The Army of Northern Virginia was the most successful Confederate army during the American Civil War (1861–1865). With Robert E. Lee at its head, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson commanding one of its corps, and J. E. B. Stuart leading its cavalry, the army won important victories at Fredericksburg (1862) and Chancellorsville (1863) while the Union Army of the Potomac shuffled through a series of commanders and crises of morale. Lee's army numbered 90,000 at its strongest and was organized into state-specific regiments and brigades, with about 55 percent of its men coming from the Upper South.

The Army of Northern Virginia consisted of various commands located throughout Virginia and North Carolina, with the Confederate Army of the Potomac as its core. Although various people, including Confederate president Jefferson Davis, had called it the Army of Northern Virginia on occasion, Robert E. Lee referred to it as the "Army of Northern Virginia" in Special Orders No. 22, dated June 1, 1862, when he assumed command in place of the wounded Joseph E. Johnston. Lee's subsequent orders maintained the heading "Department of Northern Virginia," and the "Army of Northern Virginia" soon became a household name in the Union and the Confederacy.

Today, the First Division: Army of Northern Virginia is comprised of men and women representing the brave Confederates by portraying the battles that took place between 1861-1865. They also attend living histories to teach the public, not only the life of a Confederate soldier.

We also have men and women portraying the civilians during the War Between The States to teach the public the way of life during that time.

Thank you for stopping by. If you would like info on joining the ranks of an ANV military company or portray a civilian of that time, please do not hesitate to visit our RECRUITMENT page for more information.