VIRGINIA soon after began an advance movement upon Richmond, with Aquia creek, near Fredericks- burg, as the base of supplies for the Union army. He met at Fredericksburg the con- federate army under Lee, and suffered a se- vere defeat, Dec. 13. (See FREDERICKSBURG.) The Union army now lay in camp for several months on the left bank of the Rappahannock, opposite Fredericksburg, while the confederate army was intrenched on the heights on the other side of the river. On May 2-4, 1863, was fought the battle of Chancellorsville, the federal army being commanded by Gen. Hook- er. (See CHANCELLORSVILLE.) After his vic- tory here Lee advanced north into Pennsyl- vania, where he lost the great battle of Get- tysburg, July 1-3. He then retreated into Virginia, followed by Meade, and the two ar- mies finally took positions fronting each other near the Rapidan river. Early in May, 1864. the army of the Potomac, under the command of Lieut. Gen. Grant, again began the advance upon Richmond. . (See GRANT, ULYSSES S. ; LEE, ROBERT EDWARD; WILDERNESS, BATTLES OF THE; and CHIOKAHOMINY.) At the same time flank movements were made in the She- nandoah valley by Gen. Sigel, and in S. W. Virginia by Gen. Crook. Sigel advanced from Winchester toward Staunton, but was defeat- ed at New Market by Breckenridge. Crook advanced from Charleston, W. Va., up the Kanawha valley, having Lynchburg as an ob- jective point, but after considerable fighting he was forced to retreat. In June Gen. Hun- ter, who had superseded Gen. Sigel, having been joined by Gen. Crook, attacked Lynch- burg with about 20,000 men, but was forced to retreat into West Virginia. Meanwhile an unsuccessful attempt was made by Gen. Butler, commanding the army of the James, to take Petersburg. In August Gen. Sheridan assumed command of the federal forces in the Shenan- doah valley. For his operations there, result- ing in the total overthrow of the army under Early which had crossed the Potomac and seriously threatened Washington, see UNITED STATES, vol. xvi., p. 181. The siege of Peters- burg was begun by Gen. Grant in June, and was continued till April, 1865, when Richmond was evacuated. (See PETERSBURG, SIEGE OF.) Lee retreated toward Danville, closely pur- sued by Grant, to whom he surrendered, at Appomattox Court House, April 9. On May 9, 1865, President Johnson issued an order providing for the enforcement of the federal laws in Virginia, and recognizing the admin- istration of Francis H. Peirpoint as the loyal government of the state. This government had been organized in Wheeling in June, 1861, and had been recognized by congress. It continued to exercise its functions until the admission into the Union of West Virginia in 1863, after which, having its seat at Alexan- dria, it represented such parts of the state as were under federal control. (See WEST VIR- GINIA.) A constitution framed by a conven- VIRGLNIA (UNIVERSITY OF) 335 tion which sat in Alexandria from Feb. 13 to April 11, 1864, was adopted without sub- mission to the people. This constitution was not recognized by congress, but the civil gov- ernment was allowed to continue provision- ally. In May, 1865, Gov. Peirpoint assumed the executive duties in Richmond. On Oct. 12 an election was held for members of the legislature, who assembled in Richmond Dec. 4. Under the act of congress of March 2, 1867, providing military governments for the south- ern states, Virginia was made the first military district, to the command of which Gen. Scho- field was appointed. A registration of voters (excluding all that could not take a prescribed oath) was now taken, preliminary to a vote for determining whether a constitutional conven- tion should be held, and the choice of delegates to such convention. The number of voters re- gistered was 221,754, of whom 116,982 were white and 104,772 colored. The vote and elec- tion took place on Oct. 22, when 14,835 whites and 92,507 blacks voted for, and 61,249 whites and 638 blacks against the convention. The total vote was 169,229; majority for the con- vention, 45,455. Of the 105 delegates chosen, 80 were white and 25 colored, 70 were repub- licans and 35 conservatives. The convention assembled in Richmond on Dec. 3, and contin- ued in session till April 17, 1868. Provision was made for submitting the new constitution to a popular vote on June 2, but the vote was postponed. The official term of Gov. Peirpoint expired on April 4, 1868, when Henry H. Wells was appointed by the military authority to act as governor. On June 1 Gen. Stoneman suc- ceeded Gen. Schofield in the command. The vote on the constitution was taken on July 6, 1869, when it was ratified by a majority of 197,044 in a total vote of 215,422. The clause disfranchising officials who had participated in the rebellion, and that requiring an oath of past loyalty, were rejected. At the same time state officers, representatives in congress, and members of the legislature were elected, Gil- bert C. Walker being chosen governor. On Sept. 1 Mr. Wells retired, and the governor elect assumed the executive duties. The legis- lature assembled in Richmond on Oct. 5, and subsequently elected two United States sena- tors and ratified the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the federal constitution. On Jan. 26, 1870, Virginia was admitted to rep- resentation in congress, and on the following day Gen. Canby, who had been in command of this department since April 20, 1869, trans- ferred the government to the civil authorities. The resources of Virginia are fully described in the work on the state prepared, under the direction of the board of immigration, by Maj. Jed. Hotchkiss, consulting engineer, of Staunton (Richmond, 1876), advanced sheets of which have been used in the preparation of this article. VIRGINIA. See CLAUDIUS CRASSUS. VIRGINIA, University of, an institution of learning in Albemarle co., Virginia, 1 m. W.
