Bobby Lee: The Civil War in Virginia 1861-1865

About this board game

Bobby Lee: The Civil War in Virginia 1861-1865 is a two-player strategy game with an approximately 300-minute playing time, covering the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War around Virginia from 1861 to 1865.

The game combines a broad strategic layer with a more detailed tactical layer. Its card-stock map depicts Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Eastern Virginia, while additional battle maps represent center and flank positions for specific units.

Rather than using traditional counters, Bobby Lee uses Columbia Games’ wooden block system. The blocks stand upright, with unit details visible on only one side, creating a built-in fog of war: opponents cannot identify a block’s unit type or current strength without remembering what they have seen.

Block orientation also tracks unit strength. Rotating a block places its current strength on top, allowing units to record up to four steps of strength without additional bookkeeping. This provides more detail than counters with two sides while keeping the system straightforward.

• Card-stock map of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Eastern Virginia
• Wooden blocks for the North and South
• Strategic and tactical layers of play
• Additional battle maps with center and flank positions
• Hidden unit information and rotating strength values

Released in 1993, the game can be combined with Sam Grant to play both theaters of the Civil War at the same time. All artwork and graphics were created by RPG and historical artist Eric Hotz.