Headquarters
Richmond, Va., April 23, 1861
General Orders, No. 1
In obedience to orders from his excellency John Letcher, governor of the State, Maj. Gen. Robert E. Lee assumes command of the military and naval forces of Virginia.
R. E. Lee
Major-General.
Source: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Vol. 2, p. 775-776.
Transcribed by Colin Woodward, 2016 March 8