BGuthrie Photos: VA -- Lee's Retreat -- Miscellaneous sites

VA -- Lee's Retreat -- Miscellaneous sites:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. LEERET_130920_003.JPG: Sutherland Station Confederate Defense Crumbles -- Lee's Retreat -- The Union attack that broke the back of the Confederate defense of Petersburg and forced Gen. Robert E. Lee to evacuate the Army of Northern Virginia from the city happened here April 2, 1865. You are standing at the end of the Confederate right flank, facing south toward the Federal left flank. The South Side Railroad, Lee's last supply line, ran just behind you. On Sunday, April 2, as the main Union assault ruptured the Confederate defenses at Petersburg, ten miles east, a detachment under Gen. John R. Cooke tried to protect the railroad here. Cooke's thin infantry line stretched from this point east along the road for almost a mile to Ocran Church, while a handful of artillery was posted here next to Sutherland Tavern. About 11:00am, Union infantry under Gen. Nelson A. Miles began attacking from the south; three assaults failed, but a fourth that struck Cooke's left flank near the church in mid-afternoon turned the tide for the Federals. Cooke lost about 600 men, mostly prisoners, and the South Side Railroad fell into Union hands. The surviving Confederates escaped north on Namozine Road.
2. LEERET_130920_021.JPG: Sutherland Station Lee's Retreat -- April 2, 1865 -- Confederate troops formed a battle line along Cox Road to protect the South Side Railroad, but were overwhelmed after three attacks. This engagement enabled Grant's forces to sever Lee's last supply line, causing him to abandon Petersburg that night. Next Stop Namozine Church 10.5 miles
3. LEERET_130920_027.JPG: The Battle of Sutherland April 2, 1865 Dedicated in sacred memory to those valiant Confederates who remained steadfast to the end, and who gave their last full measure of devotion in defense of their homeland. Here the Confederates, under the Generals Wilcox and Heth, made a gallant stand, only to be overcome by overwhelming numbers. Dedicated April 12, 1981
4. LEERET_130920_041.JPG: Appomattox Campaign (Sutherland Station) At Sutherland Station, on 2 Apr. 1865, the Confederates made a last attempt to maintain control of the South Side Railroad. Confederate Maj. Gen. Henry Heth organized the defense before returning to the main line in Petersburg. Brig. Gen. John R. Cooke commanded in Heth's absence. Elements of Union Maj. Gen. Nelson's division of the II Corps troops charged the Confederate left flank, commanded by Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowan. Overwhelmed, the flank disintegrated and the rest of the line fled as well. The loss severed Gen. Robert E. Lee's supply line.
5. LEERET_130920_067.JPG: Lee's Retreat Near here Custer, commanding advance guard of an Army of the Potomac, struck and drove back Fitz Lee, left flank guard of Army of Northern Virginia, April 3, 1865.
6. LEERET_130920_071.JPG: Namozine Church Lee's Retreat April 3, 1865 As Lee's men continued their morning march toward Amelia Court House, cavalries skirmished around this church. Forced to withdraw, the armies continued a running battle that ended near Deep Creek. Namozine Church also served as a hospital for both armies. Next Stop Amelia Court House 19.7 miles.
7. LEERET_130920_075.JPG: Namozine Church Pursuit Cathces Up -- Lee's Retreat -- When Gen. Robert E. Lee evacuated the Army of Northern Virginia from Petersburg and Richmond on April 2-3, 1865, he ordered the army's wings to unite at Amelia Court House, where trains would meet them with food and other supplies. The army would then march south to North Carolina and join forces with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's command. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, on the other hand, pursued Lee on two routes: directly in his wake and on parallel roads to the south, to prevent his escape into North Carolina. Union infantry and cavalry in close pursuit frequently clashed with the Confederate rear guard. One such action occurred here on April 3, while Gen. Rufus Barringer's cavalry was posted at the church. You are standing where Barringer's flank stood, facing east. Sometime after 9:00 a.m., Gen. George A. Custer's cavalrymen came charging down the road and struck the entire line. The regiment in the Confederate center tried a counterattack, but soon the whole line was in retreat. Some 350 were captured, including Barringer. Namozine Presbyterian Church, built in 1847, fortunately survived the battle. It remains virtually unchanged since its date of construction.
8. LEERET_130920_102.JPG: Lamkin's Battery This mortar belonged to the battery commanded by Captain J.N. Lamkin. On July 30, 1864, at the "Crater", the battery helped check the Union advance until Mahone came up. Four mortars were captured near Flat Creek in Lee's Retreat, April 2, 1865. One of them blew up in saluting the remains of Jefferson Davis when bought through Amelia Court House. Placed by the Amelia Chapter of the U.D.C. 1940
