Battle of Sailor’s Creek

Shortly, the opposite high ground was swarming with Federals from the VI Corps who were quickly arriving on the scene. General Wright immediately set about placing his artillery, which began firing on the Confederate line. Ewell, lacking any artillery, could not reply in kind, and his men hugged the ground to escape the flying shrapnel. It was then about quarter past 5 in the evening.

Simultaneously, Sheridan’s subordinate, Maj. Gen. Wesley Merritt, was preparing the three cavalry divisions for an assault on Anderson. Brigadier Generals Custer and Thomas Devin and Maj. Gen. George Crook commanded those horsemen. Anderson’s men, a mile to the south of Ewell’s, readied themselves by building breastworks out of fence rails as they dug in along the road. They did have artillery and soon put it to use against the mounted troopers.

After a half-hour bombardment, Wright’s men (two divisions under Brig. Gens. Truman Seymour and Frank Wheaton) formed their battle line and advanced to the creek. Because of spring rains, Little Sailor’s Creek was out of its banks and ran from 2 to 4 feet deep. The men crossed the stream with great difficulty, re-formed their line, and began the assault upon the Confederate line. When the Federals were within easy range, Ewell’s men rose and fired a volley, causing the blue line’s center to break and fall back.

The 2nd Rhode Island’s Lieutenant George Peck, who was’seeing the elephant’ for the first time, wrote that after crossing the creek: ‘We were at the foot of a moderately steep, turf-covered declivity over whose summit the foliage of dense trees was visible….At the word `FORWARD!’ the men sprang to their feet, fired into the woods, and with a cheer dashed forward on the run. Gaining a few rods, they fell, loaded (officers meanwhile simply stooping), rose again, fired, and made a second dash….With the third dash came the words: `Now close on them — Go for them!”

The Confederates, however, held firm. Colonel Stapelton Crutchfield’s Department of Richmond Artillery Brigade — gunners serving as infantrymen — were deployed near the center of Custis Lee’s section of the line. Led by Crutchfield, a Virginia Military Institute graduate who had lost a leg at Chancellorsville, the brigade counterattacked, driving the Federals back across Sailor’s Creek. The Rebels soon were forced back with great loss; Crutchfield was among the mortally wounded.

Regrouping, the Federals once again charged Ewell’s line, this time overwhelming it on both flanks. Ewell later recalled: ‘On riding past my left I came suddenly upon a strong line of the enemy’s skirmishers advancing upon my left rear. This closed the only avenue of escape, as shells and even bullets were crossing each other from front and rear over my troops, and my right was completely enveloped.’ The general surrendered himself and his staff to a cavalry officer, who then had a note from Ewell forwarded to Custis Lee, informing him that he was cut off and suggesting that to prevent further loss of life he should surrender. In all, the Federal attack had bagged six Confederate generals and more than 3,000 men.

Farther to the south, meanwhile, Merritt’s cavalry prepared for their mounted attack against Anderson’s Confederates. Some of the Union troopers, having previously worn out their usual mounts during the campaign, had acquired mules to ride in their stead. One rider remembered: ‘It took my mule just about four jumps to show he would outclass all others. He laid back his ears and frisked over [the] logs and flattened out like a jackrabbit….He switched his tail and sailed right over among the rebs, landing near a rebel color-bearer of the 12th Virginia Infantry…a big brawny chap and he put up a game fight, but that mule had some new side and posterior uppercuts that put the reb out of the game.’

The Federal cavalry smelled blood and rode into the midst of the Rebels, increasing the havoc. Infantryman David Johnson of the 7th Virginia of Pickett’s division remembered the horror: ‘We were behind…rails, close to the ground. The enemy, armed with repeating rifles, when within seventy-five yards or so open upon us. Every man who raised his head above the rails gave his life for the venture….In a moment began an indiscriminate fight with clubbed muskets, flagstaffs pistols and sabers. In a few moments all was over. We had met the enemy and we were theirs. This final struggle was most tragic. We were now marched out and surrounded by a cordon of cavalry.’

Soon other Union cavalrymen had likewise overcome the Southerners’ stubborn resistance and captured two more generals, although many of Anderson’s men managed to escape through the woods. As the refugees fled the battlefield and headed west toward Rice’s Depot, they had to scramble through the valley of Big Sailor’s Creek. General Lee had ridden to a knoll overlooking the creek and seeing this disorganized mob, exclaimed: ‘My God! Has the army been dissolved?’

The third clash in what is collectively known as the Battle of Sailor’s Creek occurred about two miles north of the Wright-Ewell and Merritt-Anderson fights, at Lockett’s farm. When the wagon train Gordon had followed became bogged down at the double bridge crossing over the confluence of Big and Little Sailor’s creeks, his men were forced to protect the lumbering wagons and their valuable cargo. Deploying on the high ground around Lockett’s, the Confederates awaited the attack of Humphreys’ II Corps, which came just before dusk. The fighting became intense as the battle lines neared each other.

