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The First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia was a military unit fighting for the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 in the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. It was formed in early 1861 and served until the spring of 1865, mostly in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
. The corps
Corps

A Corps is either a large formation , or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service....
 was commanded by James Longstreet
James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
 for much of its existence, as well as P.G.T. Beauregard
P. G. T. Beauregard

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard , was a Louisiana-born author, civil servant, politician, inventor, and the first prominent General officer for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
 early on.

In part or as a whole, the corps fought in nearly all of the major battle
Battle

Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, wherein each group will seek to defeat the others within the scope of a military campaign, and are well defined in duration, area and force commitment....
s in the Eastern Theater, such as Second Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederate States of America, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War....
, Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major general Ambrose E....
, Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, The Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
, Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor

The Battle of Cold Harbor, the final battle of Union Army Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, is remembered as one of History of the United States bloodiest, most lopsided battles....
, and the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
.






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Battle Flag of the Us Confederacy


The First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia was a military unit fighting for the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
 in the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. It was formed in early 1861 and served until the spring of 1865, mostly in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
. The corps
Corps

A Corps is either a large formation , or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service....
 was commanded by James Longstreet
James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
 for much of its existence, as well as P.G.T. Beauregard
P. G. T. Beauregard

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard , was a Louisiana-born author, civil servant, politician, inventor, and the first prominent General officer for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
 early on.

In part or as a whole, the corps fought in nearly all of the major battle
Battle

Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, wherein each group will seek to defeat the others within the scope of a military campaign, and are well defined in duration, area and force commitment....
s in the Eastern Theater, such as Second Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederate States of America, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War....
, Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major general Ambrose E....
, Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, The Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
, Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor

The Battle of Cold Harbor, the final battle of Union Army Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, is remembered as one of History of the United States bloodiest, most lopsided battles....
, and the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
. The corps also fought in Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
 and performed important forage service in Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk, Virginia

Suffolk is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of eastern Virginia. Geographically, it is the largest of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, and the largest independent city in land-area in the entire Commonwealth....
. It was disbanded shortly following Gen. Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's surrender to Union
Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the Federal government of the United States of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that formed the Confederate States of America....
 forces April 9, 1865.

Origins

The First Corps was originally the Confederate Army of the Potomac, under the command of Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard. It fought under this name at the First Battle of Manassas, then merged with Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career United States Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
's Confederate Army of the Shenandoah and the entire force was called the Army of the Potomac. This army was composed of two wings, or commands; the first commanded by Beauregard, and the second commanded by Maj. Gen. Gustavus W. Smith
Gustavus Woodson Smith

Gustavus Woodson Smith , more commonly known as G.W. Smith, was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Mexican-American War, a civil engineer, and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, with Johnston in overall command.

On June 1, 1862, Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of the Potomac following Johnston's wounding during Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
, and shortly afterwards this army would be known as the Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
. Lee re-organized the army as two "wings" (corps were not legally allowed by the Confederate Congress until September 18), with Longstreet in charge of the first wing and Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and probably the most well-known Confederate commander after General Robert E....
 in charge of the second. This arrangement would continue until the mortal wounding of Jackson at Chancellorsville and Lee splitting the Second Corps
Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

The Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War....
. A Third Corps
Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

The Third Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War....
 was created from about half of the Second combined with a division from the First. Longstreet would be in charge of First Corps up to the Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War....
 in May 1864, when he was severely wounded in The Wilderness. Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson
Richard H. Anderson

Richard Heron Anderson was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
 took the First Corps until Longstreet's return in October 1864, and he would then command it for the rest of its campaigns.

Civil War service, 1861


First Bull Run

Pgt Beauregard
Note: see First Bull Run order of battle
First Bull Run Confederate order of battle

File:First_Manassas_map2.jpgThe following units and commanders fought in the First Battle of Manassas on the Confederate States Army side. The First Battle of Bull Run Union order of battle is shown separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of the Potomac at this time.

