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Army of the Potomac
Civil War Encyclopedia >> Armies - Union
| July 22, 1861 | George B. McClellan [US] ordered to Washington to take command of the Army of the Potomac following the defeat at Bull Run | |
| George McClellan | ||
| Army of the Ohio | ||
| Washington D. C. | ||
| July 26, 1861 | George McClellan appointed commander, Army of the Potomac, replacing Irvin McDowell. Some sources give the date as July 27, the day he received the orders | |
| George McClellan | ||
| Irvin McDowell | ||
| August 15, 1861 | General George McClellan assumes command of the Army of the Potomac | |
| George McClellan | ||
| March 11, 1862 | President Lincoln relieves George McClellan as General-in-Chief of the U. S. Army. He continues as commander of the Army of the Potomac | |
| General-in-Chief, U. S. Army | ||
| George McClellan | ||
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| September 2, 1862 | General John Pope is replaced by Ambrose Burnside, following the disaster at Second Bull Run, combining the Army of Virginia with the Army of the Potomac under George McClellan | |
| George McClellan | ||
| John Pope | ||
| Antietam | ||
| Army of Virginia | ||
| Ambrose Burnside | ||
| September 17, 1862 | Battle of Sharpsburg (Confederate)
Battle of Antietam (Union) Army of the Potomac under McClellan [US] defeats the Army of Northern Virginia under Lee [CS], resulting in the bloodiest day in American history. Union losses:12,401 men 2,108 dead 9,540 wounded 753 missing Confederate losses:10, 406 1,546 dead 7,752 wounded 1,108 missing |
Maryland |
| Bloodiest Civil War battles | ||
| Robert E. Lee | ||
| George McClellan | ||
| Stonewall Jackson | ||
| Army of Northern Virginia | ||
| George Meade | ||
| Lafayette McLaws | ||
| Antietam | ||
| Edwin Vose Sumner | ||
| November 7, 1862 | Ambrose E. Burnside assumes command of the Army of the Potomac, relieving George B. McClellan | |
| George McClellan | ||
| Ambrose Burnside | ||
| December 13, 1862 | Battle of Fredericksburg
General Ambrose Burnside and the Army of the Potomac is soundly beaten by Lee's Army of North Virginia. |
|
| Army of Northern Virginia | ||
| Robert E. Lee | ||
| Ambrose Burnside | ||
| Lafayette McLaws | ||
| Fredericksburg | ||
| William B. Franklin | ||
| Edwin Vose Sumner | ||
| Jubal Anderson Early | ||
| John Reynolds | ||
| Joseph Hooker | ||
| January 25, 1863 | Abraham Lincoln relieves General Ambrose Burnside [US} from command of the Army of the Potomac, replacing him with General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker. | |
| Joseph Hooker | ||
| Abraham Lincoln | ||
| Ambrose Burnside | ||
| February 5, 1863 | General Joseph Hooker reorganizes the Army of the Potomac appointing J. F. Reynolds, Darius Couch, Dan Sickles, George Meade, John Sedgwick, W. F. Smith, Franz Sigel and Henry Slocum in command of individual corps. George Stoneman is named his cavalry chief. Smith's Ninth Corps is assigned to Newport News to increase pressure on Richmond | |
| Joseph Hooker | ||
| George Meade | ||
| William Farrar Smith | ||
| John Sedgwick | ||
| April 30, 1863 | Army of the Potomac forces set up camp in The Wilderness surrounding the Chancellor family home after crossing the Rappahannock River | Virginia |
| Chancellorsville | ||
| May 1, 1863 May 4, 1863 |
Battle of Chancellorsville
General "Fighting Joe" Hooker's Army of the Potomac is defeated by Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia as it crosses the Rappahannock on the way to Richmond Union: 17,268 Confederate: 12,821 |
Virginia |
| Robert E. Lee | ||
| Joseph Hooker | ||
| Bloodiest Civil War battles | ||
| Stonewall Jackson | ||
| Army of Northern Virginia | ||
| Lafayette McLaws | ||
| Chancellorsville | ||
| John Reynolds | ||
| Darius Couch | ||
| George Stoneman | ||
| June 28, 1863 | George Meade [US] assumes command of the Army of the Potomac, replacing Joe Hooker. | |
| George Meade | ||
| Battle of Gettysburg | ||
| Joseph Hooker | ||
| The Gettysburg Campaign | ||
| July 1, 1863 July 3, 1863 |
Battle of Gettysburg
General Robert E. Lee [CS] advances into Pennsylvania where he meets George Meade [US]. First battling north of the city, by the second day Union forces had retreated south, forming a strong line as men arrived almost continuously. On the third day, the infamous Pickett's Charge marked the end of the Confederates hope for a victory The bloodiest three days in American history |
Pennsylvania |
| Bloodiest Civil War battles | ||
| Robert E. Lee | ||
| John Bell Hood | ||
| James Longstreet | ||
| George Meade | ||
| Army of Northern Virginia | ||
| J. E. B. Stuart | ||
| Lafayette McLaws | ||
| Winfield Scott Hancock | ||
| George Armstrong Custer | ||
| Battle of Gettysburg | ||
| Richard Ewell | ||
| George Pickett | ||
| John Reynolds | ||
| The Gettysburg Campaign | ||
| Early action at Herbst Woods | ||
| James Archer | ||
| George Armstrong Custer | ||
| Jubal Anderson Early | ||
| August 2, 1863 | Following Lee's retreat from Gettysburg, the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac establish lines with Virginia's Rappahannock River between them. | Virginia |
