In May 1862, George McClellan's Union army stood on the outskirts of Richmond and threatened the Confederate capital. At the Dabbs House, Robert E. Lee opened his headquarters on June 1, 1862, as the new commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, and within four days he had shaped the strategy that would free Richmond from the Army of the Potomac. Two notable conferences took place there. On June 11, Lee and cavalryman J.E.B. Stuart planned Stuart's famous ride around the Union army, a feat of 100 miles in 72 hours that electrified stagnant morale among citizens and soldiers alike and became the first flash in Stuart's meteoric career. On June 23, Lee assembled his top subordinates there for the first time and, using information gathered from Stuart's ride, unveiled his plan to drive the Northern army away from Richmond. Often called the Dabbs House Meeting, this gathering was the first step in the series of battles known as the Seven Days, which introduced Lee to the world as a talented commander. Known as High Meadow before the Civil War, the two-story brick house was the home of Josiah and Mary Dabbs when the war began. After Josiah died in January 1862, Mary moved into Richmond, leaving the house unoccupied when Lee made it his headquarters. An extension on the west and two one-and-a-half-story wings were added in the early 1900s.