Fought on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia

Manassas is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 35,135 at the United States Census 2000. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Manassas with Prince William County, Virginia for statistical purposes....
, the First Battle of Bull Run (referred to as First Manassas throughout the South) was the first major battle of the war. Generals Beauregard and Johnston with their 32,500 Confederates engaged Union
Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
 Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell

Irvin McDowell was a career United States United States Army, famous for his defeat during the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War....
's force of about 35,000 men. Despite early Union successes and the extremely untrained nature of both armies, the result was a Confederate victory and a rout of much of McDowell's men.

Beauregard's army consisted of six infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
 brigade
Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
s, along with various militia
Militia

The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service....
 and artillery
Field Artillery in the American Civil War

Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the important artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the Artillery branch to support the infantry and cavalry forces in the field....
 from what was previously known as the Department of Alexandria. It was collected near Manassas Junction directly confronting McDowell's force, while Johnston's Army of the Shenandoah was in the valley
Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bound to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River and to the south by the James River ....
 watching Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson
Robert Patterson

Robert Patterson was a United States major general during the Mexican-American War and at the beginning of the American Civil War....
's 18,000 or so men. Most of Beauregard's force was initially kept on the Confederate right, both to prevent a Union attack across that portion of Bull Run River
Bull Run (Occoquan River)

Bull Run is a free-flowing tributary stream of the Potomac River that originates from a spring in the Bull Run Mountains in Loudoun County, Virginia, Virginia and flows south to the Occoquan River....
 and to allow for a Confederate attack on the Union left.

Civil War service, 1862


Corps officially created

The First Corps was officially created in the Army of Northern Virginia on March 14, with Longstreet, then in charge of the army's Second Division, its first commander.

Seven Pines

Note: see Seven Pines order of battle
Battle of Seven Pines

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

The Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
 (known as the Battle of Fair Oaks in the South) was fought on May 31 to June 1, 1862, near Fair Oaks Station in Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico County, Virginia

Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state of the United States. The population was 262,300 at the 2000 United States Census....
, as part of the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign

The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
. Roughly equal numbers of northern and southern soldiers were engaged in this battle, with Johnston's army fighting Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan

George Brinton McClellan was a Major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army....
's Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
. The conflict is usually referred to as inconclusive, and noted mainly for its casualties, as the largest battle in the east up to that point, and the wounding of Johnston coupled with the possible mental breakdown of Maj. Gen. Smith, which led to Robert E. Lee taking over the Army of Northern Virginia for the rest of the war.

The Seven Days

James Longstreet
Note: see Seven Days order of battle
Seven Days Battles

The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

The Seven Days Battles
Seven Days Battles

The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War....
 is the name given to six major battles from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
. Union General McClellan with some 104,000 men fought Lee's 92,000, the largest size the Army of Northern Virginia would ever reach. The primary results of these battles on the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula

The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River , James River , Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name....
 were McClellan's army eventually being pushed away from Richmond and hotly followed to the James River
James River (Virginia)

The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a Drainage basin comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people ....
, where the Federals gained some protection due to their naval presence on that river.

Second Bull Run

Note: see Second Bull Run order of battle
Second Bull Run Confederate order of battle

The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Second Battle of Bull Run of the American Civil War. The Second Bull Run Union order of battle is listed separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

The Second Battle of Bull Run, also known as Second Manassas, was fought from August 28–30, 1862, very near the ground used in the first battle there in July 1861. It was part of the Northern Virginia Campaign
Northern Virginia Campaign

}|-||}The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, and casualties were around 10,000 for each participant. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia (about 50,000 strong) was against the hastily gathered Federal Army of Virginia
Army of Virginia

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 States Army Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Robert E....
 (roughly 62,000) led by Maj. Gen. John Pope
John Pope (military officer)

John Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union Army general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
. A Confederate victory, the fight had widespread consequences on both side of the conflict; Pope was sent west for the duration of the war and Union corps commander Porter was court-martial
Court-martial

A court-martial is a military court. These military courts can determine punishments for members of the military subject to military law who are found guilty or may dismiss the charges based on the evidence and the case presented....
ed for this defeat, and the Army of Virginia was disbanded and absorbed into McClellan's forces.

