In the early part of the night the enemy attacked Walker's artillery train near Appomattox Station on the Lynchburg railroad, and were repelled. Two battalions of artillery and the ammunition wagons were directed to accompany the army, the rest of the artillery and wagons to move toward Lynchburg. Fitz Lee, with the cavalry, supported by Gordon, was ordered to drive the enemy from his front, wheel to the left, and cover the passage of the trains, while Longstreet, who from Rice's Station had formed the rear-guard, should close up and hold the position. The march was ordered to be resumed at 1 A.M. The roads were wretched and the progress of the trains slow.īy great efforts the head of the column reached Appomattox Court House on the evening of the 8th, and the troops were halted for rest. Thence its march was ordered by Campbell Court House, through Pittsylvania, toward Danville. The army, reduced to two corps under Longstreet and Gordon, moved steadily on the road to Appomattox Court House. On the morning of the 7th rations were issued to the troops as they passed Farmville, but the safety of the trains requiring their removal upon the approach of the enemy all could not be supplied. But the men being depressed by fatigue and hunger, many threw away their arms, while others followed the wagon trains and embarrassed their progress. The army continued its march during the night, and every effort was made to reorganize the divisions which had been shattered by the day's operations. Lee's cavalry, had checked the advance of the enemy on the road from Amelia Springs and protected the trains, became exposed to his combined assaults, which he bravely resisted and twice repulsed but the cavalry having been withdrawn to another part of the line of march, and the enemy, massing heavily on his (Gordon's) front and both flanks, renewed the attack about 6 P.M., and drove him from the field in much confusion. Gordon, who all the morning, aided by General W.F. The latter General, with both of his division commanders, Kershaw and Custis Lee, and his brigadiers, were taken prisoners. After successive attacks Anderson's and Ewell's corps were captured or driven from their position. This caused serious delay in the march of the center and rear of the column, and enabled the enemy to mass upon their flank. The enemy's cavalry penetrated the line of march through the interval thus left, and attacked the wagon train moving toward Farmville. Johnson's divisions, became disconnected with Mahone's division, forming the rear of Longstreet. General Anderson, commanding Pickett's and B.R. Anderson, Ewell, and Gordon, with orders to close upon it as fast as the progress of the trains would permit or as they could be directed (diverted) on roads father west. It was followed by the commands of Generals R.H. On the morning of the 6th General Longstreet's corps reached Rice's station on the Lynchburg railroad. The change of route threw the troops on the roads pursued by the artillery and wagon trains west of the railroad, which impeded our advance and embarrassed our movements. Our route to the Roanoke was therefore changed, and the march directed upon Farmville, where supplies were ordered from Lynchburg. Nothing could be obtained from the adjacent country. This deprived us of the use of the railroad, and rendered it impracticable to procure from Danville the supplies ordered to meet us at points of our march. The troops, wearied by continual fighting and marching for several days and nights, obtained neither rest nor refreshment and on moving on the 5th, on the Richmond and Danville railroad, I found at Jetersville the enemy's cavalry, and learned of the approach of his infantry and the general advance of his army toward Burkeville. This delay was fatal, and could not be retrieved. I will therefore only now state that upon arriving at Amelia Court House on the morning of the 4th with the advance of the army, on the retreat from the lines in front of Richmond and Petersburg, and not finding the supplies ordered to be placed there, nearly twenty-four hours were lost in endeavoring to collect in the country subsistence for men and horses. The operations which preceded this result will be reported in full.
It is with pain that I announce to Your Excellency the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee's letter announcing surrender 1865 Robert E.
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