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.

The 6th corps now remained with the cavalry and under Sheridan’s direct command until after the surrender.

Ord had been directed to take possession of all the roads southward between Burkesville and the High Bridge.  On the morning of the 6th he sent Colonel Washburn with two infantry regiments with instructions to destroy High Bridge and to return rapidly to Burkesville Station; and he prepared himself to resist the enemy there.  Soon after Washburn had started Ord became a little alarmed as to his safety and sent Colonel Read, of his staff, with about eighty cavalrymen, to overtake him and bring him back.  Very shortly after this he heard that the head of Lee’s column had got up to the road between him and where Washburn now was, and attempted to send reinforcements, but the reinforcements could not get through.  Read, however, had got through ahead of the enemy.  He rode on to Farmville and was on his way back again when he found his return