Prelude and the Battle of Thoroughfare Gap
Battle of Thoroughfare Gap

}|-||}The Battle of Thoroughfare Gap, also known as Chapman's Mill, took place on August 28, 1862, in Fauquier County, Virginia and Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War....


Pope's movements and the weather had changed Lee's plans. While Jackson's wing was moving to intercept and spar with any part of the Army of Virginia it could, Lee with Longstreet's wing of five divisions followed Jackson's path of march to concentrate and defeat Pope. Jackson reached Culpeper
Culpeper, Virginia

Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County, Virginia....
 on August 7, and Lee sent Longstreet to join him on August 13, leaving two brigades to watch McClellan begin to withdraw north away from Richmond.

28 August

29 August

30 August

Antietam

Note: see Antietam order of battle
Antietam Confederate order of battle

The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Antietam of the American Civil War. The Antietam Union order of battle is listed separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

The Battle of Antietam was fought September 17, 1862, near the Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
 town of Sharpsburg
Sharpsburg, Maryland

Sharpsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, Maryland, United States, approximately 13 miles south of Hagerstown, Maryland. The population was 691 at the 2000 census....
, along the Antietam Creek
Antietam Creek

Antietam Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River located in south centralPennsylvania and western Maryland in the United States, a region known as Hagerstown Valley....
. It would be the last time Lee and his army (45,000 soldiers) would fight the Army of the Potomac (87,000 men) with McClellan as its leader. This battle would register the highest casualties for a day's fighting in the Civil War, as well as any other battle by U.S. forces to date, with combined losses of around 23,000 men. Regarded as a draw tactically despite vicious fighting (the Confederates would ultimately hold their defensive lines), future events such as Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation consists of two Executive order s issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War....
 made the battle a Union strategic win.

Fredericksburg

Note: see Fredericksburg order of battle
Fredericksburg Confederate order of battle

The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Fredericksburg of the American Civil War. The Fredericksburg Union order of battle is listed separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located 50 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 58 miles north of Richmond, Virginia....
, starting on December 11 and concluding December 15, 1862, between Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and the Federal Army of the Potomac, now commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside. Remembered as one of the worst defeats of the Union Army, the battle resulted in very high casualties for the Federals and began an increase (on both sides) in the use and heightened fear of attacking prepared, entrenched positions.

The First Corps in this battle reached Marye's Heights on November 21 and deployed there to contest a possible pontoon
Pontoon bridge

A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water, supported by barge-or-boat-like Pontoon to support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads....
 crossing of the Union army at Fredericksburg, with the Second Corps following quickly once Lee was more certain of Burnside's intentions. Until Lee was convinced, the First Corps did not deeply entrench until a couple of weeks before the actions on December 12. Once completed on the terrain and making use of a four foot high stone wall, a network of trench
Trench

A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....
es, abatis
Abatis

Abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a term in field fortification for an obstacle formed of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy....
, and other fieldworks (combined with the artillery) made for a most stout defensive position.

Winter quarters 1862–63

First Corps spent this winter

Civil War service, 1863


Suffolk operations

Longstreet and part of the First Corps (With Ransom, Hood and Pickett's divisions) were detached from the Army of Northern Virginia on February 26 and sent to Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk, Virginia

Suffolk is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of eastern Virginia. Geographically, it is the largest of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, and the largest independent city in land-area in the entire Commonwealth....
, to contend with the Federal pressure there from Burnside's Union forces, as well as allow supplies in the region to be collected by Confederate authorities. This appointment came about through Longstreet's political connections as well as direct contact with Southern President Davis
Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Finis Davis was an United States politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history, 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War....
, but would cause the corps to miss the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
 early that May. Ransom's heavy division did not return however, and was left under D. H. Hill's care. Though the division never re-joined the Corps the units re-joined other units over time, Cooke and his brigade joined the III corps, and the rest joined Anderson's IV corps.

