Eastern Theater of the American Civil War

The Eastern Theater of the American Civil War included the U.S. states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia and the coastal seaports and fortifications of North Carolina. There were many battles fought in this area, especially in northern and eastern Virginia. Several battles were fought between the Union Army of the Potomac and Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. There was so much fighting in Virginia because the Confederate capital was at Richmond, Virginia.

The Eastern Theatre was the scene of several key battles. These included the First Battle of Bull Run, the bloody Battle of Antietam and the greatest battle, the Battle of Gettysburg. Only 100 miles separated the two capital cities, Washington, D.C. the Union capital and the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. Between the two lay the Shenandoah Valley, a natural corridor that could hide entire armies. 

Principal commanders of the eastern theater

 Background 
After the fall of Fort Sumter in April 1861, both sides scrambled to create armies. President Abraham Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion. This immediately caused the secession of four additional states, including Virginia. The United States Army had only around 16,000 men, with more than half spread out in the West. The army was commanded by the elderly Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, veteran of the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. On the Confederate side, only a handful of federal officers and men resigned and joined the Confederacy. The formation of the Confederate States Army was a matter initially undertaken by the individual states.

 Major campaigns and battles 
 Campaign  Effective Dates of the Campaign  Notes  Battle of Fort Sumter  April 12–13, 1861  War started, CSA victory  First Battle of Bull Run  July 16–22, 1861 First Manassas, CSA victory  Peninsula Campaign  March 17 - August 3, 1862    Jackson's Valley Campaign  May 15 - June 17, 1862    Second Battle of Bull Run  August 7 - September 2, 1862  ("Second Manassas" for Confederate service)  Maryland Campaign  September 3–17, 1862  ("Sharpsburg" for Confederate service)  Battle of Fredericksburg  November 9 - December 15, 1862    Battle of Chancellorsville  April 27 - May 3, 1863    Gettysburg Campaign  June 29 - July 3, 1863    Battle of the Wilderness  May 4–7, 1864    Battle of Spotsylvania Court House  May 8–21, 1864    Overland Campaign  May and June 1864    Siege of Petersburg  June 4, 1864 - April 2, 1865    Valley Campaigns of 1864  August 7 - November 28, 1864    Appomattox Campaign  April 3–9, 1865  

 References 

 Other websites 
 The Civil War in Four Minutes: War in the East, Civil War Trust; YouTube
 Eastern Theater Battles; YouTube

Category:American Civil War