The Army of Northern: Lee’s Army in the American Civil War 1861–1865

362 Pages·2003·12.01 MB·English

by  Philip Katcher

THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Lee’s Un in the American Civil War 1861–1865
The Great Armies
A series of books that examines the great armies of history. By looking in detail at the separate components
of each army, and how these components combined effectively, each title presents a unique view of a
particular army, and explains why it was so successful in battle. Each volume analyzes the various elements
required to make an army a battle-winning force: an efficient supply system, good chain of command,
effective tactics, good equipment, high morale, and fine leadership. But these separate elements are only
effective when combined successfully, and so each volume analyzes how they interacted to forge an
effective fighting force, and why a particular army under examination did it more effectively than its
opponents.
THE ARMY OF NORTHERN
VIRGINIA
Lee’s Army in the American Civil War 1861–1865
Philip Katcher
FITZROY DEARBORN
An Imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group
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© 2003 The Brown Reference Group plc
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Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Katcher, Philip R.N.
The Army of Northern : Lee’s army in the American Civil War,
1861–1865/Philip Katcher.
p. cm. -- (The great armies)
Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN 1-57958-331-8 (alk. paper)
1. Confederate States of America. Army of Northern Virginia—History.
2. United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Regimental histories.
3. United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Campaigns. I. Title
II. Series.
E470.2.K245 2003
973.7’455-dc21
2003044888
For The Brown Reference Group plc
Editorial Director: Lindsey Lowe
Editors: Martha Bremser, Peter Darman, Matt Turner
Designer: Mike LeBihan
Cartographer: Bob Garwood
Picture Research: Susannah Jayes
Production Director: Alastair Gourlay
Picture credits:
Brown Reference Group: National Archives 228, 253.
Corbis: 170.
v
Mary Evans Picture Library: 69, 82, 88, 100, 110, 118, 160, 164, 186, 236, 300, 310.
Robert Hunt Library: 22, 59, 85, 125, 145, 176, 225, 239, 244, 249, 263, 267.
Peter Newark’s Pictures: 10, 15, 25, 26, 28, 59, 62, 78, 103, 109, 113, 124, 128, 131, 148,
153, 157, 177, 179, 190, 212, 230, 243, 314, 328, 339, 341.
Northwind Picture Archives: 42, 56, 56, 66, 70, 73, 77, 99, 121, 133, 138, 141, 154, 172,
182, 188, 192, 195, 199, 202, 205, 208, 217, 233, 255, 258, 260, 271, 277, 286, 290,
297, 319, 334.
ISBN 0-203-49101-7 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-59325-1 (Adobe eReader Format)
Contents
Key to maps viii
Foreword ix
Introduction x
PART I CREATING THE MACHINE 1
BACKGROUND TO WAR 3
RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING 20
NATURE OF THE WAR 36
LOGISTICS 54
PART II THE YEARS OF ATTACK 72
THE FIRST MANASSAS CAMPAIGN 74
JACKSON’S VALLEY CAMPAIGN 92
THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN 110
THE SECOND MANASSAS CAMPAIGN 129
THE 1862 MARYLAND CAMPAIGN 145
FREDERICKSBURG 162
CHANCELLORSVILLE 180
GETTYSBURG 199
PART III THE NATURE OF THE ARMY 220
ROBERT E.LEE 222
THE SENIOR COMMAND STRUCTURE 236
THE RANK AND FILE 249
THE ARMY AND THE STATE AUTHORITIES 262
PART IV THE YEARS OF DEFENSE 274
vii
THE WINTER OF 1863–64 276
THE WILDERNESS TO COLD HARBOR 290
COLD HARBOR TO PETERSBURG 304
THE FINAL CAMPAIGN 318
APPENDIX
ORDER OF BATTLE, PETERSBURG APRIL 2, 1865 331
THE FINAL ORDERS 340
Bibliography 341
Index 345
Key to Maps
Military Units—Sizes Army Movements
Army Attack/advance (in national colors)
Corps
Retreat (in national colors)
Division Defensive works
Brigade Geographical Symbols
Regiment River
Road
Battalion
Railroad
Military Units—Types Urban area
Infantry
Cavalry Town
Trees
General Military Symbols
Cannons Bridge
Battle Hill
National Colors Mountains
Confederate
Union
Foreword
After four years of service, on April 9, 1865, the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to the U.S. Army at
Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Within days its men had all turned in their arms, been paroled, and
headed off on sometimes very long treks home. Although its surrender did not mark the ending of all
fighting in the Civil War at that point, most Southerners knew and accepted that their bid to establish an
independent nation was over. The army came together as volunteer units in 1861 to defend this new would-
be Confederate States of America, and fought a hard-pressed war for that purpose. Yet within days of
surrendering no physical trace of the army remained.
The legacy of that army did not die. Famed twentieth-century novelist William Faulkner, son of a
regimental commander in the Army of Northern Virginia, suggested that for every Southerner of his
generation time would always be stopped at that point just before Lee gambled by sending two divisions
straight into Union lines at Gettysburg. Today, thousands of costumed men armed with copies of period
weapons throughout the world reenact units and battles of that army. So, too, were the actions fought by the
Army of Northern Virginia studied by future military historians and theorists for years thereafter. Lee’s
army was remarkable in its ability to confuse and defeat superior forces in the field time after time. West Point
instructors point to Chancellorsville, where Lee not only had considerably fewer men available to him than
did his enemy commander, but he even split that smaller number to obtain a stunning victory, as one of
history’s most perfect battles.
The Army of Northern Virginia, created out of volunteer civilians with a smattering of trained,
professional soldiers in command positions, was by its nature an army of individuals. Therefore this
account not only discusses the campaigns and battles of the army, it also stresses the individuals from the
wellknown generals such as Lee, “Stonewall” Jackson, “Jeb” Stuart, and the rest, down to the rifleman in
the ranks who did not hesitate to offer his opinion on everything the army and his superiors did. There were
many controversies within the army’s ranks. Who lost the Battle of Gettysburg? Should Lee have struck
after the Union army’s failed assault at Fredericksburg? Why did Jackson, who had done so well in the
Valley of Virginia, behave so sluggishly on the Peninsula? While answers were no clearer then than now,
proud Southerners held their positions on them strongly. The top level of command was riddled with
feuding generals. A.P. Hill and James Longstreet fell out over press reports after the Peninsula Campaign. Hill
also feuded with Jackson, who actually placed him under arrest. Notwithstanding all this, added to generally
poor, amateurish staff work for much of the war, the Army of Northern Virginia fought long and well until
finally totally overwhelmed and forced to surrender. The army’s legacy, however, lives on to this very day.
Philip Katcher,
Devon, Pennsylvania, February 2003