Gettysburg

Note: see Gettysburg order of battle
Gettysburg Confederate order of battle

The following units and commanders fought in the Battle of Gettysburg on the Confederate States Army side. The Gettysburg Union order of battle is shown separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

At the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
 (lasting from July 1–3, 1863), Longstreet and his First Corps (as well as other Southern commanders) gave an often studied and controversial performance. The choice of the ground the battle was to be fought on was partly a result of decisions made by generals on both sides, but also a natural impulse given the radial-like design of the several roads and rail lines out of Gettysburg, plus the surrounding hills suitable for defense. The battle would result in a Union victory, the highest casualties of the war over its three days, Lee's retreat back to Virginia, and numerous other effects both home and abroad.

Positions June 30, Army of Northern Virginia: (approximate distance from Gettysburg)
  • First Corps - Chambersburg
    Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

    Chambersburg is a Borough in the South Central Pennsylvania region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley....
     ; part at Greenwood (16 mi)
  • Second Corps & Jenkins' cavalry - Heidlersburg (10 mi); Johnson
    Edward Johnson (general)

    Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate States of America General officer in the American Civil War....
    's division & trains, near Green Village (23 mi)
  • Third Corps - from Greenwood (16 mi) to Cashtown (8 mi)
  • Stuart
    J.E.B. Stuart

    James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....
    's cavalry - circling between York and Carlisle (out of sight)
  • Robertson's cavalry - in Virginia (beyond reach); Imboden
    John D. Imboden

    John Daniel Imboden was a lawyer, teacher, Virginia state legislator. During the American Civil War, he was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer and Irregular military fighter....
    's cavalry - at Hancock (out of sight)
  • Headquarters at Greenwood


Positions June 30, Army of the Potomac: (approximate distance from Gettysburg)
  • I Corps - Marsh Run ; II Corps - Uniontown (22 mi)
  • III Corps - Bridgeport (12 mi); V Corps - Union Mills (15 mi)
  • VI Corps & Gregg's cavalry - Manchester (22 mi)
  • XI Corps - Emmitsburg (12 mi); XII Corps - Littletown (9 mi)
  • Kilpatrick
    Hugh Judson Kilpatrick

    Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of Brevet Major general . He was later the United States Ambassador to Chile, and a failed political candidate for the United States House of Representatives....
    's cavalry - Hanover (13 mi); Buford
    John Buford

    John Buford, Jr. was a Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War, with a prominent role at the start of the Battle of Gettysburg....
    's cavalry - in Gettysburg
  • Headquarters & Hunt
    Henry Jackson Hunt

    Henry Jackson Hunt was Chief of Artillery in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Considered by his contemporaries the greatest artillery military tactics and strategy of the war, he was a master of the science of gunnery and rewrote the manual on the organization and use of artillery in early modern armies....
    's Reserve Artillery - Taneytown (14 mi.)
Note: these positions put the Confederate forces about from the battlefield used, Union forces closer.

Prelude and July 1

Nearing the end of June 1863 the Army of Northern Virginia had passed up the Shenandoah Valley, crossed through Maryland and entered Pennsylvania, using the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a Physiographic regions of the world of the larger Appalachian Mountains division. The province consists of the Northern and Southern physiographic sections, which divide near the Roanoke River gap....
 to hide their movements from Union cavalry patrol
Patrol

Sorry, no overview for this topic
s. Hooker's army followed cautiously, keeping in mind Lincoln's requirement that both Washington and Baltimore be covered by any move the Federal army made. Lead elements of Ewell's Second Corps had passed through Gettysburg and reached as far as York County
York County, Pennsylvania

