You are most welcome and the only bad question is on that is not asked. That is one of the great things about this forum is that questions are always welcomed and knowledge is generously shared.Oh thank you! Mystery solved!
Southern Armies were named after states or regions such as Army of Tennessee or Army of Northern Virginia, while Northern Armies were named after rivers such as Army of the Tennessee, Army of the Ohio, Army of the James and Army of the Potomac.
There are exceptions to this correct general rule, as in the short-lived Union Army of Virginia led by John Pope in the summer of 1862.Oh okay. Good to know!
There are exceptions to this correct general rule, as in the short-lived Union Army of Virginia led by John Pope in the summer of 1862.
The battles also have Southern and Northern names, just to confuse things! The North tended to name a battle after a geographical feature, the South after the nearest town. For example, Antietam is the Union name, after the creek and Sharpsburg is the Southern name, after the nearest town. Brice's Crossroads is also called Tishomingo Creek or Guntown.
Wasn't the forerunner of the Army of Northern Virginia also called, briefly, the Army of the Potomac? If wikipedia is correct, it was the Army of the Potomac from May 1861 to March 1862. Its only major battle was First Manassas/Bull Run. The source in which I remember originally seeing this info has been loaned, so it's in Ohio while I'm in Oregon.
The Union Dept. of Northern Virginia did not become the Army of the Potomac until after that battle. Probably a good thing--the battle was messy enough without being fought between two armies with identical names!
Hah!
Some battles (or big skirmishes) have more than two names.
Can you name any?