Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/589

Rh ordered to be placed at Amelia Court House, nearly twenty-four hours were lost in endeavoring to collect in the country subsistence for the men and horses. The delay was fatal and could not be retrieved." That day General Grant, accompanied by the Second and Sixth corps, reached the Richmond & Danville road at Jetersville, beyond Amelia Court House, and placed a superior force across Lee's advance. It is more than probable that if Lee could have rationed his army at Amelia Court House, he would have pushed his way through Sheridan's opposition and marched to Danville. The same night the Ninth corps, following along the Southside railroad, reached Nottoway Court House, within a short march of Burkeville Junction of the Richmond & Danville road. It was evident, and doubtless well known by Lee, that the entire Federal army could now be concentrated, in a few hours, to oppose his march toward Danville and a junction with Johnston. Under these circumstances, on the night of the 5th, Lee left Amelia Court House and marched northward and westward, seeking to reach Farmville, on the way to Lynchburg as his objective, hoping to thus place his army west of Grant and in a position to draw supplies from the depot at Lynchburg.

On the 6th, Sheridan's cavalry, accompanied by the Sixth corps, interposed between the breaks in Lee's marching columns at the passage of Sailor's creek, not far from where that stream enters the Appomattox. Lee's strong arm, the artillery, which had always rendered most efficient service whenever called on, was not at hand in this emergency, and the Federal Second corps fell upon the rear guard of the Confederate Second corps under Gordon, and captured nearly 8,000 of Lee's men, together with Generals Ewell, Kershaw, Hunton, Corse, DuBose and G. W. Custis Lee. Many of those captured were the men that Ewell had brought, from the immediate defenses of Richmond, to Lee at Amelia Court House, following the highway along the Richmond & Danville railroad.

Reaching Farmville on the 6th, Lee found bread and meat for his men, whose principal subsistence since leaving Petersburg had been parched corn. On the 7th, four miles beyond Farmville, Lee formed line of battle in opposition to Crook's cavalry and the Federal Second corps and repulsed their attack.