Eastern Theater of the American Civil War
The Eastern Theatre was the scene of several key battles. These included the First Battle of Bull Run, the bloody Battle of Antietam and the greatest battle, the Battle of Gettysburg. Only 100 miles separated the two capital cities, Washington, D.C. the Union capital and the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. Between the two lay the Shenandoah Valley, a natural corridor that could hide entire armies.