The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-04-12
SIXTH OF APRIL,
The Anniversary of the Battle OF
Sailors Creek, Va, and
Ewell's Surrender.
The Last Fight Of Note in Which
Lees Army was Engaged
in the Retreat.
by DR.. A. A. McBryde, of Austin. ]

The battle of Sailors creek, April q,
1865, was the last engagement of note IN
which the army of General Lee took part
previous to his surrender on the 9th at
Appomattox. The portion OF Lees
forces engaged consisted of the troops OF
General Anderson and the corps of LieuteE-
ant General Ewell, the latter, all told,coIl-
prising less than 5000 effective men.
Ewell's command consisted of the dlvls-
ions of heterogeneous G. W. G. Lee and
]. B. Kershaw. Gen. G. W. c. Lees troops
comprised heavy artillery, and to 1t was
attached the naval battalion under COM
mand of Commodore John H. tucker,
who, up to the invasion of South CRFollna
by Sherman, had been in command OF the
Confederate States naval forces at
Charleston. The artillery, however, took
no part in the fight, having followed the
wagon trains in a read which turned OIL
near Appomattox, now In the vain en-
deavor to escape by that route.
General Kershaw had under him in the
battle three brigades, amounting, accord
ing to his official report, to less than 1000
men. These were Simms' brigade, CON
manded by Brig.-gen. j. p. Simms; Du
Bosses brigade, commanded by Brig.-gep.
d. NJ. DuBose; and Humphreys brigade.
It YVES about 2 o'clock in the afternoon
that General Ewelrs forces had all crossed
Sailors creek, marching to the WI stward,
and under n heavy artillery fire from the
enemy who were closing up on our rear.
General Gordon, as stated in previous
number of this series of papers on Lees
last retreat, who had hitherto brought up
the rear, had turned off the road upon
which we were moving, following the
wagon trains. General Ewel's corps was
therefore left to contend with the masses
of the pursuing foe.
Arriving on the south side of the creek,
General Ewell was informed by General
Anderson, whose troops preceded EWell's,
that two divisions of the eEemy's cavalry
had taken possession of the road in front
of him (AndeGsoD). Ewell, therefore,
suggested two plans of escape. One was
to unite end cut their way through the
enemies lines, the other to take road
farther to the right toward Pennington
and nearer the Appomattox river.
In the meantime, the enemy appeared
in heavy force, preparing to attack
Ewell's rear. General Anderson proposed
to attack the enemy in front,
if Ewell could hold the legions of the
enemy in check in the rear, and who now
swarmed over the cleared fields east of the
creek we had just crossed. They at
tempted also to cross under cover of a
heavy fire from their artillery, posted
some 800 yards distant from our position
The battle now began in serious earnest
Surrounded by the enemy General EwelPs
chances were desperate. But last stand
was determined upon.
Line of battle was speedily formed. II
faced to the eastward and Sailors creek
300 yards distant. Following wss the dis
position of General Ewel's troops, &C
cording to the official report of that com
mander and his two generals, Kershaw
and GUSTS Lee:
Maior-goueral Kershaw with his three
brigades occupied the right; Simms
brigade was on the right of the road or
which we were moving; Brigadier- general
Dubose was on the left of the road, witt
General Humphreys brigade between
him and Smms. The latter brigade, how
ever, did not occupy this position at the
outset, but, commanded by Colo
mel Fitzgerald, with Gary's dis
mounted cavalry, had engaged
the enemy in front and been driven bacl
upon the division.
| Major-General G.. w. Custis Lees divi
sion was posted on the left, the command
being partially sheltered behind deel
ravine from the artillery of the enemy
which had been rolled down on the oppo
site side of the creek, within 500 yards o
our position, and opened upon US witt
shot and shell.
Behind General Gusts Lees right wa
stationed the naval battalion, as Genera
Ewell calls it in his official report, com
manded by Commodore Tucker. This wa
the command to which the writer of thes
"reminiscences belonged. Opposed to u
we're the second and sixth corps of tn
federal army, along with Sheridan
cavalry, and plenty of artillery, of whic
General Ewell had none-the heavy artil
lery under Gusts Lee being dismounte
and acting as infantry. We were in tn
face of a hostile army of 10000 men.
The topography and physical feature
of the battle field were scarcel
remarkable for anything but the land
scape scenery belonging to the countie
of central Virginia. In front of our lin
of battle was stretch of 'old field pines,
extending TO the margin of the cree
which flowed at the foot OF the declivity
and whose waters were soon to be LITERAL
tinged with the blood of northern an
southern armies commingled.
On an eminenoe beyond the creek, an
to the eastward was an open field. In tn
center of this field the enemy planted hi
artillery, which, at the beginning of tn
fight, raked our position with terrIh
fire.
D.. To the right and south of our line
were open plantations, with pine wooC
intervening. The immediate surround
= ings of our position-at least so far &
the navy battalion was concerned-cOn
e prised grove of lofty pines, who's
r branches overshadowed gully or ravin
n in which we were posted, and whose dar
o green tops wave and sighed, with fun
d real signs, in the cool April breeze. III
c ground was covered with pine straw.
II As we we're forming in line Of battle, a
- officer in flashing uniform rode up to Cor
mcdore Tucker and ordered him to shelf
his men behind the ravine. across whit
the line of battle ran. The order W
:, complied with, and with arms ready '
r awaited the attack of the enemy who we
:, rapidly massing in our front.
+ The battle was now fairly waged. o
I ears were greeted with the booming
/, artillery in front and flank, supplement