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.^[1] Only 100 miles separated the two capital cities, Washington, D.C. the Union capital and the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia.^[1] Between the two lay the Shenandoah Valley, a natural corridor that could hide entire armies.

Principal commanders of the eastern theater

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.

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

Lincoln at Antietam.jpg

President Abraham Lincoln visiting the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Antietam's battlefield in September 1862, photographed by Alexander Gardner
Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign March-May 1862.png

Valley Campaign: Kernstown to McDowell
Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign May-June 1862.png

Valley Campaign: Front Royal to Port Republic
Peninsula Campaign March-May 1862.png

Peninsula Campaign, map of events up to the Battle of Seven Pines
Seven Days Battles overview.pdf

Overview of the Seven Days Battles
Northern Virginia Campaign August 1862.png

Northern Virginia Campaign, August 7–28, 1862
Maryland Campaign 1862.pdf

Maryland Campaign, actions September 3 to September 15, 1862
Antietam Overview.png

Overview of the Battle of Antietam
Fredericksburg-Overview.png

Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862
Overland Campaign May-June 1864.pdf

Overland Campaign, from the Wilderness to crossing the James River

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