9. LEERET_130920_106.JPG: Bi-sesquicentennial time capsule buried by the Amelia County 250th Committee 14 December 1985 to be opened 14 December 2034
10. LEERET_130920_110.JPG: O comrades, wheresoe'er ye rest apart. Amelia shrines you here within her heart. "Father" John B. Tabb
11. LEERET_130920_121.JPG: Amelia Court House Lee's Retreat -- April 4-5, 1865 -- General Lee ordered all columns of his army from the Richmond and Petersburg trenches to rendezvous at this village on the Richmond & Danville Railroad. Here he hoped to obtain rations before continuing the march to North Carolina to join General Joseph Johnston's army. Next Stop Jetersville 7.4 miles
12. LEERET_130920_137.JPG: Jetersville Lee's Retreat -- April 5, 1865 -- Lee found Union cavalry and infantry across his line of retreat at this station on the Richmond and Danville Railroad. Rather than attacking the entrenched Federals, he chose to change direction and begin a night march toward Farmville where rations awaited the army. Next Stop Amelia Springs 3.3 miles
13. LEERET_130920_144.JPG: Amelia Springs Lee's Retreat -- April 6, 1865 -- A portion of the Union army encountered Lee's rearguard as the Southerners completed their night march around Grant's troops. This was also the scene of an April 5 engagement as Union cavalry returned from destroying a Confederate wagon train at Paineville. Next Stop Deatonville 3.3 miles
14. LEERET_130920_152.JPG: Amelia Springs Two Days of Action -- Lee's Retreat -- Union cavalry under Gen. Henry E. Davies, Jr. left Gen. Philip H. Sheridan's column near Jetersville on April 5, 1865, on a reconnaissance mission against the Army of Northern Virginia. Davies swept by here, rode through Paineville, and four Miles further on encountered Gen. G.W. Custis Lee's wagon train, which he attacked and destroyed. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry in turn attacked part of Davies' command at Paineville and pursued it past this place through Amelia Springs. The next day, when the Confederates left Amelia Court House for Farmville, Federal infantry caught up with them here. Gen. John B. Gordon's corps, serving as the rear guard, held off the Union attacks long enough for most of the army and the baggage train to escape west, where disaster awaited the Confederates at Sailor's Creek. Black Confederates When Davies attacked Custis Lee's wagon train near Paineville, he encountered gray-uniformed African-American troops who defended the train before surrendering. Described by a Southern officer as "the only company of colored troops in the Confederate service," the soldiers had been recruited in Richmond after February 1865 and promised their freedom. The Paineville clash is one of the few documented engagements in Virginia involving organized black Confederate troops. They symbolized the desperate straits of the Confederacy, which had officially opposed arming blacks.
15. LEERET_130920_153.JPG: Deatonville Lee's Retreat -- April 6, 1865 -- During this day, the entire Confederate line would march west on the Rice-Deatonville Road toward Farmville. Constantly pressing Lee's rearguard, Union troops would fight a brief action at every turn. These delays would eventually lead to the Battle of Sailor's Creek. Next Stop Holt's Corner 3.5 miles
16. LEERET_130920_167.JPG: W. R. Turner Memorial Trek Erected in memory of W. R. Turner, historian of Blackstone, Virginia, for his work to preserve the historic battlefields and routes of General Robert E. Lee's retreat Centennial Year 1961 Piedmont Area Explorer Scouts B.S.A. Erected by Blackstone Virginia Lions Club
17. LEERET_130920_176.JPG: Holt's Corner Lee's Retreat -- April 6, 1865 -- While passing through this intersection, the Confederate column was attacked by Union cavalry. Consequently, part of Lee's army, and the main wagon train, turned north onto the Jamestown Road while the main portion continued straight ahead to Rice's Depot. Next Stop Hillsman House .9 miles
18. LEERET_130920_185.JPG: Rice's Depot Lee's Retreat -- April 6, 1865 -- Confederate troops began entrenching on the high ground across the road from Burkesville Junction. Upon the approach of the Union army, the forces skirmished briefly until darkness ended the fighting. General Lee headquartered here before his march to Farmville. Next Stop Cavalry Battle at High Bridge 1.9 miles
