The eight days that ended the Civil War

Lee’s Final Retreat to Appomattox Surrender

The McLean House parlor at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is where the Civil War officially ended on April 9, 1865.

This peaceful Virginia countryside was the final stop in one of the most dramatic chases in American military history.

Just eight days earlier, Lee had fled Richmond with nearly 60,000 Confederate soldiers, hoping to escape Grant’s pursuing army and continue the fight.

But those eight desperate days would seal the fate of the Confederacy and end America’s bloodiest war.

Here’s how Lee’s final campaign unfolded and why it all came down to this small courthouse town.

Grant’s Army Broke Through Petersburg’s Defenses

On April 2, 1865, Union forces under General Grant finally broke through Confederate lines at Petersburg after a brutal ten-month siege.

The fighting was fierce, with Confederates losing about 5,000 men, mostly captured, while Union forces lost nearly 4,000.

Confederate General A.P. Hill died trying to reach his troops. By 10 am, Lee told Jefferson Davis that Richmond and Petersburg couldn’t be defended anymore.

As night fell, Lee ordered his remaining troops to slip away in the darkness, leaving both cities as Confederate officials fled south.

Robert Lee’s Troops Left Richmond at Night

When darkness came on April 2, Lee’s army of about 55,000 men quietly left the trenches they had defended for ten months.

They used planned routes, with troops from Richmond, Bermuda Hundred, and Petersburg all heading toward Amelia Court House about 40 miles west.

Lee wanted to join forces with General Joseph Johnston’s Army of Tennessee in North Carolina. Meanwhile, Richmond fell into chaos.

As government workers burned papers and ran, the Confederates left the capital open for Union troops who arrived on April 3 to find the city burning.

Empty Supply Trains Greeted Lee’s Hungry Army

Lee reached Amelia Court House on April 4, expecting to find food for his starving troops. Instead, he found only ammunition, artillery gear, and government papers.

No food at all. Lee sent wagons into the countryside asking local farmers for help, but they came back almost empty.

Years of war had stripped the area bare.

Lee faced a tough choice: move on without food or wait for stragglers and look for supplies. He chose to wait, letting his scattered forces gather.

One Day’s Delay Trapped the Confederates

The 24-hour stop at Amelia Court House gave Grant’s chasing army the chance they needed. While Lee’s men searched for food, Union forces moved in fast.

By April 4, General Custer’s cavalry reached Jetersville, just 8 miles from Lee’s position.

Even worse for the Confederates, General Crook’s cavalry took Burkeville Junction by 3 p.m., cutting off Lee’s planned escape route along the railroad.

Union troops moved very quickly, some covering 30 miles in one day. The trap closed around Lee’s hungry, tired men who found almost no food.

Union Cavalry Blocked the Path to Safety

At 1:00 p.m. on April 5, Lee finally got his army moving toward Jetersville along the railroad. His hopes sank when scouts reported gunfire ahead.

Sheridan’s fast cavalry had beaten him there. The Union V Corps had already dug trenches across the railroad tracks.

Lee found his southern escape route completely blocked.

His army, spread out over miles of road and weak from hunger, couldn’t attack the dug-in Union position. As evening came, Lee knew he had missed his chance.

The Confederates needed to find another way out.

Starving Soldiers Walked Through the Night

With his path south blocked, Lee ordered his army to turn back and then head west toward Farmville, 23 miles away.

There, Confederate supply chief Isaac St.John had stored food along the South Side Railroad. Lee knew his men needed food badly, as many hadn’t eaten in days.

He ordered night marches, pushing his tired troops to their limits. The land worked against them, with many creeks and high banks slowing their wagon trains.

Meanwhile, Union forces kept up, sometimes moving beside the Confederates, sometimes getting ahead of them.

Gaps in the Retreat Line Proved Fatal

On April 6, disaster struck.

As Lee’s army stretched out along miles of road, gaps opened between Longstreet’s troops at the front and the units under Anderson, Ewell, and Gordon following behind.

Union cavalry under Sheridan spotted these gaps and attacked, hitting the Confederates with quick raids.

Around 2:00 p.m., General Custer’s cavalry trapped Anderson’s corps near Marshall’s Crossroads west of Sailor’s Creek.

More problems came when Confederate wagons got stuck trying to cross two small bridges. This forced Ewell and Gordon to go north at Holt’s Cross Roads.

Three Battles Tore the Confederate Army Apart

The afternoon of April 6 became a nightmare for Lee’s forces.

Three separate battles broke out along Sailor’s Creek as Union forces caught the split Confederate columns.

Between 5:00 and 6:30 p.m., Wesley Merritt’s cavalry smashed into Anderson’s corps, capturing 2,600 men.

At the same time, Horatio Wright’s 6th Corps attacked Ewell’s position from across the rain-swollen creek, taking another 3,400 prisoners including Lee’s son, Custis.

Nearby, the Union 2nd Corps caught Gordon’s rear guard, capturing 1,700 more Confederates and 300 wagons.

By nightfall, Lee had lost nearly 7,700 men, including eight generals.

Lee Watched His Army Fall Apart Before His Eyes

As the disaster unfolded, Lee rode toward the sound of battle.

From a hill overlooking Sailor’s Creek, he watched in horror as his beaten soldiers ran toward him in chaos.

The sight made him say: “My God! Has the army been dissolved?”

General William Mahone, whose division stayed intact, tried to comfort him: “No, General, here are troops ready to do their duty.”

Lee pulled himself together and answered, “Yes, there are still some true men left. ”

That night, he wrote to President Jefferson Davis honestly: “a few more Sailor’s Creeks and it will all be over.”

Federal Troops Cut Off All Escape Routes

The next two days brought more trouble. On April 7, Union troops took Farmville before many Confederates could get the food stored there.

Lee’s army pushed on, hoping to reach Appomattox Station where supply trains waited.

But on April 8, scouts brought bad news: Sheridan’s cavalry had reached Appomattox Court House first and blocked the way west.

Lee’s generals thought they could still break through.

At dawn on April 9, Gordon’s troops launched a last attack and at first pushed back Sheridan’s dismounted cavalrymen.

Their hope vanished when they saw two full Union infantry corps ready for battle.

The Long Retreat Ended With Surrender

Gordon’s men stared in shock at the huge Union force blocking their path. Behind them, more Federal troops closed in.

Lee had no options left. His army, down to about 28,000 men, had no food, no supplies, and nowhere to go.

Soldiers began leaving by the hour as they saw the cause was lost. Some officers suggested hiding in the mountains to fight as guerrillas, but Lee said no.

On April 9, Palm Sunday, he sent a message to Grant asking to meet.

That afternoon at Wilmer McLean’s house in Appomattox Court House, Lee surrendered what was left of his once-powerful Army of Northern Virginia.

Visiting Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is where the Civil War effectively ended when Lee surrendered to Grant.

You can visit for free at 111 National Park Drive in Appomattox, Virginia.

The park is open daily from 8:30 a. m. to 5 p. m. almost year-round. Start at the visitor center with the 17-minute film “With Malice Toward None.”

During warmer months, people in period clothing bring history to life.

Check out the Clover Hill Tavern where workers once printed 30,000 Confederate parole passes in just 26 hours after the surrender.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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