The events surrounding the surrender at Appomattox Court House

Introduction

The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse (April 9, 1865) was the last commitment of Confederate General ee's Army of to the north Virginia before it submitted to the amalgamation armed detachment under L Ulysses S. Grant beside the end of the American Civil War. (Catton P.23)

Background

On April 1, 1865, Mahilip Sheridan's cavalry turned Lee's flank at the assault of Five Fork. The next day Grant's armed detachment accomplished a resolute innovation, competently finish the Siege of Petersburg. Lee left behind Petersburg and Richmond and going west to Appomattox Station, where a provide train awaited him. (Marvel P.23) From there he wanted to proceed south to connect with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's armed detachment in North Carolina. On April 8, 1865, Union cavalry under Bri George Armstrong Custer apprehended and burned three provide teaches waiting for Lee's armed detachment at the Battle of Appomattox Station. Now both the armed detachment of the Potomac and the armed detachment of the James were converging on Appomattox. (William P.45)

The street to Appomattox

With his provision at Appomattox decimated, Lee now looked to the trains at Lynchburg, where more provision awaited him. While the Union Army was concluding in on Lee, all which lay between Lee and Lynchburg was Union cavalry. Lee wanted to shatter through the cavalry before infantry arrived. He dispatched a note to Grant saying that he did not desire to submit his armed detachment just yet but was eager to talk about how Grant's periods would sway the Confederacy. (Catton P.23)

Grant, with a throbbing annoyance, asserted that it examines as if Lee still entails to fight. The Union infantry was close, but the only unit beside sufficient to support Sheridan's cavalry was the XXIV Corps of the Army of the James. This corps traveled 30 miles (50 km) in 21 hours to come to the cavalry. Maj. Gen. Edward O. C. Ord, commander of the Army of the James, reached with the XXIV Corps round 4:00 a.m. with the V Corps close behind. Sheridan established three partitions of cavalry along a reduced ridge to the southwest of Appomattox Court House. (Marvel P.23)

The last battle

At dawn on April 9, the Confederate Second Corps under Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon assaulted Sheridan's cavalry and rapidly compelled back the first line. The Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee shifted round the Union flank. Fitz Lee's cavalry glimpsed ...