Pursuit Cathces Up

— Lee's Retreat —

When Gen. Robert E. Lee evacuated the Army of Northern Virginia from Petersburg and Richmond on April 2-3, 1865, he ordered the army's wings to unite at Amelia Court House, where trains would meet them with food and other supplies. The army would then march south to North Carolina and join forces with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's command. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, on the other hand, pursued Lee on two routes: directly in his wake and on parallel roads to the south, to prevent his escape into North Carolina.

Union infantry and cavalry in close pursuit frequently clashed with the Confederate rear guard. One such action occurred here on April 3, while Gen. Rufus Barringer's cavalry was posted at the church. You are standing where Barringer's flank stood, facing east. Sometime after 9:00 a.m., Gen. George A. Custer's cavalrymen came charging down the road and struck the entire line. The regiment in the Confederate center tried a counterattack, but soon the whole line was in retreat. Some 350 were captured, including Barringer.

Namozine Presbyterian Church, built in 1847, fortunately survived the battle. It remains virtually unchanged since its date of construction.

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Show me all markers in:  Ford, VA  |  Amelia County  |  23850  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

Lee's Retreat
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