Army of Virginia: Difference between revisions
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*[[V Corps]], Army of the Potomac; commanded by [[Fitz-John Porter]] |
*[[V Corps]], Army of the Potomac; commanded by [[Fitz-John Porter]] |
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*[[IX Corps]], Army of the Potomac; commanded by [[Jesse Reno]] |
*[[IX Corps]], Army of the Potomac; commanded by [[Jesse Reno]] |
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*Reynolds Division, [[John Reynolds]] ( |
*Reynolds Division, [[John Reynolds]] (the [[Pennsylvania Reserves]]) |
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==Major Battles== |
==Major Battles== |
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Revision as of 03:43, 16 June 2006
| Army Of Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Active | June 26, 1862 – September 12, 1862 |
| Country | USA |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Regular Army |
| Type | Field Army |
| Engagements | Battle of Cedar Mountain; Second Battle of Bull Run |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | MG John Pope |
The Army of Virginia was organized as a major unit of the Union Army and operated briefly and unsuccessfully in 1862 in the American Civil War. It should not be confused with its principal opponent, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Robert E. Lee.
History
The Army of Virginia was constituted on June 26, 1862, by General Orders Number 103, from four existing departments operating around Virginia: Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont's Mountain Department, Maj. Gen Irvin McDowell's Department of the Rappahannock, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks's Department of the Shenandoah, and Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis's brigade from the Military District of Washington. Maj. Gen. John Pope commanded the new organization, which was divided into three corps of over 50,000 men. Three corps of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac later were added for combat operations.
Banks' corps of the Army of Virginia fought with Stonewall Jackson at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, gaining initial advantage, but was defeated by a Confederate counterattack led by A.P. Hill. The entire army was soundly defeated at the Second Battle of Bull Run by Jackson, Longstreet, and Lee, and withdrew to the defensive lines of Washington, D.C.. On September 12, 1862, the units of the Army of Virginia were merged into the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Virginia was never reconstituted.
Commander
- Major General John Pope (June 26–September 12)
Organization
Note: These first three corps were given special corps designations apart from the normal federal corps structure. Their eventual corps numbers are listed.
- I Corps, Army of Virginia; commanded by Franz Sigel (this corps had been the Mountain Department under John Fremont; it eventually became the XI Corps)
- II Corps, Army of Virginia; commanded by Nathaniel Banks (formerly known as V Corps and Department of the Shenandoah; later known as XII Corps)
- III Corps, Army of Virginia; commanded by Irvin McDowell (formerly known as I Corps and Department of the Rappahannock; reverted to I Corps)
- Cavalry Brigade, commanded by George Bayard
Attached Units
- III Corps, Army of the Potomac; commanded by Samuel Heintzelman
- V Corps, Army of the Potomac; commanded by Fitz-John Porter
- IX Corps, Army of the Potomac; commanded by Jesse Reno
- Reynolds Division, John Reynolds (the Pennsylvania Reserves)
Major Battles
- Battle of Cedar Mountain — Pope (Only Banks's II Corps was involved in the fighting)
- Second Battle of Bull Run — Pope
- Battle of Chantilly — Pope (though fought mostly by Army of the Potomac troops, elements of Pope's force were engaged)
External links
- Army Organization during the Civil War
- [http://ehistory.osu.edu/uscw/library/books/battles/vol2/498.cfm Opposing Forces at Second Bull Run
Sources
- Boatner, Mark M. III, The Civil War Dictionary: Revised Edition, David McKay Company, Inc., 1984.
- Battles and Leaders of the Civil War; found at: ehistory.osu.edu