Maneuvers and battles in Virginia prior to the Battle of First Manassas, July 21, 1861, were centered around control of major waterways. Virginia had three main waterways that defined its antebellum borders: the Ohio, Potomac, and Chesapeake rivers. While the men who fought in the Civil War wouldn’t have recognized these as “fronts” or used that terminology, it is a convenient way to organize the military activity in Virginia during the first few months of the war.
Approximately 23,000 men under overall command of George B. McClellan crossed the Ohio River to push deep into the Trans-Allegheny region of Virginia. 53,800 men commanded by generals Irvin McDowell and Robert Patterson pushed south across the Potomac River. And, finally, Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler commanded approximately 9,000 men at Fort Monroe, where he attempted to push up the Virginia Peninsula.
These efforts were oftentimes uncoordinated or poorly coordinated. At the onset of the war, Union war planners were saddled with a hodgepodge of volunteer regiments led by inexperienced commanders with plenty of enthusiasm and little else. Many of the experienced regular Army officers had defected to the Confederacy.
While these efforts ultimately culminated in the disastrous loss at Bull Run, Union success in western Virginia can’t be discounted. McClellan’s early victories allowed West Virginia to gain statehood in 1863. Elsewhere, the footholds gained around Alexandria and Fort Monroe would never be seriously challenged for the remainder of the war.
| Front | Dates of Activity | Principal Commanders |
|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake | May 7 to July 12, 1861 | William B. Taliaferro, John B. Magruder, Benjamin F. Butler, Charles D. Dreux, John Bell Hood, Garrett J. Pendergrast, Benjamin Huger |
| Potomac | May 29 to July 18, 1861 | Robert Patterson, Thomas J. Jackson, Joseph E. Johnston, Irvin McDowell, James H. Ward, John Q. Marr, Lewis “Lew” Wallace, Turner Ashby, Philip St. George Cocke |
| Ohio | May 22 to July 19, 1861 | George A. Porterfield, Henry A. Wise, Robert S. Garnett, John Pegram, Thomas A. Morris, George B. McClellan, Jacob D. Cox, William S. Rosecrans |
Spirit of '61 