Blackstone Lions Club

[CWT1]

I have a website dedicated to the Civil War called civilwartoday.net. It spans from Fort Monroe to Arizona at present and is still growing. I am looking for other websites to partner with that are dedicated to specific events or campaigns. My interest is in the broad sweep of events but I’ve noticed from web searches that there are a lot of people (students?) looking for specific details. I thought it might be useful to include links to other sites that go into much more detail than I do. So if any of you have a site or know of a site I might be interested in linking to I would really appreciate hearing from you.

[davewilkinson]

CWT1 Thanks for registering and thanks for the post. I want the visitors to lionsserve.org to be aware of your site,l so I included a link.

http://civilwartoday.net

I have really enjoyed the website and the format. Have you reviewed Civil War Album?

http://www.civilwaralbum.com/

I found the maps to be very interesting. The Lee's retreat map is one of the best that I have seen (map 77).
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Dave Wilkinson aka Davo

[CWT1]

No, I hadn't seen the Civil War Album, but I have it bookmarked now. I'll check it out more closely tonight. I'm flying into Richmond Oct 6th in the morning and planning on following Lee's Retreat. Will you be around? Wanta go?

Mick

[davewilkinson]

Good to hear about your trip east. I have a commitment on the 6th but I might have some time later in the week. Give me a call when you are in the area. I should know more about my schedule in a couple of weeks. I am a contractor and due to the economy work has not been regular. We are working when the work is available. I have been researching the retreat and there are many points of interest along the trail. I was informed by the ranger at Five Forks that their new visitors center will be open on October 3. I am not sure if the new visitor center at Sailors Creek will be open by the time of your visit. I will try to find out if they will be open.

Have you been to the Staunton River Bridge Battlefield? It has a remote connection with the retreat. It was one of the last bridges destroyed during the war. Jefferson Davis crossed the bridge by train on the way to Danville, VA.

I will be posting more photographs on the album regarding Lee's Retreat so you can review them and plan your trip.
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Dave Wilkinson aka Davo

[CWT1]

My time in Richmond area is set by other priorities but it would be great to meet if possible. I know, with the economy the way it is you have to strike whenever the iorn is hot. Any clues as where to go is appreciated I check the forum for picture posts. By the way thanks for clueing me into the Civil War Site I've already become a contributer.

[davewilkinson]

The retreat trail is good start. It is well marked and stops at all of the main points of interest. I am currently looking at the routes from Fives Forks that were traveled by Pickett, Anderson and W.H.F. Lee. My favorite resources are a portable GPS linked to a laptop computer with Garmin Map Source Topo East US. I use a Garmin GPS snd downloaded their City Navigator as well. The Topo uses road numbers and the City Navigator uses road names. The progeam has a feature that over writes onto Google Earth.

I also use Guild press Official records of the War of the Rebellion CD

http://www.civilwaramerica.com/

You can use the search feature to find almost any thing.

I will continue to update the Lees Retreat Forum so that you can decide what routes and sites that you want to visit. Keep me posted as to your schedule I would like to meet you and point out local historic points of interest.

I am looking at the bridges over the Appomattox and fords over Deep Creek. Deep Creek was a major factor during the retreat of the Confederates in Petersburg and points south of the Appomattox.
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Dave Wilkinson aka Davo

[CWT1]

I will plot out my course next week. Sounds like I should pay attention to the bridges. That makes sense, Lee would be steered by Grant and the river crossings. I'm also reallly interest in the area around Amelia Court House. Is it changed much? I think on another trip I might try to follow Grant it might be interesting to match up his and Lee's movements. I'm trying to remember didn't Lee come into Appomattox from the west and Grant from the north? I know Grants army was following Lee but Grant himself starting from City Point was playing catch up, and he had to stop at Richmond after the fall.

I need to get to work.

Mick

[davewilkinson]

This is a great map of the retreat http://www.civilwaralbum.com/cwa_map77.htm . Lee and Grant were both heading west from Richmond and Petersburg. Lee was on a route north of Grants route. Lee was ahead of Grant but Grant used a direct route via the Southside Rail Road which was controlled by the Feds after April 2. The rivers were swollen and Deep creek's Fords were impassable. The "flats" of Bevill's Bridge were covered with water so Longstreet and most of the others crossed at Goodes Bridge (current day RT. 360 http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2X75 ) . The routes that were to be taken were specifically ordered by Gen. Lee. Goodes Bridge was crossed by most of Lonstreet's men so Bevills bridge was not widely used. This bottle neck slowed down the retreating army. W.H.F. Lee's Cavalry (traveling with F.Lee and Anderson) was at the west bank of Bevells Bridge by sunset on the 3rd in order to secure the bridge for Lonstreet and other to cross. Lee had to go to Amelia Courthouse for food rations but he wanted to turn south towards Crewe and the Staunton River Bridges after feeding the army in Amelia. When Lee arrived in Amelia Courthouse there were no food rations, just ordinance. The army lost one day in pursuit of rations and were cut off to the south at Jetersburg by the Federals. The interesting thing is that Grant knew where Lee was going before Lee decided to go. Prior to April 3 Grant appeared to be without direction and his strategy was to pursue Lee. After April 2 Grant was always one step in front of Lee.

