Eastern Theater operations in 1865

The Appomattox Campaign (March 29 – April 9, 1865) was a series of battles fought in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and the effective end of the American Civil War. Image File history File links NPS_CW_at_a_Glance_Eastern_1865. ... Image File history File links NPS_CW_at_a_Glance_Eastern_1865. ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Senators John Warner (R) George Allen (R) Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... Robert Edward Lee, as a U.S. Army Colonel before the war Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a career army officer and the most successful general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ... The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War in the eastern theater. ... The American Civil War (1861 - 1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America – twenty-three mostly northern states of the Union – and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the Union...

Background

Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant had besieged Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia around the city of Petersburg, Virginia, since June, 1864. The two armies spent the winter in an elaborate series of trenches, stretching almost 35 miles, foreshadowing the tactics to be used in World War I. As Grant had inched to the west over the winter, the Confederates extended their lines to compensate, but were stretched too thin, having only about 1,000 men per mile of defensive line. Lee knew that his army could not survive a siege indefinitely and looked for ways to escape his predicament as spring arrived, the rains diminished, and the local road system became passable again. The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ... Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was a Union general in the American Civil War and the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877). ... For other meanings of confederate and confederacy, see confederacy (disambiguation) National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Largest... General is a military rank used by nearly every country in the world. ... Robert Edward Lee, as a U.S. Army Colonel before the war Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a career army officer and the most successful general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ... The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War in the eastern theater. ... Petersburg is an independent city located in Virginia. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ...

The Appomattox campaign was preceded by the unsuccessful Battle of Fort Stedman on March 25, the concluding battle in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. This final attempt to break the siege resulted in heavy Confederate casualties. Lee knew that Grant would soon move against the Confederate supply line, the Southside Railroad, and that would doom his army. Battle of Fort Steadman Conflict American Civil War Date March 25, 1865 Place Petersburg Result Union victory The Battle of Fort Steadman occurred on March 25th, 1865, during the final days of the American Civil War. ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... The Siege of Petersburg (June 15, 1864 – April 2, 1865) was a ten-month long siege of Petersburg, Virginia, during the American Civil War. ...

Lee was by now the commander of all Confederate armies. (For almost three years he had commanded only the northern Virginia forces, despite his fame throughout the Confederacy.) His plan was to extricate himself from the Federal grip at Petersburg, withdraw to the southwest, resupply his starving army at Lynchburg, Virginia, and head south. There, the Army of Northern Virginia might be able to link up with Joseph E. Johnston's forces in North Carolina, defeat the Union army under William T. Sherman that was pursuing Johnston, and then return to strike a combined blow at Grant. In preparation for his breakout, he moved forces to his right flank. Lynchburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was a career U.S. Army officer and one of the most senior generals in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. ... State nickname: Tar Heel State Other U.S. States Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Governor Michael Easley (D) Senators Elizabeth Dole (R) Richard Burr (R) Official languages English Area 139,509 km² (28th)  - Land 126,256 km²  - Water 13,227 km² (9. ... Portrait of William Tecumseh Sherman by Mathew Brady William Tecumseh Sherman (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, and author. ...

Grant, meanwhile, brought additional forces to bear. Philip Sheridan had returned from the Shenandoah Valley. The Army of the James came up to the Petersburg lines, which freed up the corps of Gouverneur K. Warren and Andrew A. Humphreys for offensive action against Lee. Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888), a military man and one of the great generals in the American Civil War. ... Eastern Theater operations in 1864 The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October, 1864. ... The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of unites from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the last opperations of the Civil War in Virginia. ... Gouverneur K. Warren Gouverneur Kemble Warren (8 January 1830 - 8 August 1882) was a civil engineer and prominent officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... Andrew A. Humphreys Andrew Atkinson Humphreys (November 2, 1810 – December 27, 1883), was a career U.S. Army officer, civil engineer, and a Union general in the American Civil War. ...

Battles

The following battles comprise the Appomattox Campaign.

Battle of Lewis's Farm (March 29)

Sheridan's cavalry and Warren's V Corps started the Federal offensive by swinging southwest past Dinwiddie Court House in hopes of enveloping Lee's right flank.

Battle of White Oak Road (March 31)

Lee shifted his forces to counter the Union move around his flank. Warren assaulted Confederate trenches along White Oak Road, but was repulsed temporarily by a counterattack from Bushrod Johnson.

Battle of Dinwiddie Court House (March 31)

Sheridan's cavalry movement to the court house and around Lee's flank was blocked by cavalry under W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee and infantry under George Pickett.