York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2004, the estimated population was 401,613. York County is located in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
, with the newly created Third Corps of A.P. Hill
A. P. Hill

Ambrose Powell Hill , was a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War. He gained early fame as the commander of "Hill's Light Division," becoming one of Stonewall Jackson's ablest subordinates....
 close behind them. On June 29 Lee learned the Army of the Potomac was pursuing and had crossed its namesake river, with a new commander, George Meade. Lee sent out orders for his army to consolidate near Cashtown, about eight miles from Gettysburg.

The First Corps divisions of Hood and McLaws were far from Cashtown and would not arrive in time to partake in the first day's fighting on July 1, while Pickett's division was even further back, being left to guard the lines of communication through Chambersburg
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Chambersburg is a Borough in the South Central Pennsylvania region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley....
, and would not rejoin the army until late on July 2. Meanwhile throughout this first day of battle units of the Second and Third Corps (about a third of Lee's army) pushed both Union I
I Corps (ACW)

I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
 and XI Corps
XI Corps (ACW)

The XI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, best remembered for its humiliating defeats at the battles of Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of Gettysburg in 1863....
 (about a fourth of Meade's) back through Gettysburg, despite stubborn resistance by the Federal cavalry and initially the infantry as well. As the rest of the Union army came up it joined these two battered corps on the defensive line being constructed along much of Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge

Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg Battlefield south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863....
.

2 July

3 July

Chickamauga

Note: see Chickamauga order of battle
Chickamauga Confederate order of battle

The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Chickamauga of the American Civil War. The Chickamauga Union order of battle is listed separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of Tennessee at this time.

On September 9 the First Corps was transferred to the Department of Tennessee, except for Pickett's division and the brigade of "Tige" Anderson
George T. Anderson

George Thomas Anderson was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Nicknamed "Tige," Anderson was noted as one of Robert E....
. The Tennessee rail hub at Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, "the Scenic City", is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee , and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, in the United States....
 was the primary goal of both armies in the West, these being the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland

The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater of the American Civil War during the American Civil War....
 under Union Maj. Gen. Rosecrans and numbering nearly 60,000 men, and the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee

The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate States Army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War....
 led by Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a General officer in the Confederate States Army, a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
 and with the First Corps combined with the division of Maj. Gen. Hiram T. Walker would grow to about 70,000. The Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga

The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union Army offensive in south-central Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign....
 began on September 19 and the First Corps arrived in time to take part on September 20. This fight is considered the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War....
, with total casualties on both sides exceeding 34,000.

To get to and reinforce Bragg's army, the First Corps would use 16 railroads on a nearly 800-mile (1,350 km) route through the North
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
 and South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
 to reach the Army of Tennessee, stationed in northern Georgia. This round-about route was necessary due to the different gauges of the surviving Southern rail system between the forces, and would take three weeks to complete. Reporting to Bragg on September 17, Longstreet was given command of the left units of the army consisting of the divisions of Hood, McLaws, Johnson, Stewart
Alexander P. Stewart

Alexander Peter Stewart was a career United States Army officer, college professor, and a General officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, Preston
William Preston

William Preston is the name of:*William Preston , Scottish author of Illustrations of Masonry*William Preston , Irish-born frontier Virginia leader, signer of the Fincastle Resolutions...
, Hindman
Thomas C. Hindman

Thomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. was a lawyer, United States House of Representatives from the Arkansas's 1st congressional district of Arkansas, and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, his own and Robertson's artillery, and the cavalry under Wheeler
Joseph Wheeler

Joseph Wheeler was an United States military commander and politician. He has the rare distinction of serving as a General officer during war time for two opposing forces: first as a general in the Confederate States Army in the 1860s during the American Civil War, and later as a general in the United States Army during both the Spanish-Amer...
 and Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Lieutenant General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self made and innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a figure in the postwar establishment of the first Ku Klux Klan organization opposing the Reconstruction era of the United States in the South....
. The right of the army was given to Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk
Leonidas Polk

Leonidas Polk was a Confederate States Army general who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee, and a second cousin of President of the United States James K....
, and these commands were chosen based on where units were then.

