312 /> They successfully slowed Hunter's lead brigade (Brig. Gen. [[Ambrose Burnside]]) in its attempts to ford Bull Run and advance across Young's Branch, at the northern end of [[Henry House Hill]]. One of Tyler's brigade commanders, Col. [[William Tecumseh Sherman]], moved forward from the stone bridge around 10:00 a.m.,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ironbrigader.com/2015/07/20/william-t-shermans-report-brigades-action-battle-bull-run/ |title=William T. Sherman's Report on His Brigade's Action at the First Battle of Bull Run |website=Ironbrigader.com |access-date=October 8, 2020 |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009031449/https://ironbrigader.com/2015/07/20/william-t-shermans-report-brigades-action-battle-bull-run/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and crossed at an unguarded ford and struck the right flank of the Confederate defenders. This surprise attack, coupled with pressure from Burnside and Maj. [[George Sykes]], collapsed the Confederate line shortly after 11:30 a.m., sending them in a disorderly retreat to Henry House Hill.<ref>Rafuse, "First Battle of Bull Run", pp. 312–13; Rafuse, ''A Single Grand Victory", p. 131; Esposito, Map 22; Eicher, pp. 94–95</ref>
(''Further map details, see:'' '''[[:File:First Battle of Bull Run Map4.jpg|Additional Map 4]]''', '''[[:File:First Battle of Bull Run Map5.jpg|Additional Map 5]]''', '''[[:File:First Battle of Bull Run Map6.jpg|Additional Map 6]]''' and '''[[:File:First Battle of Bull Run Map7.jpg|Additional Map 7]]'''.)
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