History of Lee Moves North in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: June 23, 2025

"Lee Moves North" is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1972. The game simulates Confederate General Robert E. Lee's summer offensives during the American Civil War, specifically focusing on the campaigns of 1862 and 1863. Originally titled "Lee at Gettysburg", the game allows players to recreate and explore the strategic decisions and military engagements of these pivotal moments in American history.

1958: Avalon Hill's Gettysburg publication

In 1958, Avalon Hill published a game named Gettysburg and claimed that they had trademarked the use of the word "Gettysburg" for games following its publication. This later caused a controversy with SPI's 'Lee at Gettysburg'

1972: Publication and Title Change of Lee at Gettysburg

In 1972, SPI published the Civil War game Lee at Gettysburg. However, Avalon Hill objected to the title because they had trademarked the use of the word "Gettysburg" for games after publishing their game of that name in 1958. SPI subsequently changed the title of their game to Lee Moves North and repackaged it.

1972: Publication of Lee Moves North

In 1972, Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) published the board wargame Lee Moves North, originally titled Lee at Gettysburg, simulating Robert E. Lee's summer offenses of 1862 and 1863 during the American Civil War.

1977: Low Popularity Noted

In 1977, Nicholas Palmer noted the relatively low popularity of Lee Moves North in his book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming, but attributed it to the game's age compared to other Civil War games published later.

The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming

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1980: Positive Review of Lee Moves North

In 1980, Jon Freeman commented that Lee Moves North is one of the best simulations of nineteenth-century operational warfare ever designed in his book The Complete Book of Wargames. He gave the game an Overall Evaluation of "Very Good", concluding it is one of the great 'sleeper' games of all time.