Original: September 5 & ndash ; American Civil War : In the Confederacy 's first invasion of the North , General Robert E. Lee leads 55,000 men of the Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River at White 's Ford near Leesburg , Virginia , into Maryland .
Simplified: September 5-American Civil War : In the Confederacys first invasion of the North , General Robert E. Lee leads 55,000 men of the Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River at Whites Ford near Leesburg , Virginia into Maryland .