CHAPTER LXVI.

BATTLE OF SAILOR’S CREEK—­ENGAGEMENT AT FARMVILLE—­CORRESPONDENCE WITH GENERAL LEE—­SHERIDAN INTERCEPTS THE ENEMY.

The Appomattox, going westward, takes a long sweep to the south-west from the neighborhood of the Richmond and Danville Railroad bridge, and then trends north-westerly.  Sailor’s Creek, an insignificant stream, running northward, empties into the Appomattox between the High Bridge and Jetersville.  Near the High Bridge the stage road from Petersburg to Lynchburg crosses the Appomattox River, also on a bridge.  The railroad runs on the north side of the river to Farmville, a few miles west, and from there, recrossing, continues on the south side of it.  The roads coming up from the south-east to Farmville cross the Appomattox River there on a bridge and run on the north side, leaving the Lynchburg and Petersburg Railroad well to the left.

Lee, in pushing out from Amelia Court House, availed himself of all the roads between the Danville Road and Appomattox River to move upon, and never permitted the head of his columns to stop because of any fighting that might be going on in his rear.  In this way he came very near succeeding in getting to his provision trains and eluding us with at least part of his army.

As expected, Lee’s troops had moved during the night before, and our army in moving upon Amelia Court House soon encountered them.  There was a good deal of fighting before Sailor’s Creek was reached.  Our cavalry charged in upon a body of theirs which was escorting a wagon train in order to get it past our left.  A severe engagement ensued, in which we captured many prisoners, and many men also were killed and wounded.  There was as much gallantry displayed by some of the Confederates in these little engagements as was displayed at any time during the war, notwithstanding the sad defeats of the past week.

The armies finally met on Sailor’s Creek, when a heavy engagement took place, in which infantry, artillery and cavalry were all brought into action.  Our men on the right, as they were brought in against the enemy, came in on higher ground, and upon his flank, giving us every advantage to be derived from the lay of the country.  Our firing was also very much more rapid, because the enemy commenced his retreat westward and in firing as he retreated had to turn around every time he fired.  The enemy’s loss was very heavy, as well in killed and wounded as in captures.  Some six general officers fell into our hands in this engagement, and seven thousand men were made prisoners.  This engagement was commenced in the middle of the afternoon of the 6th, and the retreat and pursuit were continued until nightfall, when the armies bivouacked upon the ground where the night had overtaken them.

When the move towards Amelia Court House had commenced that morning, I ordered Wright’s corps, which was on the extreme right, to be moved to the left past the whole army, to take the place of Griffin’s, and ordered the latter at the same time to move by and place itself on the right.  The object of this movement was to get the 6th corps, Wright’s, next to the cavalry, with which they had formerly served so harmoniously and so efficiently in the valley of Virginia.