Battle of Five Forks

Dates: April 1, 1865

Other Names: None

Location: Five Forks, Virginia

Key Individuals Involved in the Battle of Five Forks: Union: Major General Philip Sheridan
Confederate: Major General George Pickett

Outcome: Union Victory 3,780 casualties of which 2,950 were confederate soldiers.

Overview of the Battle : Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered Pickett with his infantry division and Munford’s, W.H.F. Lee’s, and Rosser’s cavalry divisions to hold the vital crossroads of Five Forks at all hazard. On April 1, while Sheridan’s cavalry pinned the Confederate force in position, the V Corps under Maj. Gen. G.K. Warren attacked and overwhelmed the Confederate left flank, taking many prisoners. Sheridan personally directed the attack, which extended Lee’s Petersburg lines to the breaking point. Loss of Five Forks threatened Lee’s last supply line, the South Side Railroad. The next morning, Lee informed Jefferson Davis that Petersburg and Richmond must be evacuated. Union general Winthrop was killed; “Willie” Pegram, beloved Confederate artillery officer, was mortally wounded. Dissatisfied with his performance at Five Forks, Sheridan relieved Warren of command of the V Corps.
Source: CWSAC Battle Summaries