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Information About

Army Of Virginia




  dates June 26 , 1862 &ndash September 12 , 1862
  country USA
  allegiance Union
  type Field Army
  battles Battle Of Cedar Mountain Second Battle Of Bull Run
  notable Commanders Maj Gen 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 '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's corps of the Army of Virginia fought against 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



ORGANIZATION

The first three corps were given numeric designations that overlapped with those in the Army Of The Potomac . They were rededignated as shown for the Maryland Campaign and later.

  • I Corps, Army of Virginia; commanded by Franz Sigel (this corps had been the Mountain Department under John Frémont; 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


The following corps were attached for operations during the Northern Virginia Campaign :


MAJOR BATTLES



REFERENCES



EXTERNAL LINKS

  • [http://www.nps.gov/gett/getttour/armorg.htm Army Organization during the Civil War]

  • [http://ehistory.osu.edu/uscw/library/books/battles/vol2/498.cfm Opposing Forces at Second Bull Run