Sayler's Creek to Appomattox, Virginia
April 6-9, 1865
After abandoning Petersburg (and the defense of Richmond), Lee's army was reduced to 35,000 men. Lee hoped to retreat down to Danville, at the North Carolina line, and eventually hook up with Johnston's 20,000 men. Together they might get by Sherman, who was closing fast, and head further south. On April 5, Phil Sheridan’s cavalry and three infantry corps severed the Danville railroad and cut off Lee's escape. The last battle between the Army of the Potomac and Lee's Army of Northern Virginia took place on April 6 at Sayler's Creek (aka Sailor's Creek), below the Appomattox River near Farmville (see map). With Sheridan's cavalry and the infantry of Ord and Griffith to the northeast, and the infantry of Humphreys and Wright to the south, the Federals cut off and killed, wounded or captured over 7,000 Confederates. "My God! Has the army been dissolved?" Lee exclaimed. The fighting went on, intermittently, but Lee was correct; his army was in shreds. On April 7, Grant sent Lee a note asking for his surrender, but Lee was not quite ready to accept the inevitable defeat of his army. Lee determined to make one last attempt to escape Grant's closing pincers and reach his supplies at Lynchburg. Early on April 9, the remnants of John B. Gordon’s corps and Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry formed a line of battle at Appomattox Court House, and at dawn the Confederates advanced, momentarily gaining ground against Sheridan's cavalry. The arrival of Union infantry, however, stopped the advance in its tracks. Lee’s army was now surrounded on three sides and outnumbered at least five to one. Lee immediately sent word to Grant that he was ready to surrender. The end came in the living room of a house owned by Wilmer McLean. (Ironically, McLean had lived near Manassas, where his house served as a Confederate headquarters until a Union artillery shell destroyed his dining room. He moved to Appomattox to escape the fighting.) Lee arrived in full-dress uniform with sash and ceremonial sword; Grant wore his usual private's uniform with Lt. General's stars on the shoulders. After some small talk about their service in the Mexican War, Grant wrote out his terms. Officers and men, upon turning in everything--their weapons, flags, wagons, horses--would be free to go home. They were "not to be disturbed by the United States authorities so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they may reside." Lee commented that many of his men had their own horses--not government issue--and he asked if Grant might consider amending his terms. Grant politely declined to make an official revision but he promised that Confederates who claimed to own their horses would be allowed to keep them. After the signing, Grant and his officers saluted Lee as he majestically rode off into history. In Grant's usual low key and business-like manner, he then ordered his men to cease their celebratory shooting and get busy sending wagonloads of hardtack and bacon to the Confederate camp.
© 2004 David C. Hanson, Virginia Western Community College