This could possibly be the reason for Grants new direction:
http://books.google.com/books?id=-m4VJlxcyOoC&pg=PA595&lpg=PA595&dq=after+i+was+taken+prisoner+at+sailor%27s+creek&source=bl&ots=kgaqZ_8-48&sig=swG3AXcOflAGxMYtUlO1UUq8kOo&hl=en&ei=gTa0SseJCc23lAex0_iJDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5#v=onepage&q=after%20i%20was%20taken%20prisoner%20at%20sailor%27s%20creek&f=false
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Dave Wilkinson aka Davo

[davewilkinson]

CWT1,

I hope all is well. Are you still planning to be in the area on
Tuesday October 6? The new Visitors center at Five Forks will have it's
grand opening on October 3 (Saturday). I do not have anything on the
schedule for Tuesday October 6 until 4 PM. If your schedule permits, I
could meet you at the new Visitors Center at Five Forks.
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Dave Wilkinson aka Davo

[CWT1]

Sure if you’re still available meeting at Five Forks would be great. Actually I just noticed this last post or I’d have respond3ed much sooner. I’ve been really busy working on some apartments so I’m just now sitting down to plan out my visit. I printed the map you linked to. I can see I had the retreat all messed up in my head so this trip is really going to help me sort it all out.
Mick
Hope to see you soon.

[davewilkinson]

CWT1,

Five Forks sounds like a plan. The new visitor center is further down on Courthouse Rd and it is on the right. It is actually four tenths of a mile south on the right. I attended the grand opening today and I also visited the Hatchers Run Battlefield site and went to the Lewis Farm Marker on Quaker Rd. Look forward to hearing from you. I will email my cell number to you.

Dave
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Dave Wilkinson aka Davo

[CWT1]

Ok, I didn't get an sleep last night, something doesn't make any sense to me. Lee left Petersburg and went in as straight a line as he could to Amelia Court House. Same thing to Jetersville. At Jetersville he turned north, why? Why didn't he go to Rice's Depot instead of going up to Amelia Springs? There must have been a road between them. Rice's Depot and Farmville are on the same side of the river, why did anybody bother with High Bridge? Rice and Farmville must have been connected directly by road, they are not that far apart. Going over High Bridge nearly doubled the distance. Why did Lee double back toward the oncoming Federals at Farmville and go up to Cumberland Church instead of following the RR to Appomattox? Was he trying pull a racccoon and double back to fool the dogs?

Mick

[davewilkinson]

CWT1,
Lee wanted to proceed south on the Richmond Danville Railroad line from Amelia to Burkeville and then onto Danville across the Roanoke/Staunton River Bridge at Randolph. Lee would have had to move into Burkeville and then hold a secure escape route while he secured rations in Farmville. He would then have had to backtracked east to Burkeville or on a direct route south to Keysville. Food was the priority until April 6 and then the priority was escape south.

After finding rations on April 6 and not securing a route through Jetersville to Burkeville on April 5, Lee had few options. To make his list of options even shorter are the events of Sailors Creek earlier that same day of April 6.

Due to the events above, Lee could not move any further southwest on the Richmond Danville line from Amelia because he was cut off on April 5 at Jetersville and was in search of rations. Federals, Meade and Sheridan along with Griffin-Humphreys and Wright, were at Jetersville on April 5 after traveling parallel to Lee's westward movements but moving just to the south (via Rt. 615). Their path was shorter and they did not loose a day looking for rations as Lee had done in Amelia. This group of Federals were no doubt covered with mud while trying to out run the Confederates while securing the many crossings like Deep Creek and West Creek. It was Federals from these units that challenged Lee's rear guard near Tabernacle Church and were then ordered to cease their efforts and move directly to Jetersville. Grant knew that Lee was racing for Burkeville. Grant knew that the Federals had a shorter path to Burkeville via the Southside Railroad that intersects the Richmond Danville RR at Burkeville.

Another group of Federals were at Burkeville on April 6. Gibbon, Grant, Ord and Parke were on the path west via the Southside Railroad line.

After Lee realized that his path southwest to Burkeville was blocked at Jetersville and that the Federals most likely held Burkeville his only remedy was to race to the next southerly rail line which was at Lynchburg. The Lynchburg line ran south to Danville and Lee had his eye on alternative river crossings around Long island in the event that the bridge at Altavista was not sufficient enough to cross the army. Lee had a river to protect this retreat.

After having found some rations in Farmville and being in control of High Bridge and Farmvillle, Lee could destroy the bridges and use the Appomattox River as a barrier. His retreat would then move westward with the security of a river slowing the speed at which the Federals could pursue.

To conclude, all of the routes that Lee was pursuing were secured by Grant because he was got to them there first. Grants army cut off Lee to the south and pushed him west until Grant was able to get a large body of men in front of Lee at Appomattox.

I almost forgot to answer your question regarding Rice and Farmville. Lee could not moved east to Burkeville and if he decided to move west along the rail road to Appomattox he would have have a river at his back or his flank if attacked from the rear. I think that the Federal activity at High Bridge convinced Lee that the north side of the river would be safer.


Check this out as well
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/civil_war_maps/
search Nottoway
select #3
zoom in on extreme left center

Notice that the Deatonville road is the most prominent westward road from Jetersville.

Amelia Springs is on the route that one would take to Rice. All of the ridges and roads point southwest and there are very few east west roads built to cross all of the tributaries of Flat Creek and the Appomattox. Modern day Rt 307 was not there, Notice how straight 307 is and how it crossed many water crossings. From Jetersville the ridge line goes to Burkeville and there is another ridge parallel to it via 617 which goes right through Sailors Creek Battlefield. the next ridge is 619 after crossing double bridges. The third ridge is cut off by the Appomattox. There were only two ridge lines leading towards Rice and Lee used them both.
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Dave Wilkinson aka Davo

[davewilkinson]

CWT1,
Did you make it back home OK?
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Dave Wilkinson aka Davo