Sailor’s Creek * The Battle * Touring the Battlefield * The Armies
This section is under construction
The Battle of Sailor’s Creek (also known as Sayler’s Creek) was fought on April 6, 1865 near Farmville, Virginia. It was part of the Appomattox Campaign, and was the last major battle fought in Virginia during the Civil War. Lee’s army would surrender at Appomattox Court House three days later, on April 9, 1865.
Overview
Lee’s retreat from Richmond and Petersburg had been underway for three days. A gap had opened between parts of Lee’s army. His exhausted, strung out columns were struggling across the bottleneck of the Sailor’s Creek bridge crossings when they were attacked by Grant’s aggressively pursuing forces. During a day of desperate fighting about 8,800 Confederates – nearly a quarter of Lee’s army – became casualties. About 7,700 of those Confederate casualties were captured, including eight generals. Most of the Confederate wagon trains were captured or burned. Union forces lost 1,180 men killed and wounded.
Who fought at Sailor’s Creek?
- About 11,500 men of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia under the command of Richard S. Ewell, Richard H. Anderson and John B. Gordon.
- About 16,000 men of Union Lieutenant General Ulysses Grant’s Army of the Potomac and Army of the James under the command of Horatio Wright and Philip Sheridan.
Background
With the collapse of the Confederate defenses around Richmond and Petersburg, General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia retreated to the west. They hoped to find food at Lynchburg or Danville before making their way south to join up with General Joseph Johnston’s army in North Carolina. After the terrible winter of starvation Lee’s army had been greatly reduced by disease and desertions. They were badly outnumber by Grant’s forces.
Lee’s men were in poor condition. They had been on starvation rations through the winter as they sat in their trenches. Many lacked the strength to keep up the grueling marches on the wet, muddy, roads. The draft animals were in equally poor shape, struggling to pull the artillery and supply wagons. Roads were flooded and a number of bridges over the many streams and rivers were washed out.
National Historic Landmark and State Park
The battlefield was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. Part of the battlefield has been preserved as the Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park by the State of Virginia. An excellent visitor center with a number of good exhibits is open from 9 to 4. A number of walking trails cover important areas of the battle.
About the name: Sailor’s or Sayler’s?
The stream that runs through the battlefield was named for a farmer called Sayler who lived along its banks: Sayler’s Creek. But the relaxed attitude of the era toward spelling ofter rendered this as Sayler’s or Sailer’s. Reports of the battle used all these spellings. The National Historical Landmark Program used Sayler’s Creek. But the National Park Service and the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission have settled on the official spelling as Sailor’s Creek.
Location of the Battle
The Sailor’s Creek Visitor Center is about 11.5 miles east of Farmville, Virginia. It is 57 miles southwest of Richmond, 58 miles west of Petersburg, and 42 miles east of Appomattox Court House.