Early, Jubal Anderson (1816-1894), was a Confederate general in the American Civil War (1861-1865). He opposed secession (withdrawal) from the United States. But after Virginia seceded in 1861, he joined the Confederate Army and became a lieutenant general. He commanded a brigade and division in the Army of Northern Virginia.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee sent Early’s corps in June 1864 to threaten Washington, D.C. Early led this campaign with boldness and skill. He bombarded the outskirts of the Union capital but was not strong enough to take the city. Later in 1864, he participated in the burning of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Early then retreated to the Shenandoah Valley and tried to delay the advance of the Union cavalry under General Philip H. Sheridan. Sheridan defeated Early decisively in March 1865.
Early was born in Franklin County, Virginia, on Nov. 3, 1816. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1837. He then studied law. Early served in the Second Seminole War (1835-1842) and the Mexican War (1846-1848). After the Civil War, he helped found the Southern Historical Society, an organization that worked to preserve the Confederate view of the war. Early died on March 2, 1894.
