A tremendous day Part 1

Woke up excited to start the journey west to follow Lee's Retreat, which is an official tour along the route to Appomattox.

To summarize what had been happening since the fall of Richmond. When Lee's army left Richmond, Lee intended to go south to meet up with Johnston's army being hotly pursued north by Sherman after the famous Sherman's march [south] to the sea.

Appomattox River

Lee had requisitioned food and supplies to be sent to Amelia courthouse just west of Richmond, but instead of food, munitions arrived (some Union spies dressed as Confederates had a hand in causing this mixup). Lee then sent his men west again to Farmville because his way south was blocked. On the morning of April 6, his men were attacked by the Corps of Humphreys, Wright and Custer (yes, that Custer). Throughout the day the Union would continue to squeeze the vice until it was too dark to pursue. Lee lost roughly one-fourth of his army, many of them captured. The Federals claimed 7,700 prisoners that day, including six generals, among them Ewell, Kershaw, and Robert E. Lee's eldest son, Custis. Lee wrote to President Jefferson Davis, "a few more Sailor's Creeks and it will all be over." Lee surrendered three days later.

So, this could be an exciting place to hear talks. Turns out with only one ranger on duty at the visitors center, there was nothing special going on. I must admit to feeling deflated, like what am I going to do all day. What indeed!

I noticed two men at one of the exhibits who seemed to know what they were talking about, or at least talked as if they knew what they were talking about.  I inserted myself into their conversation when I heard them talking about going to High Bridge.  The one with the Confederate cap, took me over to the exhibit maps to show me hour by hour the battles of Sailors Creek (it was really 4).  Then he gave me the scoop-at 2:00 some people were meeting at the North End of High Bridge Park the battle that took place on April 7 for a special tour. 'Here's how to get there and we'll see you there, right?'

You betcha, yeah, let's bag this joint and go where the action is. But what would I do between 11:00 and 2:00. Read emails?  Eat? I decided to take the self guided car tour for the park which does include radio/audio segments at each stop.
The tour includes a stop at the Hillmans house which became a makeshift hospital where both Union and Confederate soldiers lay side by side. The Locketts house, like many others in the war was a peaceful sight until it unceremoniously got in the way of two warring armies.
But it was the Double Bridges at Sailors Creek  that holds a story that may become my next song. There the Confederate wagons were bogged down so badly that they were overcome by the Union soldiers and where most of the prisoners were taken.

That was enjoyable enough, but it was still only 12:30, so I decided to wend my way to Farmville, the site of the next chapter.  Every so often there is a Lee's Retreat Road market that signals an event or battle action. At one of these I see my new 'friends' who I learn are John and Phil. They love to take pictures of everything, so we take turns swapping cameras and looking at the maps. An aside is that the maps and explanatory signs at all the sites are excellent and the audio tours that work well are worth listening to. For some parks there are also online Civil War podcast.

But I digress.

From then on I was welcomed to join them as we drove to different stops. The one I would never have thought to visit, Cumberland Church, was Lee's last 'success' in fighting off the Union might. If he had lost, then we would be commemorating the 150th anniversary of the end of the war at Cumberland Church. Instead, it is where Grant sent his first message to bring the war to an end.
Grant presented Lee with the facts of the situation as he saw them:
General
The results of the last week must convince you that the hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army of Northern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is o, and regard it as my duty to shift from myself the responsibility of any further effusion of blood, by asking you the surrender of that portion of the CS Army known as the Army of Northern Virginia.”
Very Respectfully,
Your obedient servant
US Grant, Lt. General, Commanding Armies of the United States

Lee showed the letter to General Longstreet who replied “not yet.” They left their lines around Cumberland Church at 11pm for a night march westward towards Appomattox Station.

So ends the morning!