Chattanooga


Lookout Valley

Wauhatchie

Battle of Wauhatchie
Battle of Wauhatchie

The Battle of Wauhatchie, also known as Brown's Ferry, was fought October 28 and October 29, 1863, in Hamilton County, Tennessee and Marion County, Tennessee, Tennessee, and Dade County, Georgia, in the American Civil War....
 October 28–29, 1863.

Knoxville Campaign


Campbell's Station

Fort Sanders

Winter quarters 1863–64


Civil War service, 1864


The Wilderness


Note: see Wilderness order of battle
Wilderness Confederate order of battle

The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of the Wilderness of the American Civil War. The Wilderness Union order of battle is listed separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–6, 1864, west of the battlefield used in the Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
 fight a year earlier. Regarded as inconclusive tactically, the results were about 18,000 Union and roughly 11,000 Confederate casualties, and the continuation of Grant's offensive campaign
Overland Campaign

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War....
 to destroy Lee's army.

The First Corps was 25 miles (40 km) away guarding rail lines at Gordonsville
Gordonsville, Virginia

Gordonsville is a town in Louisa County, Virginia and Orange County, Virginia counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 1,498 at the United States Census, 2000....
 when the rest of Lee's army engaged the Meade's Army of the Potomac. Grant and Meade did not want battle within Spotsylvania's dense forestry (called the "Wilderness") as it would negate the Federal advantage of numbers and artillery, and Lee wished a fight there for those very reasons to even up the long odds his force would face. Throughout May 5 the Second Corps went after the Union V Corps to the left and fought to a standstill, while the Third Corps started against the Union II Corps
II Corps (ACW)

There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
 on the right and was pushed back in very heavy fighting. By mid-day on May 6 the Third Corps was in danger of being swamped over by the II Corps and numerous reinforcements when the First Corps arrived to fill in the gap created by the fight. Longstreet put in his men directly against the now-worn out II Corps and regained almost all of the ground lost in the battle so far, then pushed the II Corps a mile (1.6 km) further. An unfinished railroad cut between the Union wings was now used to get at more of the II Corps, however Longstreet did not have enough soldiers to complete the victory and most fighting petered out as the sun was setting. Shortly afterwards the general was seriously hit in his neck by friendly fire
Friendly fire

Friendly fire or non-hostile fire, a term originally adopted by the United States Armed Forces, refers to Shooting from one's own side or allied forces, as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces....
 and the First Corps was now commanded by Maj. Gen. Richard Anderson (6-7 May the corps was temporarily commanded by Maj. Gen. Field
Charles W. Field

Charles William Field was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army and then, during the American Civil War, in the Confederate States Army....
) until Longstreet's recuperation and return despite an arm paralyzed in October 1864.

Spotsylvania Court House


Richard H
Note: see Spotsylvania order of battle
Spotsylvania Court House Confederate order of battle

The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House of the American Civil War. The Spotsylvania Court House Union order of battle is listed separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was fought May 8–21, along a trench line four miles long, in and around Spotsylvania, about 10 miles southeast of the Wilderness battlefields.

On the evening of May 7, Lee ordered Maj. Gen. Richard Anderson to move his corps to Spotsylvania Court House, believing that Grant was headed to the same place. He told Anderson to have his men on the move by three in the morning, but Anderson decided to move at ten that evening, a decision that would prove to help the Army of Northern Virginia considerably. At the same time Lee put Anderson in motion, Grant decided to move his army to the same location in hopes of drawing Lee out into the open and get between Lee and Richmond.

