 Following the Battle of Fredericksburg the Army of Northern Virginia could muster over 72.497 soldiers not counting other personnel.Not figuring into this overall number is the fact that Lee had had made the decision to station a whole division and a single cavalry brigade at Shenandoah Valley for protection at this time and these troops are missing from the total estimates.During the autumn of 1862 lasting throughout the following winter the army faced the Army of the Potomac at Rappahannock.