A Heavy Push

The Battle of Swift Creek was part of a push made by Union Major General Benjamin F Butler towards Petersburg, and was fought May 9^th 1864.

Confederate General Bushrod R Johnson had a division on the south side of Swift Creek in a defensive position.   Johnson’s men were between Union Major General Benjamin Butler’s force and Petersburg, Virginia.  Butler pushed toward Swift Creek on May 9^th 1864 and was met at Arrowfield Church, just north of Swift Creek by a Confederate attack.  The Union troops deployed along the railroad and turnpike.  The Confederate 21^st South Carolina Infantry made a charge across the bridge and up the turnpike toward the Union troops and were fired on by an artillery battery.  The Union troops pushed the Confederates back delivering them heavy losses.  Butler didn’t follow up the attack, but settled into skirmishing and tearing up the nearby railroad tracks.

During the night Butler had his troops withdraw.  The Confederates made repairs to the railroad and had it running the next day.

If I Had A Thousand Lives

Sam Davis known as the “Boy Hero of the Confederacy” was executed on November 27^th 1863.

Sam Davis was born October 6^th 1842 in Rutherford County, Tennessee, the son of Charles Lewis and Jane (Simmons) Davis.  He attended local schools, before going to the West Military Institute in Nashville, Tennessee in 1860-61, where his headmaster was the future Confederate General Bushrod Johnson.

At the beginning of the Civil War Davis enlisted as a private in the Confederate 1^st Tennessee Infantry.  He would see his first action at Cheat Mountain in the Shenandoah Valley.  Davis was wound at the Battle of Shiloh and again at the Battle of Perryville.  The Perryville wound was serious, and after recovering he became a courier for Coleman’s Scouts.

It was while doing service with Coleman’s Scouts that Davis was captured on November 20^th 1863 near Minor Hill, Tennessee.  He was wearing a partial Confederate uniform, had a pass from Confederate General Braxton Bragg and was in possession of Union papers detailing troop movements and private papers belong to Union General Grenville M Dodge.  Davis was arrested as a spy, and sentenced by a military court to be executed by hanging.  He was given an out, if he would name his Union contact, to which Davis was supposed to have said, "If I had a thousand lives to live, I would give them all rather than betray a friend or the confidence of my informer.”  Just before the execution Davis wrote a letter home to his family, "Dear mother. O how painful it is to write you! I have got to die to-morrow --- to be hanged by the Federals. Mother, do not grieve for me. I must bid you good-bye forevermore. Mother, I do not fear to die. Give my love to all.  Father, you can send after my remains if you want to do so. They will be at Pulaski, Tenn. I will leave some things with the hotel keeper for you."  He was hung November 27^th 1863 at Pulaski, Tennessee.

A Wrong Turn On The Road

As Confederate General Robert E Lee began his retreat from Petersburg, Virginia, cavalry clashed with each other on April 3^rd 1865 at the Battle of Namozine Church.

Confederate Cavalry performing as a rear guard for Robert E Lee’s retreating columns, blocked roads, slowing the pursuing Union Cavalry.  These units bought enough time for Confederate Major General Bushrod Johnson’s Division to get past the Namozine Church; however he took the wrong road, finding himself stuck at a bridge on the Deep Creek that was under water from flooding.  Confederate Major General WHF Rooney Lee sent a brigade of North Carolina cavalry to secure the road around the Namozine Church, so Johnson could move his troops back down the road and take the other route.

At about 9am on April 3^rd 1865 one of General George Custer’s brigades under the command of Colonel William Wells attacked the deploying North Carolinians.  Thomas Custer, the brother of General Custer, jumped his horse over barricades put up by the Confederates, and captured 3 officers, 11 enlisted and the battle flag of the 2^nd North Carolina Cavalry.  In an unsuccessful counter attack Confederate Brigadier General Rufus Barringer and Rooney Lee’s adjutant general Major JD Ferguson were captured.  When Johnson’s division arrived at the crossroads they were able to push Custer’s men from the field, and opened the way for the Confederate infantry to march on to Amelia Court House.

There were about 95 Union cavalry killed and wounded during the battle.  The Confederates reported only the 15 wounded in Johnson’s division, but there were about 350 captured by Custer’s cavalry.

Step Towards Appomattox

The first move of the spring of 1865 was the Battle of Lewis’s Farm was fought March 29^th 1865 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia and was the opening of the Appomattox Campaign.

Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S Grant opened his spring campaign on March 29^th 1865 by sending Major General Philip Sheridan’s cavalry followed by the Union V Corps to turn the right flank of Confederate General Robert E Lee’s Petersburg defenses.  Union Major General Gouverneur K Warren, who commanded the V Corps, moved his troops up the Quaker Road, at the intersection of the Boydton Plank Road, they ran into Confederate Major General Bushrod Johnson’s brigade.

Union Brigadier General Joshua L Chamberlain led the main advance.  The Confederates were pushed back into entrenchments on the White Oak Road.  Confederate Lieutenant General Richard H Anderson ordered two brigades forward in an attempt the intercept the Union troops.  Chamberlain, who was wounded, rallied his men around an artillery battery, counterattacked and took the Confederate entrenchments.  There were reported casualties of 370 Confederate and 380 Union.

The Battle of Lewis’s Farm is also sometimes called Gravelly Road, Military Road of Quaker Road.

The Road To The End

The day before the Confederate loss at the Battle of Five Forks, on March 31st 1865 the Battle of White Oak road was fought.

Confederate General Robert E Lee moved his reinforcements March 30th 1865 to cover a Union movement on his right flank. Confederate Major WHF Rooney Lee’s cavalry moved to Five Forks, and Major General George Pickett’s division to Bermuda Hundred. The V Corps under Union Major General Gouverneur K Warren entrenched along the Boydton Plank Road, and Major General Romeyn B Ayres moved toward White Oak Road. On March 31st 1865 Warren moved his Corps on the Confederates entrenched along the White Oak Road. The plan being to cut Confederate communications with Pickett. A counterattack by Confederate Major General Bushrod Johnson slowed up the Union advance, however Warren’s men pulled it together and by the end of the day, the Union held the road.

Confederate loss were about 750, Union about 1,900.