The First Corps had just arrived to Block House Bridge when Anderson was informed that Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart was holding off Grant’s infantry (elements of Warren’s V Corps
V Corps (ACW)

The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War....
) on Brock Road and needed reinforcements. He sent the brigades of Henegan and Humphreys to his aid, and upon their arrival, Stuart deployed them along the crest of Laurel Hill, where they successfully held off the Federal advance. No sooner had Anderson sent his first two brigades off when he was approached by a courier from Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee

Fitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War....
, who was engaged with Federal cavalry units of Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson
James H. Wilson

James Harrison Wilson was a United States Army topography, a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War and later wars, a railroad executive, and author....
, who had just broken through to the Court House. Anderson immediately sent the brigades of Bryan and Wofford, who are able to help Lee fend off the cavalrymen.

The First Corps would spend the majority of the battle defending against repeated assaults of Laurel Hill made by both V Corps infantry as well as units from Hancock’s II Corps, and was not heavily involved in the fighting in and around the “Bloody Angle.”

Cold Harbor


Note: see Cold Harbor order of battle
Cold Harbor Confederate order of battle

The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Cold Harbor of the American Civil War. The Cold Harbor Union order of battle is listed separately....
 for the command structure of the Army of Northern Virginia at this time.

The first corps in this battle

Siege of Petersburg

The first corps in this battle

Civil War service, 1865


Siege continues


Five Forks and Appomattox


Following Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill's death at Petersberg
Battle of Petersburg III

The Third Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Breakthrough at Petersburg or the Fall of Petersburg, was a decisive Union Army assault on the Confederate States Army trenches, ending the ten-month Siege of Petersburg and leading to the fall of Petersburg, Virginia and Richmond, Virginia, Virginia....
, the Third Corps was merged with the First on April 2.

Surrender and parole


Major battles

Here is a listing of significant battles in which the First Corps participated.

1862
Dates Battle name Alternate name
May 31–June 1, 1862 Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War....
 Battle of Fair Oaks
June 27, 1862 Battle of Gaines' Mill
Battle of Gaines' Mill

The Battle of Gaines' Mill, also known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War....
 First Battle of Cold Harbor
July 1, 1862 Battle of Malvern Hill
Battle of Malvern Hill

The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, took place on July 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, was the sixth and last of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War....
 Battle of Poindexter's Farm
August 28–30, 1862 Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederate States of America, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War....
 Second Manassas
September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
 Battle of Sharpsburg
December 12–15, 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from December 11 to December 15, 1862, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major general Ambrose E....
 none


1863
Dates Battle name Alternate name
April 11–May 4, 1863 Siege of Suffolk
Siege of Suffolk

The Siege of Suffolk was fought around Suffolk, Virginia, from April 11 to May 4, 1863, during the American Civil War....
 none
July 1–3, 1863 Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
 none
September 18–20, 1863 Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga

The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union Army offensive in south-central Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign....
 none


1864
Dates Battle name Alternate name
May 5–6, 1864 Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
 none
May 8–21, 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
 Battle of Spotsylvania
May 31–June 12, 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor

The Battle of Cold Harbor, the final battle of Union Army Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, is remembered as one of History of the United States bloodiest, most lopsided battles....
 none
June 15, 1864–March 25, 1865 Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
 none
1865
Dates Battle name Alternate name
June 15, 1864–March 25, 1865 Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
 none
April 1, 1865 Battle of Five Forks
Battle of Five Forks

The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War....
 none


Legacy


See also

  • Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
    Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

    The Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War....
  • Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
    Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

    The Third Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate States Army Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War....
  • Fourth Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
    Fourth Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

    The Fourth Corps was a military unit formed in October 1864 within the Army of Northern Virginia of the Confederate States Army. It fought for the Confederate States of America during the late stages of the American Civil War....
  • Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
    Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

    The Cavalry Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was the only organized cavalry corps in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....


External links

  • National Park Service (NPS) link