What tragic event does the author use to depict the widespread tragedy of the Battle of Bull Run?

When Lily's brother, Patrick, runs off to volunteer for ninety days' service in the Union Army; Lily anxiously follows events through his letters and hearsay. A week after the battle at Bull Run, she and her family learn of it. They later learn that Patrick had been killed. Far from the scene of the action, Lily's life is nonetheless devastated.

Through Lily, Fleischman reminds us that war involves more than just the soldiers; it involves more than just the bloody ground; it affects many other people in many other places profoundly.