This year we will follow the actions of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia (ANV) and the Union Army of the Potomac (AoP) as they maneuvered and fought against each other in Northern VA during the last months of campaigning in 1863. Although none of the participants knew it at the time, this was the last major offensive campaign of the ANV. Although Marse Robert planned to repeat his successful left hook offensive at the 2nd Battle of Manassas in August of 1862, by late1863 he lacked the key leaders and the offensive combat power that he needed. James Longstreet and his corps were away at Knoxville. Perhaps as importantly, the ANV had lost thousands of good leaders and soldiers they could not replace at Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg and scores of other, smaller battles and skirmishes. Conversely, the AoP under George Meade was stronger, had better cavalry and better intelligence of the ANV’s movements, and was better able to fight successful rear-guard actions, retreat without panic, prevent being enveloped by the ANV, and then counter-attack. Both sides used entrenchments more effectively than they had ever done before, foreshadowing the slaughter that would come in 1864 and 1865.
Many good men on both sides fought, bled, and died. At the end of the campaign, George Meade had successfully driven back the ANV offensive and the campaign had been a draw. Meade had not lost. Lee had not won. Unfortunately for Meade’s future command status, however, he had also not won. A very frustrated President Lincoln decided to bring the victor of Vicksburg and Chattanooga, MG Ulysses S. Grant, back east to command the entire Union war effort.
We are once again very privileged to have as our campaign co-directors, Rob Freis and Jim Ballou. They will be ably assisted by Ben Brockenbrough, Denny Frasche, and other members of the Corps d’Elite who are steeped in the lore of the Civil War. This will be our twenty-fourth campaign as the GAC, the sixty-eighth campaign as the Army of the Cussewago-GAC.
