Army of Northeastern Virginia
Brigadier General I McDowell
For brigade assignment, organisation and official report reference numbers of all units in the Army of Northeastern Virginia, click on the links opposite.
This section provides a listing of all the units that were organised for the Army of Northeastern Virginia, during the Manassas Campaign, Virginia, July 16–22, 1861.
Brigadier General I McDowell was appointed to command the army which was formed into five divisions with the Fourth Division acting as a reserve to guard the federal lines of communication along the Potomac river.
The majority of the men were raw recruits sent by their respective states to Washington where the army was camped. A small detachment from the United States Marines Corps and several companies from the United States Regular Army, mainly artillery companies, were assigned to the Second Division, Second Brigade.
Some of the regiments listed were attached to the Army of Northeastern Virginia but were not with the army in the field. The 8th New York State Militia, Company I, Battery Light Artillery (Varian's Battery) and the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry were both 3 months volunteers and when their term of service expired on July 20, 1861 they returned home to be mustered out and were not present at Firts Bull Run.
A battalion of light infantry was temporarily organized on July 21, 1861 with 40 men from each of the regiments of the First Division, Fourth Brigade, 160 in total commanded by Capt. R Brethschneider of the 2nd Michigan, Company E.
After First Bull Run, Manassas, the army became known as the Army of the Potomac.
The above painting, ‘First At Manassas’, is by Don Troiani, modern America's finest historial artist. For more information visit www.historicalimagebank.com.