| Army of Northern Virginia | ||
| October 9, 1863 | Robert E. Lee [CS] and the Army of Northern Virginia crosses the Rapidan in an attempt to outflank the Army of the Potomac. | Virginia |
| Robert E. Lee | ||
| Army of Northern Virginia | ||
| October 11, 1863 | Heavy skirmishing breaks out across a wide front in Virginia as the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac clash between the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. | Virginia |
| Army of Northern Virginia | ||
| March 12, 1864 | Three days after it happened, the order making Lieutenant General Grant general-in-chief is announced. General Henry Halleck is relieved of duty at his own request. | |
| Henry Halleck | ||
| General-in-Chief, U. S. Army | ||
| Ulysses S. Grant | ||
| March 23, 1864 | Some congressmen request George Meade be removed as commander of the Army of the Potomac | |
| George Meade | ||
| May 4, 1864 | The final Spring Campaign of the Civil War began as the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River in Virginia and three smaller armys (Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland) pushed deeper into Georgia. | Georgia Virginia |
| Army of the Cumberland | ||
| Army of the Tennessee | ||
| Army of the Ohio | ||
| June 12, 1864 | Finally admitting defeat at Cold Harbor, Ulysses S. Grant begins crossing the James River | Virginia |
| Ulysses S. Grant | ||
| May 23, 1865 | Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac |
From its beginning as the Army of Northeastern Virginia, The Union Army of the Potomac was the largest of all armies engaged in The Civil War. At the Battle of Bull Run more than 30,000 men were ready for duty under the command of Irvin McDowell. Slightly less that four years later, at the Surrender at Appomattox more than 125,000 men were under the command of George Meade. In between, Generals George McClellan, Ambrose Burnside and Joseph Hooker also served as its commander.
The opposing Confederate Army, known as the Alexandria Line, The (Confederate) Army of the Potomac, and finally the Army of Northern Virginia never totalled more than 85,000 men. Except for Lee's advance into Maryland in September, 1862 and into Pennsylvania in June, 1863, the two armies fought exclusively in Virginia.
Following the defeat at Bull Run, George McClellan was summoned from western Virginia (present day West Virginia and given command of the Army, although Winfield Scott was still General-in-Chief, U. S. Army. That would change following the disaster at Ball's Bluff. With McClellan in command he worked on preparing his men for battle. Leaving Irvin McDowell and his corps to protect Washington D. C., McClellan moved most of the remaining troops to Virginia's lower peninsula.
After advancing to the outskirts of Richmond in the Peninsula Campaign against Joe Johnston, the Army of the Potomac withdrew in the Seven Days Retreat. When the army withdrew to the Potomac River, some corps were reassigned to John Pope's Army of Virginia. Lincoln and Stanton never told McClellan of the change and left him guessing his role for two weeks. Following a major defeat at Second Bull Run the Army of Virginia was incorporated into the Army of the Potomac and command return to McClellan.
Links appearing on this page:
The opposing Confederate Army, known as the Alexandria Line, The (Confederate) Army of the Potomac, and finally the Army of Northern Virginia never totalled more than 85,000 men. Except for Lee's advance into Maryland in September, 1862 and into Pennsylvania in June, 1863, the two armies fought exclusively in Virginia.
Following the defeat at Bull Run, George McClellan was summoned from western Virginia (present day West Virginia and given command of the Army, although Winfield Scott was still General-in-Chief, U. S. Army. That would change following the disaster at Ball's Bluff. With McClellan in command he worked on preparing his men for battle. Leaving Irvin McDowell and his corps to protect Washington D. C., McClellan moved most of the remaining troops to Virginia's lower peninsula.
After advancing to the outskirts of Richmond in the Peninsula Campaign against Joe Johnston, the Army of the Potomac withdrew in the Seven Days Retreat. When the army withdrew to the Potomac River, some corps were reassigned to John Pope's Army of Virginia. Lincoln and Stanton never told McClellan of the change and left him guessing his role for two weeks. Following a major defeat at Second Bull Run the Army of Virginia was incorporated into the Army of the Potomac and command return to McClellan.
Links appearing on this page:
Ambrose Burnside
Army of Northern Virginia
Ball's Bluff
Battle of Bull Run
General-in-Chief, U. S. Army
George McClellan
George Meade
Irvin McDowell
Joe Johnston
Joseph Hooker
June, 1863
Maryland
Peninsula Campaign
Pennsylvania
Second Bull Run
September, 1862
Seven Days Retreat
Surrender at Appomattox
The Civil War
Virginia
West Virginia
Winfield Scott
Civil War Encyclopedia >> Armies - Union
Army of the Potomac was last changed on - February 5, 2007
Army of the Potomac was added in 2005
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