Chronological History of the American Civil War

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railroad. Leaving Tennessee, Major General George Stoneman (U.S.) fights in Snow Hill and Boone, North Carolina. Wednesday, March 29, 1865 : Grant starts his attack against the Army of Northern Virginia. Grant sends Sheridan (U.S.) to surround the Confederates to the southwest of Petersburg. Lee attempts to block them. Stoneman’s cavalry battles in Wilkesborough, North Carolina. Making a sweep through Alabama, Brig. General James H. Wilson and his Union raiders, are now near Montevallo. They destroy 2 ironworks facilities. During this time, a Confederate force is cutting trees to block their Union advance. The Federals encounter the Confederates at a ford on the Cahaba River. The Confederates are driven off at dark, the Federals finally entered Montevallo. Thursday, March 30, 1865 : President Lincoln still remains with Army in Virginia. In recent days, he had made several trips up James River to visit Rear Adm. Porter (U.S.). Both sides have amassed troops southwest of Petersburg. Lee’s army, aided by torrential rain, copes with the attacks. However, Lee had over-extended his army, along their defensive front so, while he could defend more ground, his line was very thin almost everywhere, and very open to a successful assault. For example, near the Dinwiddie Court House, Lee’s men who numbered 10,000 faced 50,000 Union troops. General Wilson detaches Brig. General John T. Croxton’s brigade to destroy all Confederate property at Tuscaloosa, Alabama. After capturing a Confederate courier, who carried dispatches from Forrest describing the strengths and dispositions of his scattered forces, Wilson also sends a brigade to destroy the bridge across the Cahaba River at Centreville. This action effectively cut off most of Forrest’s reinforcements. A band of guerrillas attacks, capture and rob a passenger train on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad near Patterson’s Creek, West Virginia, about 10 miles east of Cumberland, Maryland. The railroad refuses to accept Federal soldiers aboard for protection, without receiving any compensation from the Union government. Friday, March 31, 1865 : Heavy fighting starts at Dinwiddie Court-House, Virginia, where Major General George Pickett (CSA) repels the attacks by Major Generals Philip H. Sheridan and Gouverneur Warren (U.S.). However, outnumbered much of the Confederate infantry, become casualties or prisoners, as Pickett has to retreat to Five Forks, which weakens the Petersburg line. General G.K. Warren (U.S.) hoping to cut Lee’s communications with Pickett at Five Forks at White Oak Road, the Union advance is stalled by a crushing counterattack directed by Major General Bushrod Johnson (CSA), but Warren’s position stabilizes and his soldiers close on the road by day’s end. Estimated casualties from this action is 2,670 (U.S. 1,870; CSA 800). Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry is still fighting Wilson’s (U.S.) men in Montevallo, Alabama as the Union soldiers destroy iron and coal works there. Saturday, April 1, 1865 : At the Battle of Five Forks, Virginia, Major General Sheridan’s Cavalry (U.S.) and Major General Warren’s (U.S) forces attack and overwhelm and separate, Major General George E. Pickett (CSA) from the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia (CSA) almost completely surrounding Petersburg in the process. The Union suffered 1,000 casualties, but nearly 5,000 of Pickett’s men were killed, wounded, or captured. Near Selma, Alabama, General Forrest (CSA) outnumbered and outgunned, his Confederates fought bravely for more than an hour, as more Union cavalry and artillery are deployed on the field. Forrest himself is wounded by a saber-wielding Union captain; whom he kills with his revolver. Finally, a Union cavalry charge, with carbines blazing broke the Confederate militia, causing Forrest to be flanked on his right. He is forced to Selma, Alabama in retreat under severe pressure.