19. LEERET_130920_190.JPG: Rice's Depot Retreat and Pursuit -- Lee's Retreat -- Gen. James Longstreet's corps, leading the Confederate retreat westward, reached Rice's Depot along the South Side Railroad and entrenched on April 6, 1865, while the Battle of Sailor's Creek raged to the east. Here, Longstreet guarded the road from Burkeville Junction and blocked Union access to High Bridge via the railroad. From here, Gen. Robert E. Lee rode back toward the Sailor's Creek battlefield and learned of the disaster that had befallen his army there. Part of Gen. Edward O.C. Ord's Army of the James, a corps led by Gen. John Gibbon, approached the station early in the afternoon on its way to support a detachment assigned to burn the bridge. Three infantry brigades marched up the railroad in front of you; behind you, Longstreet's divisions awaited the attack. The Federals deployed in battle formation and heavy skirmishing erupted, but Gibbon did not have time before sunset to assault the Confederate position. After dark, assured that the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia had safely passed over High Bridge, Longstreet disengaged and slipped away to Farmville.
20. LEERET_130920_202.JPG: High Bridge One mile north stood the Southside Railroad Bridge, spanning the 75-foot-wide Appomattox River. On 6 April, 1865, nine hundred Union soldiers attempting to burn the 2500-foot-long, 126-foot-high structure were captured by Confederate cavalry. Crossing on 7 April, retreating Confederates burned four spans but failed to destroy the lower wagon bridge thus allowing Union soldiers to cross and attack at Cumberland Church north of Farmville.
21. LEERET_130920_205.JPG: Cavalry Battle at High Bridge Lee's Retreat -- April 6, 1865 -- About 900 Union infantry and cavalry were sent from Burkeville to burn this South Side Railroad trestle over the Appomattox River. Pursued by Confederate cavalry in the engagement which followed nearby, their bridge-burning mission failed and most were captured. Next Stop Farmville 4.8 miles
22. LEERET_130920_208.JPG: High Bridge: Cavalry Battle at High Bridge: Union Opportunity Lost: Just northwest of here, on the afternoon of April 6, 1865, a Union detachment tried and failed to burn High Bridge - where the South Side Railroad crossed the Appomattox River -- and restrict the Confederate retreat to the south side of the river. Gen. Theodore Read, leading the mixed infantry and cavalry group, sent his troopers under Col. Francis Washburn on a course to the bridge. There they drove off a small Confederate guard but turned back when they heard firing behind them. Gens. Thomas L. Rosser's and Thomas T. Munford's cavalry had attacked the Federal infantry, Washburn's command charged into the fray, and in the vicious hand-to-hand fighting Washburn fell mortally wounded while Read was killed outright. Some of the Union infantrymen escaped to High Bridge but surrendered when the Confederate cavalry overwhelmed them. High Bridge: April 7, 1865: As Federal troops arrived from Sailor's Creek, Confederate forces burned four spans of High Bridge but failed to destroy the lower wagon bridge. Union forces were able to cross to the north side of the river and continue pursuit of Lee's army near Cumberland Church.
23. LEERET_130920_217.JPG: Farmville Lee's Retreat -- April 7, 1865 -- The Confederate army marched through this tobacco town, followed by the Union army. Lee hoped to issue rations to his men here before turning south but was forced to flee across the Appomattox River. Grant sent his first dispatch to Lee concerning surrender from here. Next Stop Cumberland Church 2.9 miles
24. LEERET_130920_228.JPG: Farmville: Farmville: Brief Respite: Half-starved and exhausted, the vanguard of the Army of Northern Virginia stumbled into Farmville early on the morning of April 7, 1865. Here, at last, the men found long-promised rations -- everything from bread to soup and ham. While the head of the army feasted, the rear guard, a few miles east, tried and failed to burn both bridges at High Bridge and keep the Union army south of the Appomattox River. With the Federals approaching, the Confederate supply trains rolled west toward Appomattox Station on the South Side Railroad, frustrating most of the soldiers who went unfed. By 1:30, the Confederates had entrenched north of the river at Cumberland Church, and the Union army occupied the town. Here in Farmville that evening, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant wrote a letter to Gen. Robert E. Lee suggesting surrender. "The results of the last week must convince you of the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so, and regard it as m duty to shift from myself the responsibility of an further effusion of blood, by asking of you the surrender of that portion of the C.S. Army known as the Army of Northern Virginia." Lee, who received the letter at Cumberland Church, showed it to Gen. James Longstreet. He handed it back to Lee and said, "Not yet."
Description of Subject Matter: As 1865 began, Ulysses Grant continued to tighten the noose around the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee based around Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia. After the victory at Five Forks, Ulysses Grant ordered a massive assault on the Confederate defenses to the west of Petersburg. This assault began at 4:30am on April 2 1865 and the Confederate line began to unhinge.

