Dinwiddie Court House

Date: March 31, 1865

Location: Please click on link below for map.

Campaign(s): Appomattox Campaign [March-April 1865]

Battles in Campaign:

• Lewis's Farm, VA - March 29, 1865 C¹

• White Oak Road, VA - March 31, 1865 B

• Dinwiddie Court House, VA - March 31, 1865 C

• Five Forks, VA - April 1, 1865 A

• Petersburg, VA III - April 2, 1865 A

• Sutherland's Station, VA - April 2, 1865 C¹

• Namozine Church, VA - April 3 1865 D¹

• Amelia Springs, VA - April 5, 1865 C

• Sayler's Creek, VA - April 6, 1865 B

• Rice's Station, VA - April 6, 1865 D¹

• Cumberland Church, VA - April 7, 1865 C¹

• High Bridge, VA - April 6-7, 1865 C

• Appomattox Station, VA - April 8, 1865 B

• Appomattox Court House, VA - April 9, 1865 A

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union: Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan

• Confederate: Maj. Gen. George Pickett and Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee

Principal Forces:

• Union: 45,247

• Confederate: 20,030

Description:

• On March 29, the Union Cavalry Corps and the II and V Corps under Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan began a flank march to turn Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Petersburg defenses.

• A steady downpour turned the roads to mud, slowing the advance.

• On March 31, Maj. Gen. W. H. Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry and Maj. Gen. George Pickett’s infantry division met the Union vanguard north and northwest of Dinwiddie Court House and drove it back, temporarily stalling Sheridan’s movement.

• With Union infantry approaching from the east, Pickett withdrew before daybreak to entrench at the vital road junction at Five Forks.

• Lee ordered Pickett to hold this intersection at all hazard.

Photo Gallery:²

Dinwiddie Court House	Dinwiddie Court House	Confederate Monument	Confederate Monument

Slide Presentation³: Appomattox Campaign

Classification⁴: C

Casualties⁵: 821 total

• Union:  

• Confederate:

Results: Confederate Victory

Battlefield Website:

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² Please click on the image to enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link with each image: "Courtesy of civil-war-journeys.org."

³ Slide Presentation Published on 6/23/07. Click on link to view as web-based slide show.

⁴ Classification:

• A - having a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war

• B - having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign

• C - having observable influence on the outcome of a campaign

• D - having a limited influence on the outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important local objectives

⁵ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 06/05/2008