Battle of Five Forks (April 1)

In the decisive battle of this campaign, Warren and Sheridan dislodged Pickett and Rooney Lee from a critical crossroads that protected their supply lines. Over 4,500 Confederate soldiers surrendered. Lee advised the Confederate government the next morning to abandon the cities of Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia. His plan at this point was to move his forces from the two cities to cross the Appomattox River and meet up at Amelia Court House, where they could be resupplied at the Richmond & Danville Railroad from stocks evacuated from Richmond. They would then proceed to Danville, the destination of the fleeing Confederate government, and then south to meet Johnston.

Third Battle of Petersburg (April 2)

Back at the entrenchments around Petersburg, George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac launched a four-corps assault on the remaining Confederate lines, which managed to hang on by a thread. Confederate corps commander Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill was killed in this battle.

Battle of Sutherland's Station (April 2)

The Union finally seized the Southside Railroad, cutting off Lee's supplies. On this date, James Longstreet's corps crossed the James River to reinforce Petersburg. The city of Richmond was evacuated that night and the Confederate government fled. Richard S. Ewell, in charge of the city's defenses, was ordered to destroy anything of military value. Civilians rioted and great conflagrations engulfed the city.

Battle of Namozine Church (April 3)

A minor cavalry skirmish occurred. Lee reached Amelia Court House on April 4 and found that the expected rations had not arrived; they had not been placed on the trains escaping Richmond and those in supply wagon trains had been captured by Union cavalry. With 30,000 hungry men to feed, Lee chose to remain in the area for the rest of the day, sending out foraging parties, most of which came up with few provisions. This was a tactical error on Lee's part (although an understandable one) because it allowed Union cavalry time to erase Lee's headstart in his retreat.

Battle of Amelia Springs (April 5)

Another minor cavalry skirmish. Also on the 5th, Lee discovered that his route to Danville was blocked by fast-moving Union cavalry. His only remaining option was to move west on a long march, without food, to Lynchburg. But the Confederate Commissary General promised Lee that he would send 80,000 rations to Farmville, 25 miles to the west.

Battle of Sayler's Creek (April 6)

Nearly a quarter of the Confederate army (about 8,000 men, the heart of two corps) was cut off and forced to surrender by Sheridan, Humphreys, and Charles W. Griffin (replacing Warren, who was relieved by Sheridan after Five Forks). Many of the Confederate supply trains were also captured.

Battle of Rice's Station (April 6)

A skirmish that occurred as Longstreet's corps arrived from Petersburg. His corps crossed the High Bridge across the Appomattox River.

Battle of Cumberland Church (April 7)

The Union II Corps (Humphreys) struck at the Confederate rear, but was held at bay.

Battle of High Bridge (April 6–7)

After the bulk of Lee's remaining army crossed the Appomattox River, Longstreet's rear guard burned the bridges behind them. The Union II Corps managed to extinguish the blazes on two of the bridges, crossed the river, and caught up with the Confederates at Farmville. The cavalry of Fitzhugh Lee was able to hold off the Union infantry until nightfall, but Lee was forced to continue his march to the west under this pressure, depriving his men the opportunity to eat the Farmville rations they had waited so long to receive. Their next stop would be Appomattox Station, 25 miles west, where a ration train was waiting. On the night of April 7, Lee received from Grant a letter proposing that the Army of Northern Virginia should surrender. Lee demurred, retaining one last hope that his army could get to Appomattox Station before he was trapped. He returned a noncommittal letter asking about the surrender terms "Unconditional Surrender" Grant might propose.

Battle of Appomattox Station (April 8)

The cavalry division of George A. Custer seized a supply train and 25 guns, effectively blocking Lee's path. Grant sent a letter to Lee offering generous surrender terms, as urged by Abraham Lincoln, and proposing a meeting to discuss them.

Battle of Appomattox Court House (April 9)

In Lee's final stand, John B. Gordon's depleted corps attempted to break the Union lines and reach the supplies in Lynchburg. They pushed back Sheridan's cavalry briefly, but found themselves faced with the full Union V Corps. They were surrounded on three sides and Lee surrendered his army. (The article on this battle includes details on the surrender negotiations and ceremony.)

