The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-11
LEES RETREATING ARMY
HALTED BY HUNGER.
April S.

. Fifty years. ago today Gen. Lees army,
retreating from Petersburg and Rich
mond. which had been evacuated on the
night of April %. was halted at Amelia
Courthouse. thirty-ive miles west Of the
James River, seeking food in the sur
rounding country.
This halt was fatal to Lees chances
of escaping from Grants army, which
was in hot pursuit; for while the Con-
federates were at Amelia Courthouse the
bulk Of Grants cavalry and part OF his
infantry reached railroad points south
Of Leo and prevented him from using the
railroads in his retreat, and from en-
deavoring to reach the Roanoke River
and Danville.
Thus cut Off. Gen. Lee was Obliged to
attempt march on Lynchburg by roads
leading north Of the Appomattox River
a route that was to end in his surrender
at Appomattox Courthouse seventy-five
miles from Lynchburg. on April 9.
Grants original plan for the pursuit of
Lee, matured in advance and instantly
put into operation on the fall Of Peters
burg. had resulted thus early in an i'm
portant advantage to the Federal arms.
Lees troops from Petersburg at first
had marched ten miles northward. to
Chesterfield Courthouse. to join those
from before Richmond. Lee had watched
3.
the stiffness of the night, with feeling
OF relief. Il have got my army safely
out OF its intrenchments," was an eX-
preston heard on his lips that day. He
felt that in the open there was more
chance Of the men giving a good account
Of themselves to the end that under the
grinding OF Grants attrition process In
the trenches OF Petersburg and Rich
mond.
Lees Men Go Hungry.
Gen. Lees sense of relief in the first
days march from Petersburg had been
shared by his men.
Once more in the open field. they
were invigorated with hope" wrote Gen.
A. l.. Long. of Lees staff
The April woods were budding around
them. the odors of spring were In the
air. the green fields and broad pros
poets formed an inspiriting contrast TO
the close earthwork. behind which they
had 20 long lain. and as they marched
along the unobstructed roads memories
Of the many victories to which they had
formerly been led arose to nerve their
arms and make them feel that while they
had the same noble cheftain AT their
. head they were still the equal of the
foe
That these thoughts were like those
sweet delusions of GASES that are said
desert was proven when Lees columns
began TO march into Amelia Courthouse.
on the Richmond and Danville Railroad,
on the afternoon of April T. Some Of the
troops had marched fifty miles since the
preceding morning. almost without food
and arriving at the point where they
had been told food awaited them, they
found none.
Lee had aimed at Amelia Courthouse
first because he had ordered supplies left
there. It was a cruel blow TO find none |
there. Someone had made a grave mis- |
take. The trains bearing the supplies !
had gone on to Richmond. and there had |
been looted and consumed in the evacua-
ton and burning Of the city.
The bitter disappointment suffered byi
Lee through this early miscarriage OF !
his plans is reflected in his official re-
port of the retreat. in which he wrote:
Nearly twenty-four hours were lost |
AT Amelia Courthouse in endeavoring to |
collect in the country subsistence for
men and horses. The delay was fatal
and could not be retrieved.
The troops. weared by continual |
fighting and marching for several days
and nights, obtained neither rest nor re-
freshment. and on moving on the 9Th on
the Richmond and Ranville Railroad I
found at Jetersville the enemy's cavalry
and learned of the approach OF his in
army toward Burkeville.
This deprived US OF the OF the
railroad and rendered 1t impracticabie to
procure from Danville the supplies orr
dered to meet US at points of our march"
Race for Railroads.
Tho two railroads that might have
proven OF great benefit to Lee in his re-
treat We're the only two in Eastern Vir-
einia thai had survived the war. One,
,the Richmond and Danville, ran into
Richmond. Amelia Courthouse and
Jetersvile were on this road-the former
eight miles nearer Richmond than the
latter. Tho other was the Petersburg
and Lynchburg line. known as the
Southsida Road
The two roads crossed at Burkeville
Junction about forty-hve miles west of
Petersburg. This crossing was the first
highly important point to he striven for L,
by each side. Grant had seen this to he
So at the start. and had launched his
forces in pursuit Of Lee to strike the
two railroads
When the pursuit hogan Sheridan was
in the right place to give swift chase, ,
being at Five Forks. where on April
he had crushed Lees right with his cav ,
airy. 1900 electives. and the Fifth Corps ,
% infantry.
Early on April , he had started with ,
~
Appomattox River, throwing out part OF
his cavalry northward, where. that aft ,
ernoon. II came in contact with the G
enemy's cavalry.
Keeping in touch with the enemy, /,
Sheridan had shaped his march to strike ,
the Richmond and Danville road south ,
Of where Lee struck 1t. and on the after .
noon OF April 4 had reached Jetersville. .
The Fifth Corps had come up that night =
and began intrenching. squarely across .
Lees southwark path.
Following Sheridan had marched Gen. -,
George G. Meade. commander of the
Army of the Potomac. with the Third
and Sixth Corps Although their march
was impeded by the cavalry. which had
the right of way. the Second Corps be-
gan to arrive at Jetersville In midafter- '
noon on April and the Sixth Corps soon 4
followed il.
Another column. under Gen E O.
Ord part of the Twenty-fourth Corps II
and a colored corps of the Army of the
James, had followed the Southside Rail- p
road toward Burkeville Junction. The q
Ninth Corps marched behind Ord.
Lees Records Destroyed. ]
While waiting for the infantry, sher-
dan had sent detachments of his caval-
~ farther west, to make sure that Lee
had not crossed the railroad.
On the morning Of April 5. one of u