Cover Page

Contents

Introduction

Colonial Period

Revolution

Early Republic

War Between the States

Recent Era

District of Columbia

Historic Projects

FROM the outbreak of hostilities in 1861 Richmond became the objective of the main Federal force east of the Alleghenies. After the Union failure at Bull Run in an advance straight upon Richmond from the north, McClellan, creator and first commander in chief of the Army of the Potomac, landed on the peninsula between the York and James Rivers, and after a month's delay before Yorktown advanced on Richmond. Almost under the spires of the Confederate capital he met Lee, just appointed to the command of the Army of Northern Virginia. After a series of bloody battles, including Gaines Mill, Seven Pines, and Malvern Hill, McClellan was pressed back against the James. With this apparent failure of the attack from the east, the Army of the Potomac was recalled to Washington by sea. Lee meanwhile concentrated in northern Virginia, drove the Federals in that theater back under the defenses of Washington and invaded Maryland. At Antietam Creek he beat off the Army of the Potomac attacking in great force and then retreated back into Virginia.

Superseding McClellan, Burnside attempted during December 1862 to cross the Rappahannock and force his way southward toward Richmond. The effort collapsed in a costly defeat at Fredericksburg. Hooker then took command and ventured another crossing of the Rappahannock, but was disastrously defeated at Chancellorsville. Lee, hoping to counteract the misfortunes that were accumulating in the West and to profit by the political consequences of a Confederate victory on Northern soil, invaded Pennsylvania by way of the Shenandoah Valley. But the battle with Meade at Gettysburg, in July 1863, again turned him back.

Following his victory at Chattanooga, Grant was put in supreme command of the Union armies. Directing the blows of the Army of the Potomac at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, he hammered the Army of Northern Virginia on the anvil of Richmond, while Sherman's devastating progress through Georgia and the Carolinas destroyed the only remaining source of supplies for Lee's army in Virginia. As Grant's pressure before Petersburg became intolerable, Lee turned west ward, abandoning Richmond in an effort to escape. Pursuing, Grant intercepted Lee at Appomattox and there the Confederate commander in chief surrendered.

Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia

Antietam National Battlefield Site, Maryland

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park, Virginia

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania

Petersburg National Military Park, Virginia

Appomattox National Battlefield Site, Virginia

Last Modified: Thurs, Nov 23 2000 10:00:00 pm PDT
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