Appomattox Campaign 1865: Petersburg to Lee's Surrender

On 1 April 1865 the Battle of Five Forks was fought southwest of Petersburg, around the road junction of Five Forks. Seizing it was the key to control of the South Side Railroad, a vital supply line and evacuation route. Before the fight, Confederate General Rosser had brought a large catch of shad on ice from the Nottoway River.

Location precision: The pin marks the Five Forks Battlefield; the exact ground is wider than one point.

On 2 April 1865 Union forces attacked south and southwest of Petersburg, at the end of the 292-day Richmond–Petersburg Campaign. After about 30 minutes of heavy fighting the Confederate lines were broken, and Wright's VI Corps had made a decisive breakthrough. Desperate Confederate defenders held off the Union long enough for government officials and most of the remaining army to get away. Petersburg National Battlefield preserves part of the ground today.

Location precision: The fighting ran along many miles of lines; the pin marks Petersburg National Battlefield.

On Evacuation Sunday, 2 April, President Davis, his Cabinet and the Confederate defenders abandoned Richmond, fleeing south on the last open railroad line, the Richmond and Danville. Fire spread through the city, reaching the very edge of Capitol Square mostly unchecked. The Virginia State Capitol had served as the Capitol of the Confederacy during the war. Soon after, President Lincoln visited the former White House of the Confederacy and the Capitol.

Visitor guidance: The Virginia State Capitol is in Capitol Square in downtown Richmond.

On 6 April 1865 Lee's Army of Northern Virginia fought its last major engagement against the Union army at Sailor's Creek. Two small bridges over Sailor's Creek and Little Sailor's Creek caused a bottleneck that further delayed the Confederates' attempt to escape. Part of the battlefield now makes up Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park.

Location precision: The fighting covered several farms along the creek; the pin marks the state park.

Visitor guidance: Part of the battlefield is Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park.

Confederate troops who escaped from the defeat at Sailor's Creek crossed the High Bridge to the north side of the river. As the bridge burned, Union soldiers charged the burning structure and saved a large section of the railroad bridge. The High Bridge, more than 2,500 feet long and 130 feet above the Appomattox River, is now part of a state park.

Location precision: The pin marks the High Bridge Trail State Park; the fighting took place on the approaches to the bridge.

Visitor guidance: The bridge is part of High Bridge Trail State Park, which has a 31-mile trail.

On 8 April 1865 Sheridan made a long ride of about 30 miles to capture Confederate supply trains waiting at Appomattox Station, in present-day Appomattox, Virginia. Three of the trains were captured by four men of Company K, 2nd New York Cavalry Regiment.

Location precision: The pin marks present-day Appomattox, Virginia; the exact station site is not pinned.

On 9 April 1865 Lee surrendered to Grant in the parlor of Wilmer McLean's house at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the Civil War. McLean is supposed to have said, "The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor." Grant allowed the defeated men to take home their horses and mules for the spring planting, and provided food rations for Lee's starving army. The McLean House in the national historical park today is a reconstruction.

Location precision: The original house was dismantled; the pin marks the national park, where the McLean House has been reconstructed.

Visitor guidance: The national historical park preserves original buildings and reconstructions, including the McLean House.