Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-01
SAILORS CREEK BATTLE
MEMORABLE CONFLICT
One of Wars Severest Engagements
Fought Three Days Before Sur
render at Appomattox.
LAST GREAT ACTION OF LEE
Following This Historic Clash, His
Army Passes Into History-One of
Closing Scenes in Tragedy Takes
Place In Amelia.
ny JUDGE WALTER A. WATSON.

ne OdttiC WHICH LOOK place OIL lIlttic
Sailor Creek in the evening of Thurs
day April 6, 1865. upon the boundary
linss OF Amelia. Nottoway and Prince
Edward Counties. is of interest to the
g student. not because Of it's strategic
importance. nor because Of its effect
upon the fate OF the WARRIOR the end
was then in siGht-but because 1t was
the last battle upon large scale IN
which Lees army engaged. ere
passed from action into history.
1t is Of added interest to the Amelia
Daughters OF the Confederacy to re-
fleet that one OF the last acts In the
tragic drama OF the great Civil War.
which shook = continent in its embrace
and fixed the fate az "A nation. was
performed i'm part upon the soil OF
their own county. Every spot OF earth
where men have fought and died for
the principle speaks TO the heart with
mysterious and undying meaning.
Little has been written about
Sailors Creek. and. perhaps. less is
known Of 1t than any battle OF like
lily understood when all the circum-
stances arc taken in review.
FOUGHT ONLY THREE DAYS
BEFORE THE SURRENDER
II occurred only three days before
tho surrender at Appomattox: and. in
the absorbing public interest which
attended that stirring event. all the in
cidents near. before and just after were
lost sight of and soon forgotten. Be-
side this. in the haste and confusion
Of defeat and retreat. in which most
of their commanders became captires
the Confcdcratcs had not time nor OPP
portunity to record and report their
nd 40 az N 10
deprived OF very essential data upon
which to complete the record Of this
tragic field.
That the soldier OF the Confederacy.
weary with the almost continuous
march of four days and three nights,
ragged and unfcd, but animated by
despair. turned here upon his pursuers
n courage as keen and unafraid as
that OF Gettysburg and Spotsylvania;
and that his enemy. flushed with final
victory. came on with unwonted valor,
is the concurrent testimony OF sur
vivors on both sides.
Referring to Sailors Creek. General
Longstrect, in From Manassas TO APP
pomattox," says:
General r. S. Ewell and General
n. II. Anderson are hardly known in
the retreat. but their stand and fight
on that trying march were among the
most soldicr-like of the many noble
needs OF the war
General +. p. Alexander said:
This force the division of Gus
tbs Lee). though largely composed or
men who never before had been under
fire. surprised the enemy with an un-
expected display OF courage, such
had already been shown at Fort Sted-
man and Fort Gregg. and would still,
with flashes, illuminate our last days"
General Joseph B. kershaw. OF South
Carolina, who commanded division on
the field. said:
''On no field or war have felt juster
pride in the conduct OF my Command"
ON the Federal side have from
General Grant. in his personal me-
moirs. the following account:
Lee, in pushing from Amelia Court
house, awaited himself of all the road.
between the Danville Railroad and
Appomattox River to move upon. and
never permitted the head OF his COL
umns TO stop because OF any fighting
in the rear. In this way ne came
very near succeeding in getting to his
provision trains and eludng us with
at least a part OF his army. The
armies finally met at Sailors Creek
where heavy engagement took place,
In which infantry. cavalry and artil-
lery were all brought into action. The
enemy's loss was very heavy, as we'll
in killed and wounded as in cap
tivcs."
CONFLICTS OF WAR
And Sheridan speaks Of Sailors Creek
as zone OF the sevcrest conflicts of the
war" in which the enemy fought with
desperation TO escape capture. and we.
bent on his destruction. were no less
eager and determined"
From the vast mass Of material COL
lected by the government in the of
fetal Records Of the War of the Re-
beilion' 1t is hard to find and COM
pile satisfactory statistics relative to
Sailors Creek. In Series l, Volume
46. Part !. OF those records may be
found what reports there are of Fed
cral and Confederate commanders on
the subject but in case Of the latter.
the most valuable were made from
memory after the war. and. in some
cases, after the authors were released
from Northern prisons.
However, upon the authority of these
records and the information OF indi-
Hiduals living and dead. it is possible
to obtain satisfactory general conciu-
important facts and figures. which
may be accepted as reliable.
In general way. then, it may be
stated that on the Federal side at
Sailors Creek. were engaged the
Sixth Infantry Corps under Wright,
with part OF the Second Corps, un-
der Humphreys in striking distance.
and Sheridan's Cavalry Corps, under
Custer. Crook and Devlin-in all near
~ 10000 meanwhile on the Confed-
crate side were the remnants OF two
infantry corps. under Ewell and An
derson. of two divisions each-aggre-
eating from 5000 TO 10000 The fight
began towards the middle of the even
ing, and in some quarters lasted till
shutdown. The Confederate loss. in
round numbers was some 5000 in
killed, wounded and missing, though
the captures upon the field comprised
the great bulk Of this number, in
which were included Generals Ewell,
kershaw. GUSTS Lee. Dubose, Hunton
and Corse. The Federal casualties
have never been accurately segre-
gated and compiled. but will be here
matter noticed in partial detail. On
this field no cavalry or artillery were
In reach OF the Confederates. while
their enemy was amply supplied with
both.
To understand the events at Sailors
Creek. 1t is necessary to take in re-
Niew certain incidents of the retreat
which went before. AS is known, upon
the evacuation OF the capital the army