BATTLE OF APPOMATTOX STATION

BEFORE THE BATTLE

• A week before the battle Lee lost about a quarter of his army to the Union by capture at Sailor's Creek and lost thousands more at the Battle of Five Forks. Others continued to abandon the army due to starvation
• The day prior to the battle Ulysses S. Grant sent a message to Robert E. Lee asking him to surrender voluntarily, Lee refused, leading to the Battle of Appomattox Station.

Untitled Slide

MAP

THE BATTLE

• The battle began April 8th, 1865 at 4pm and lasted through dusk.
• After General Lee declined Grant's request, General George A. Custer marched his troops to Appomattox County, VA from the southeast.
• The Confederate supply trains arrived at Appomattox Station where Custer's troops were prepared for ambush.

THE BATTLE CONT.

• The ground was not good for fighting because mainly thick shrubbery and dense forestry covered the ground.
• General Lee's main goal during the battle was to break Union cavalry lines.
• Soon after the trains arrived, the Union successfully ambushed and burned three train cars.

AFTER THE BATTLE

• The Union began the battle with 120,000 soldiers and ended with 260 casualties
• The confederacy began the battle with 30,000 soldiers and ended with 440 casualties.
• Due to the better preparation of the north, the Union came out victorious.
• Lee, aware of his obvious defeat, decided not to retaliate avoiding senselessly wasting lives.
• This was the last conflict between the Union and Confederacy in the Civil War.

APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE

• When Lee realized how exerted his troops had become, he was left with no choice but to surrender.
• A confederate horseman was sent toward the Union with the white flag in hand when they surrendered .
• The signing of the surrender document occurred in the parlor of Wilmer McLean's home who, ironically moved to avoid the war.
• After the signing of the treaty, Grant pardoned all of the confederate soldiers from their treason against the United States.

LEADERS OF THE NORTH

ULYSSES S. GRANT

• He attended West Point, and he graduated twenty-first out of the thirty-nine cadets in class of 1843. He first served in the Mexican War. In March 1864, President Lincoln elevated Grant to the rank of lieutenant general, and named him general-in-chief of the Armies of the United States. Once Lee surrendered, he kept his troops from bragging about the victory. He gave Lee's troops provisions so they could start a safe journey home.

GENERAL GEORGE A. CUSTER

• Custer earned his reputation as an outstanding cavalry commander during the Civil War. His career in the Union army was a success due to his bravery and audacity. He was described as aggressive, gallant, reckless, and foolhardy. His association with several important officers also helped further his career. He graduated last in his class of 34 at West Point. As Custer's final major act in the war, The Appomattox Campaign, he led the division responsible for cutting off Lee’s last avenue of escape at Appomattox. Custer was also present at General Robert E. Lee's surrender.

Untitled Slide

LEADERS OF THE SOUTH

GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE

• Lee attended United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated second in the class of 1829. His first time in on a battlefield was in1846 during the Mexican War. He was later appointed General of the Confederate army. The day after the battle of Appomattox station, he surrendered. With Lee's line of retreat blocked, his only option on April 9, 1865 was to surrender, because he cared for his men and didn't want to senselessly waste lives.

General Reuben Lindsay Walker

• Graduating from Virginia Military Institute in 1845, Walker worked as an engineer and farmer until the outbreak of the Civil War. In 1861 Walker was commissioned to captain in the Purcell Artillery unit in the Army of Northern Virginia. In February, 1865 Walker received a promotion to Brigadier General and commanded Lee’s reserve artillery in the retreat west during the Appomattox Campaign.

Untitled Slide