▁on ▁April ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁ ▁Robert ▁E . ▁Lee ' s ▁bi ograph er , ▁Douglas ▁S . ▁Fre eman , ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁the ▁army ▁received ▁its ▁final ▁name ▁from ▁Lee ▁when ▁he ▁issued ▁orders ▁assuming ▁command ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁However , ▁Fre eman ▁does ▁admit ▁that ▁Lee ▁correspond ed ▁with ▁Joseph ▁E . ▁John ston , ▁his ▁prede cess or ▁in ▁army ▁command , ▁prior ▁to ▁that ▁date ▁and ▁referred ▁to ▁John ston ' s ▁command ▁as ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁Northern ▁Virginia . ▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁confusion ▁results ▁from ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁John ston ▁commanded ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Northern ▁Virginia ▁( as ▁of ▁October ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 1 ) ▁and ▁the ▁name ▁Army ▁of ▁Northern ▁Virginia ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁an ▁inform al ▁consequence ▁of ▁its ▁parent ▁department ' s ▁name . ▁Jefferson ▁Davis ▁and ▁John ston ▁did ▁not ▁adopt ▁the ▁name , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁clear ▁that ▁the ▁organization ▁of ▁units ▁as ▁of ▁March ▁ 1 4 ▁was ▁the ▁same ▁organization ▁that ▁Lee ▁received ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁and ▁thus ▁it ▁is ▁generally ▁referred ▁to ▁today ▁as ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁Northern ▁Virginia , ▁even ▁if ▁that ▁is ▁correct ▁only ▁in ▁ret ros pect . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁Vir g ini ans , ▁it ▁included ▁reg iments ▁from ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁Confeder acy , ▁some ▁from ▁as ▁far ▁away ▁as ▁Georgia , ▁Texas ▁and ▁Ark ansas .