As Generals Humphreys and Wright followed Gordon and Longstreet north of the Appomattox River, the Federals south of the river were racing westward to cut off Lee’s line of retreat. Sheridan’s cavalry was in the lead followed by infantry under Major General Edward Ord (Army of the James) and Major General Charles Griffin (V Corps). General George Crook’s cavalry division rode 8 miles on the 7th from Farmville to Prospect Station on the South Side Railroad before going into camp after midnight on the 8th. The rest of the cavalry were 4 miles to the southeast at Spring and Buffalo Creeks (1st Division- Brigadier General Thomas Devin, 3rd Division- Major General George Armstrong Custer, and Brigadier General Ranald Mackenzie- Army of the James, Devin and Custer were commanded by Major General Wesley Merritt- Army of the Shenandoah cavalry). Crook’s men were on the road by 8-9 AM and ordered to travel along the railroad with Mackenzie to follow him toward Pamplin’s Depot (on the road at 4:00 AM). Custer and Devin arrived at Prospect Station shortly after Crook and Mackenzie passed through. They followed their route for about three miles before heading northwest toward Walker’s Presbyterian Church (6715 Hixburg Road) on modern-day route 627, see maps below.
It was as the men were leaving Prospect Station that Sheridan received a visit at his headquarters from one of his scouts, Sergeant James White, who had intercepted a message from General Lee. Lee had ordered trains sent to Appomattox Station from Danville and Lynchburg to resupply his army. White found the trains making their way slowly east in search of the Army of Northern Virginia and persuaded them to proceed to Appomattox Station where they now were. Sheridan had the key piece of information he needed to destroy Lee’s supplies and cut off his route west. Colonel Samuel Young’s 2nd Brigade was at the head of Crook’s column as they arrived at Pamplin Station at noon. Sheridan and Merritt reached Walker’s Church and it was from here that he sent a message to Crook urging him to press along to Appomattox Station and capture the trains if he arrived there first. Sheridan crossed Sawney’s Creek and continued two miles further west of where the road forked. The Federals took the left fork (modern day Route 633) southwest toward Evergreen Station on the South Side Railroad, only six miles from Appomattox Station. The infantry was following with General John Turner’s Independent Division and Robert Foster’s 1st Division of the XXIV Corps leading Ord’s Army of the James headed toward Prospect Station from Farmville. Griffin’s V Corps marched toward the same destination from Hampton-Sydney College. From there the Army of the James would follow Merritt’s route with Griffin behind them. Ord rode all along the column urging his men forward as quickly as possible, by 8 PM Griffin would be at Walker’s Church.
At the head of Sheridan’s cavalry was Colonel Pennington’s Brigade led by the 2nd NY Harris Light Cavalry (Custer’s division). They struck the South Side Railroad near Evergreen Station and headed toward Appomattox Station riding along the rail line then up Red Fields Road. As Custer was riding past the Red Fields house about a mile from the station, at the urging of members of the Abbitt family, he prevented his men from ransacking the house. Accounts vary but he did accost the looters and place a guard there. He subsequently used the home as his headquarters. As the 2nd NY Harris Light Cavalry approached the station they found three trains. A fourth, hearing of the approaching cavalry, had already left the station. The trains were easily captured by a few men from company K. The only Confederates nearby were a few engineers under Colonel TMR Talcott. Pennington’s men captured 51 cars containing 300,000 rations, clothing, ordnance and medical supplies.
General Reuben Walker’s artillery and wagon trains were at the head of Lee’s army. By 10:00 AM on the 8th they were at Appomattox Court House. They continued another 2 miles west and parked between 2-3 PM. Thinking that there were no Federals in the area Walker did not place pickets. They were supported only by 500 cavalry from Brigadier General Martin Gary’s brigade. Gordon’s Corps, behind them, was by 3:00 PM a mile east of Appomattox Court House (3 miles away). The alarm rang out from Walker’s camp around 4:00 PM that Yankee cavalrymen were riding up the hill toward them from the station. Walker placed his cavalry on both flanks and set his approximately 100 guns in a circle on a slight ridge pointing toward the station about a mile away. Artillerymen with muskets acted as skirmishers. The field in front of them was heavily wooded with trees and brush with a few small dirt wagon roads. Colonel Pennington, leading Custer’s 1st Brigade attacked and were repelled by canister. Colonel Henry Capehart’s 3rd Brigade followed but they too were scattered by Walker’s guns. Between 8:00 and 9:00 PM Custer attacked simultaneously with all three of his brigades overwhelming the camp, shown in the maps below.
They captured 24-30 cannons, 150-200 wagons and nearly 1,000 men (including General Young Moody). The remaining guns fled in three directions: west toward Lynchburg; north toward Red Oak Church in Oakville; while very few headed east toward Appomattox Court House.
The battlefield
Lee’s path west was cut off, and the rest of the Sheridan’s cavalry would soon arrive. Custer sent a contingent of the 15th NY under Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Root east toward the Court House to determine the location of the Confederates. At the eastern end of the village, they encountered Rebel pickets and Lieutenant Colonel Root was killed. Lee at his headquarters a mile to the east of the Court House had heard the cannons and now knew the Federals were in front of him. What he did not know was the size and make up of their force. Lee held a council of war that evening with Generals Longstreet, Gordon and Fitzhugh Lee. If it was only cavalry they would attempt a breakthrough in the morning. If Federal infantry were there in force they would be faced with surrender. Gordon and Fitzhugh Lee would attempt the breakthrough. They would form a battleline west of the village and attempt to push aside the Union cavalry. With Gordon protecting the Stage Road the rest of the army would continue west.
That evening Sheridan sent General Charles Smith’s brigade (1st ME, 2nd NY Mounted Rifles, 6th and 13th OH and two guns from Lord’s 2nd US Artillery) to occupy a commanding ridge just west of the village and the intersection of the Oakville Road and the Stage Road. Devin and Custer’s divisions would be in reserve near Appomattox Station. Sheridan would have to delay the advance of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia until Ord and Griffin’s infantry arrived. By nightfall on the 8th the Federal infantry had marched 30 miles. They marched on until midnight and after resting for a few hours continued on. The end was now in sight, if Sheridan could just hold on until they arrived, the war, at least in Virginia, would be over.
The battle is interpreted in the town of Appomattox.
The Train Depot
The Battle of Appomattox Station Park
The signs that were previously in the field on a walking trail are now behind glass in this kiosk.