Robert E Lee ordered the evacuation of Petersburg while 500 Confederate troops at Fort Gregg fought desperately to give him time to build some new defensive lines to cover his retreat. The men valiantly protected the fort until Union troops found another way in and finally seized it.

Lee's army retreated from Petersburg and Richmond, moving west to try to merge with Joseph Johnston's army in North Carolina. Desperate for food and supplies, they found their way halted by bureaucratic screw-ups and Union cavalry under Philip Sheridan. Various engagements happened throughout, with a major engagement at Little Sailor's Creek on April 6. Lee lost one quarter of his force in that engagement, leading him to ask "My God, has the army been dissolved?" His men continued to fall back, finally being trapped in Appomattox. There on April 9, Lee signed the surrender papers from Grant and the Army of Virginia disappeared.

There are separate entries for the big items along the retreat -- Five Forks, Sailor's Creek, and Appomattox. The "Lee's Retreat" entry covers the lesser items such as:

Sutherland's Station: At the same time, Nelson Miles' division within Andrew Humphrey's II Corps, was ordered to move on Henry Heth's division which was regrouping at Sutherland's Station, sitting along the Southside Railroad. At 3pm, Miles attacked and the Confederates broke. Miles' men captured 1000 prisoners and two cannon. The Fork Inn was one of the landmarks of the fighting at Sutherland's Station.
There was a flag flying here that said "Rebel blood in my veins; Yankee blood in my yard."

--

April 2, 1865:
Union columns converged on Petersburg on April 2. part Mile's force struck north from White Oak Road meeting elements of four Confederate brigades (Cooke, Scales, MacRae, McGowan) attempting to defend the South Side Railroad. The Confedeerates placed their left flank on Ocran Methodist Church, where it was overun by three Union brigades commanded by Miles. The Confederate defenders were scattered and driven northwestward. With this victory, the Federals possessed the South Side Railroad, Gen. Robert E. Lee's last supply line into Petersburg.
The above was from http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va090.htm

April 3 1865:
Description: Rearguard cavalry action. A brigade of Union cavalry under Col. William Well's (Custer's Division) attacked Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry near Namozine Church on April 3. Confederate Gen. Rufus Barringer was captured nearby.
The above was from http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va124.htm

April 5, 1865:
On April 5, Confederate cavalry under Fitzhugh Lee and Rosser assaulted Union cavalry under George Crook as they returned from burning Confederate wagons at Painesville. This running fight started north of Amelia Springs and pushed through and beyond Jetersville.
The above was from http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va091.htm

April 6-7, 1865:
On April 6, the Confederate cavalry fought stubbornly to secure the Appomattox River bridges. Confederate general Dearing was mortally wounded. On April 7, elements of the II Corps came up against Longstreet’s rear guard attempting to fire the High Bridge and wagon bridge. Union forces were able to save the wagon bridge over which the II Corps crossed in pursuit of Lee’s army. Failure to destroy this bridge enabled Union forces to catch up with the Confederates at Farmville.
The above was from http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va095.htm
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