Army of Northern Virginia

The Confederacy’s principal field army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, commanded chiefly by Robert E. Lee from 1862 until its surrender in 1865.

Seven Days Battles: A series of battles near Richmond in June and July 1862 that ended the Union Peninsula Campaign. The army forced George B. McClellan’s troops away from Richmond in its first major campaign under Lee.
Robert E. Lee: A Confederate general who commanded the Army of Northern Virginia for most of its existence. Lee’s decisions shaped the army’s campaigns, tactics, and reputation.
Virginia in the American Civil War: Virginia’s role as a major Confederate state and principal battlefield region during the American Civil War. The army formed to defend the Confederacy’s most populous state and its capital region.
J. E. B. Stuart: A Confederate cavalry commander who served in the Army of Northern Virginia. Stuart’s cavalry supplied reconnaissance and raiding capacity, though his absence before Gettysburg proved consequential.
Surrender at Appomattox Court House: The surrender of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. This agreement formally ended the army’s resistance.
Battle of Antietam: A battle fought in Maryland on September 17, 1862, and the bloodiest single day in American history. Lee’s invasion of Maryland ended when the army withdrew after the battle.
James Longstreet: A Confederate general who served as one of Lee’s principal corps commanders. His corps formed a major part of the army’s command structure.
Confederate States Army: The military forces of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The Army of Northern Virginia was the Confederacy’s most prominent field army.
A. P. Hill: A Confederate general who commanded infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia. Hill led divisions and later a corps in several of the army’s central campaigns.
End of the American Civil War: The conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865, marked by Confederate military collapse and the restoration of Union authority. The army’s surrender accelerated the collapse of Confederate forces.

Linked from 10 pages