A Northern infantryman recalled: ‘We advanced to a White House [Lockett's farmhouse] on Sayler’s Creek, where we had an engagement and I found some protection behind the house. I called Sergt. Percival’s attention to what I thought a better position near the hen coop, fifteen feet distance, but he ordered me to remain where I was. I thought I could get better aim from the other position. I had been hit just before reaching the house and wounded slightly. We had notified the occupants of the house to adjourn to the cellar; bullets came pattering against it.’

With the sound of fighting echoing from the south, the Federal infantry gradually pushed the Southerners back into the low ground along the creek. Using the wagons as barricades, Gordon’s men fought desperately.

Only when a Federal flanking column was seen crossing farther to the north at Perkinson’s sawmill did the Confederates retreat up the opposite slope. Humphreys’ men bagged more than 200 wagons and 1,700 prisoners by the time nightfall brought an end to the fighting.

It was once again a night march for veterans of the Army of Northern Virginia. The remainder of Gordon’s corps trudged on to the High Bridge, crossing the Appomattox on their way down the railroad to Farmville. Those remnants who had escaped disaster at the other two fights were placed under the command of Maj. Gen. William Mahone, who likewise crossed on the gigantic railroad bridge.

Lee followed Longstreet’s troops and Fitz Lee’s cavalry along the road running south of the river into the town. Arriving there in the early morning hours of the 7th, they found several trainloads of supplies, including more than 80,000 rations of meat and 40,000 of bread.

Not long after his men began preparing their meals, the popping of carbine fire was heard to the east. The Confederates closed up the boxcars and sent the trains westward down the rail line. About six miles southeast of Farmville, the South Side Railroad crossed to the north bank of the Appomattox over the High Bridge, then curved to the southwest, recrossing the Appomattox on the outskirts of Farmville. From there it ran westward, staying south of the river to Lynchburg. Next to each railroad bridge a wagon bridge spanned the Appomattox.

Lee figured that if he could get his men on the north side of the Appomattox and then burn all four bridges behind them, the pursuing Federal forces would be stalled while they waited for their pontoon bridges to arrive. That way, he could put some distance between the armies.

By 1:30 p.m., the Federals had gained control of Farmville, as Lee’s army retreated to the north side of the Appomattox. While Crook’s cavalry division poured into the town from the eastern heights, the last of Lee’s troops crossed the wagon and railroad bridges, both of which were torched.

To the southwest, the High Bridge railroad span had been burned, but Federals captured the adjacent wagon bridge intact. The II Corps crossed and continued its pursuit. To counter that threat, Mahone’s troops marched to high ground around Cumberland Church, about five miles northwest of High Bridge and four north of Farmville, and began entrenching to cover the route of retreat Lee’s column would take.

At about 2 p.m., lead elements of Humphreys’ corps arrived on the scene and came in contact with Mahone’s Division. Federal skirmishers captured a few Confederate cannons, although Southern infantrymen quickly recaptured them. Humphreys then set about maneuvering his divisions into place.

Union Brig. Gen. Nelson Miles marched his division to the right in preparation for attacking and turning the exposed Confederate flank. Miles then sent one brigade, Colonel George Scott’s, charging across a rolling terrain broken by numerous ravines, managing to get around and in the rear of Mahone’s flank. Mahone quickly brought up reinforcements, probably from Brig. Gen. George T. ‘Tige’ Anderson’s Brigade, which cut off and scattered the group. Nightfall brought an end to the fighting.

Back in Farmville, the town was brimming with Federal troops, but few were across to the north side of the river. In fact, only one division of cavalry, General Crook’s, was able to ford the river and menace Lee’s troops that afternoon. The leading Union brigade, Brig. Gen. J. Irwin Gregg’s, attacked the retreating Southern wagon train at about 4 p.m. Nearby Southern horsemen countered and sent the blue troopers scurrying back to Farmville, minus Gregg, who was captured. Until a pontoon bridge could be built at Farmville, the Federals had to either cross the wreckage of the burned bridges or ford the river. Eventually, General Ord lent his Army of the James pontoon bridge to the VI Corps, while Ord and his troops stayed south of the river in the town.

With nightfall ending the fighting at Cumberland Church, Lee realized that once again he must ask his men to make a night march to elude the Federals. Under the cover of darkness, his two columns continued toward New Store, Appomattox Court House and then Appomattox Station. Before leaving the area, the commanding general received a note through the lines from General Grant, now in Farmville. In it, Grant brought up the possibility of surrender for the Confederate army. Looking it over, Lee handed it to General Longstreet, who read it and replied, ‘Not yet.’

That last act would eventually come on April 9, when Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox Court House. The fighting at Little Sailor’s Creek had shattered his force beyond repair. The loss of six generals and thousands of soldiers taken prisoner was an obstacle even that great general could not overcome. In the postwar years, when Army of Northern Virginia veterans gathered to talk and reminisce, if an emotion-choked speaker began to reminisce about a horrible Thursday in April, the aging soldiers all knew he was referring to that terrible day in 1865 when their army began to fall apart on the heights above Little Sailor’s Creek.

This article was written by Chris M. Calkins and originally published in the January 2006 issue of Civil War Times Magazine.

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