Department of Virginia and North Carolina The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union - occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War . In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing departments : the Department of Virginia and the Department of North Carolina . In 1865 the two departments were once again separated . Department of Virginia . 1861 . The Department of Virginia was created on May 22 , 1861 to include any areas within a 60 mile radius of Fortress Monroe and any sections of North Carolina and South Carolina occupied by the Union Army . Major General Benjamin F . Butler was appointed the its first commander . Early battles undertaken by troops from this department under General Butler included actions at Big Bethel and Hatteras Inlent . Early on the department was also known as the ‘ ’ ’ Department of Southeastern Virginia ’ ’ ’ . On January 7 , 1862 the areas of North Carolina were detached to form the Department of North Carolina . On June 1 , 1862 the area south of the Rappahannock River and east of the Fredericksburg - Richmond - Petersburg - Weldon Railroad were added to the department . From June 26 , 1862 to September 12 , 1862 John Pope ’ s Army of Virginia operated within the department . On July 15 , 1863 the Dept . of Virginia was merged with the Dept . of North Carolina . 1865 . On January 18 , 1865 the Department of Virginia was re - created to consist of the area within 60 miles of Fortress Monroe , the areas south of the Rappahannock River and east of the Fredericksburg - Richmond - Petersburg - Weldon Railroad . On April 19 , 1865 much of the rest of Virginia was added , excluding the Shenandoah Valley . From January 18 , 1865 to August 1 , 1865 the Army of the James consisted of troops from this department which were the first to enter the fallen capital city of Richmond . Commanders . 1861 < br > Benjamin F . Butler ( 22 May 1861 – 9 August 1861 ) < br > John E . Wool ( 9 August 1861 – 2 June 1862 ) < br > George B . McClellan ( appointed 1 June 1862 – never assumed command ) < br > John Adams Dix ( 2 June 1862 – 6 April 1863 ) < br > Erasmus D . Keyes ( 6 April 1863 – 14 April 1863 ) < br > John Adams Dix ( 14 April 1863 – 15 July 1863 ) < br > 1865 < br > E . O . C . Ord ( 18 January 1865 – 14 June 1865 ) < br > Henry W . Halleck ( appointed 16 April 1865 but revoked 19 April 1865 ) < br > Alfred H . Terry ( 14 June 1865 – 6 August 1866 ) Department of North Carolina . 1862 . The Department of North Carolina was created on January 7 , 1862 to include the areas of North Carolina occupied by Union forces . These areas were formerly part of the Department of Virginia . Brigadier General Ambrose E . Burnside was the department ’ s first commander . Early territories captured by Burnside ’ s Expeditionary Force included Roanoke Island , New Bern , Morehead City , Beaufort and Fort Macon . On December 24 , 1862 , XVIII Corps was created , composed of the five divisions stationed in North Carolina . On July 15 , 1863 the department was merged with the Department of Virginia . 1865 . On January 31 , 1865 the department was re - created to include Union - occupied areas of North Carolina excluding those occupied by the armies of William T . Sherman . General John M . Schofield was hand picked by Ulysses Grant to head the department . Schofield assembled troops within the department into the Wilmington Expeditionary Force which he personally led in the capture of Wilmington . Significant territories included in the department were those captured by Ambrose Burnside in 1862 along with recently captured Fort Fisher and Wilmington . In March 1865 , The troops of the Department of North Carolina formed the " revived " X Corps , under the command of Alfred Terry . On May 19 , 1866 it was merged into the Department of the Carolinas . Commanders . 1862 < br > Ambrose Burnside ( 7 January 1862 – 6 July 1862 ) < br > John G . Foster ( 6 July 1862 – 29 March 1863 ) < br > Innis N . Palmer ( 29 March 1863 – 16 April 1863 ) < br > John G . Foster ( 16 April - 15 July 1863 ) < br > 1865 < br > John M . Schofield ( 31 January 1865 – 20 June 1865 ) < br > Jacob D . Cox ( 20 June 1865 – 28 June 1865 ) < br > Thomas H . Ruger ( 28 June 1865 – 19 May 1866 ) Department of Virginia & North Carolina . The Department of Virginia & North Carolina was created on July 15 , 1863 composed of all the territories formerly part of the Department of Virginia and Department of North Carolina . From December 21 , 1863 to June 27 , 1864 St . Mary ' s County , Maryland was also part of the department . On January 18 , 1865 the department was again separated into the Dept . of Virginia and Dept . of North Carolina . From August 12 , 1863 to April 25 , 1864 the Army of North Carolina consisted of troops from the District of North Carolina within the Department of Virginia & North Carolina . The Army and District of North Carolina were commanded by John J . Peck . From April 28 , 1864 to January 18 , 1865 the Army of the James was composed of troops within the Dept . of Virginia & North Carolina . It primarily served in Virginia during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign and during the siege of Petersburg conducting operations against the city of Richmond north of the James River . Commanders . George W . Getty ( 15 July 1863 – 18 July 1863 ) < br > John G . Foster ( 18 July 1863 – 28 August 1863 ) < br > Benjamin F . Butler ( 28 August 1863 – 27 August 1864 ) < br > E . O . C . Ord ( 27 August 1864 – 5 September 1864 ) < br > David B . Birney ( 5 September 1864 – 7 September 1864 ) < br > Benjamin F . Butler ( 7 September 1864 – 14 December 1864 ) < br > E . O . C . Ord ( 14 December 1864 – 24 December 1864 ) < br > Benjamin F . Butler ( 24 December 1864 – 7 January 1865 ) < br > E . O . C . Ord ( 7 January 1865 – 18 January 1865 )