Battle of Lewiss Farm Conflict American Civil War Date March 29, 1865 Place Dinwiddie County Result Union victory The Battle of Lewiss Farm (also known as Quaker Road, Military Road, or Gravelly Road) was a one-day battle of the American Civil War in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... The V Corps (Fifth Corps) was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. ... Battle of White Oak Road Conflict American Civil War Date March 31, 1865 Place Dinwiddie County Result Union victory The Battle of White Oak Road set the stage for the Confederate defeat at the Battle of Five Forks the following day. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining, as the final day of March. ... Bushrod Johnson Bushrod Rust Johnson (October 7, 1817 – September 12, 1880) was a teacher, university chancellor, and Confederate general in the American Civil War. ... Battle of Dinwiddie Court House Conflict American Civil War Date March 31, 1865 Place Dinwiddie County Result Confederate victory On March 29, with the Cavalry Corps and the II and V Corps, Sheridan undertook a flank march to turn Gen. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining, as the final day of March. ... William Henry Fitzhugh Rooney Lee William Henry Fitzhugh Lee (May 31, 1837 – October 11, 1891), known as Rooney Lee, was the son of Robert E. Lee. ... Portrait of George E. Pickett George Edward Pickett (January 25, 1825 – July 30, 1875) was a major-general in the army of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. ... Battle of Five Forks Conflict American Civil War Date April 1, 1865 Place Dinwiddie County Result Union victory The Battle of Five Forks, April 1, 1865, was the final Union offensive in the American Civil War. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... This article is about the city in Virginia. ... Danville is an independent city located in Virginia, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. ... Breakthrough at Petersburg Conflict American Civil War Date April 2, 1865 Place Petersburg, Virginia Result Decisive Union victory The third Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Breakthrough at Petersburg or the Fall of Petersburg, was a decisive Union assault on the Confederate trenches, ending the the ten-month Siege... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 - November 6, 1872) was an American military officer during the American Civil War. ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... A corps (a word that immigrated from the French language, pronounced like English core, but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body; plural same as singular) is either a large military unit or formation, a administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery... Ambrose Powell Hill (November 9, 1825 _ April 2, 1865), was a Confederate States of America general in the American Civil War. ... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821 – January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War, and later enjoyed a successful post-war career working for the government of his former enemies, as a diplomat and administrator. ... The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is 547. ... Richard Stoddert Ewell (February 8, 1817 - January 25, 1872) was a Confederate military officer during the American Civil War. ... The Battle of Namozine Church was a minor engagement on April 3, 1865, in Amelia County, Virginia during the American Civil Wars Appomattox Campaign. ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... Farmville is a town located in Virginia. ... Battle of Saylers Creek Conflict American Civil War Date April 6, 1865 Place Amelia, Prince Edward & Nottoway Counties, Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Saylers Creek (also known as Sailors Creek, Hillsman Farm, or Lockett Farm) was fought April 6, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... The Appomattox River is a tributary of the United States. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps (Second Corps) during the American Civil War. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Fitzhugh Lee in the Civil War Fitzhugh Lee (November 19, 1835 – April 18, 1905), nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, governor of Virginia, diplomat, and U.S. Army general in the Spanish-American War. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 - June 25, 1876) was an American cavalry commander in the Civil War and the Indian Wars who is best remembered for his defeat and death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn against a coalition of Native American tribes, led by... Battle of Appomattox Courthouse Conflict American Civil War Date April 9, 1865 Place Appomattox Court House, Virginia Result Union victory; surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse was the final engagement of Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia before surrendering to Ulysses S... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... John Brown Gordon John Brown Gordon ( February 6, 1832 – January 9, 1904) served as one of Robert E. Lees most trusted generals during the Civil War. ... The V Corps (Fifth Corps) was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. ...

Aftermath

The Appomattox campaign was an example of masterful, relentless pursuit and maneuver by Grant and Sheridan, skills that had been in short supply by previous generals, such as Meade after Gettysburg and George B. McClellan after Antietam. Lee did the best he could under the circumstances, but his supplies, soldiers, and luck finally ran out. The surrender of Lee represented the loss of only one of the Confederate field armies, but it was a psychological blow from which the South would not recover. All of the remaining armies would capitulate by June, 1865. The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the largest battle ever fought in North America, and is generally considered to be the turning point of the American Civil War. ... George McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was a Major General of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... The Battle of Antietam (known as the Battle of Sharpsburg in the South), fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. ...

Classifying the campaigns

Military historians do not agree on precise boundaries between the campaigns of this era. This article uses the classification maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. (One may suspect that all of the myriad of minor engagements listed here are elevated to the status of "battles" so that many of the geographic features listed get attention and historical markers.) The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ...

An alternative classification is maintained by West Point; in their Atlas of American Wars (Esposito, 1959), the period of March 29–31, including Five Forks, is considered to be in the end of "The Siege of Petersburg, II" (which started in October, 1864). The remainder of the war in Virginia is classified as "Pursuit to Appomattox Court House — The Defeat of Lee (3–9 April, 1865)". Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining, as the final day of March. ...

External links

• National Park Service list of campaigns
• Online maps from the West Point Atlas of American Wars