The Battle of Five Forks 
April 1, 1865
Driving Directions
Dinwiddie, VA
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Sheridan Vs. Pickett
Gouverneur K. Warren
Tour Stop 3: The intersection of the Five Forks, and the center of the Confederate line.
Five Forks is listed as Tour Stop 15 on the Petersburg Battlefield Tour Map:
The Tour Stops listed by the pictures on this page are from the Five Forks Battlefield Tour Map.
The Battle of Five Forks
The battle of Five Forks forced the Confederate Army of Virginia to abandon their trenches around Petersburg and Richmond and drove them out into the open where Grant could bring his superior numbers to bay. Fortifications give a defending army a large multiplier allowing a small army to stand toe to toe with a much bigger one. This was why the Confederate Army was able to hold at Petersburg where the lines kept getting longer while the Union could never seem to find a weak spot even though the Confederates were greatly out numbered.
With the loss at Five Forks the Confederates could no longer protect the South Side Railroad which was their last remaining supply line. Once the rail line was cut, Lee would be trapped behind his works in Petersburg and Richmond and his army would starve: it was just a matter of time. That's the catch of a fixed position, as long as you can supply it the works make you stronger; but, once you lose the ability to bring in supplies fixed works become a trap. So with the Union breakthrough at Five Forks Lee had to abandon his positions around the two cities and strike out for the West. With such high stakes how then was it that Five Forks fell in a matter of hours?
The Confederates began their defense not behind the breastworks at Five Forks but at Dinwiddie Courthouse. There a Confederate force drove off and chased a Union force under Warren five times its own size. While this seemed like a great victory, Warren was able to get control of his solders and regroup. Pickett, the general in charge of the Confederate line in the Five Fork area, realized that he could not hold his position at Dinwiddie any longer and retreated back to the fortifications along White Oak Road; this position centered on the Five Forks intersection gave the battle its name.
From behind the battlements along White Oak Road things looked pretty secure for the Confederates and as the afternoon shadows lengthened Pickett and Rooney Lee, Robert E. Lee's son, decided to go to a fish fry. Really, they had shad. It was a stormy day with thunder, lightening and a hard driving rain. The first time Carol and I visited Five Forks we had much the same weather and it was easy to see what happened. As Pickett, Rooney and the other officers gathered for their fish fry, and nestled down in a wood a mile or so away, they were confident that the day’s actions were over.
Most Civil War battles were daylight affairs with the attacks launched in the morning and stopped at sundown. Given the earlier fighting, the near Union rout, the shift in position and the onset of bad weather, combined with the lateness of the day, the Confederate commanders could not imagine that the Union commanders could get organized, move up and launch an attack for at least a day, more likely several. Confident that things were as secure as they could be along the line, a fish fry made sense.
Warren, however, was able to get organized, move up and get into position to attack the Confederate left at the point were the line bent back on its self, now known as the Bloody Angle. The Union overall commander in the Five Forks area was Sheridan, a short, angry and impatient cavalry general who ordered an immediate attack regardless of the time, the weather or if anybody was ready or not.
With the noise of the thunder ringing in their ears, the Confederate generals did not hear the cannon and did not know there was a battle underway until a mob of their own solders came running through the party. Pickett and Rooney Lee tried to organize a defense but it was too late and intersection fell to the Union forces: collapsing the Five Forks position and the entire Petersburg defensive line.
Note: Tour Stop 1 is located on Courthouse Road a mile or so toward Dinwiddle Court House. It is dedicated to the Union cavalry attacks made erlier in the day. It is about a quarter of a mile south of the new Visitors Center.
Note: Tour Stop 5 is located north from the intersection on Court House Road and is dedicated to Major General Crawford's accidental sweep around the Confederate position, and his subsequent rear attack.
Tour Stop 1: Information Sign.
Tour Stop 1: Looking south down Courthouse Road toward town. The picture is looking toward both the Union advance, and retreat.
Tour Stop 1: This picture is looking north toward the Confederate position and the new Visitors Center on the left.
The new Visitors Center is a big improvement, the tent was from the grand opening.
Visitors Center: Davin Trail, one of the great improvements is the addition of hiking trails on the battlefield. This one leads from the Visitors Center out toward the center of the Confederate position at the Five Forks intersection.
The Davin Trail beaks out of the woods into this field and continues on. There are a total of 8 miles of trails, including the Winthroop Trail at the Bloody Angle. (Next time.)
The Trail continues out across the field toward the post in the distance.
Tour Stop 3: Carol reading the Five Forks Battlefield sign outside the old park headquarters now gone.
Tour Stop 3: The monument to the dead.
Tour Stop 3: Close up of the words.
And now, the rest of the story
The Union forces were under the overall command of General Sheridan a brash feisty little man who liked to get things done and had no patience with those who didn’t. Sheridan was not happy with Warren who had managed to regain control of the situation earlier in the day but never should have lost it to begin with. Sheridan considered Warren slow and Sheridan wanted speed. General Grant instructed Sheridan that if there was any more problems with Warren Sheridan could relieve him of his command. As the battle opened Warren didn't know that a swoard hung over his head.
Tour Stop 2: While Pickett had other fish to fry, Sheridan was organizing an attack on the left flank of the Confederate line at a place now known as The Bloody Angle. The picture above is looking at the point of the angle. At the time of the battle this area was not the dense forest it is now. It was a field with patches for woods scattered along the road. Trees have grown up over the old works making them difficult to see.
Tour Stop 2: This view is taken from the point of the Bloody Angle looking back down the Confederate Line toward the Five Forks intersection. The line ran along the edge of the road and is now marked by the tree line but it is important to remember that most of the trees were not there the day of the battle.
Tour Stop 2: A very old marker near the point of the angle. One of the things I find interesting at the battlefields is the various old markers and how they have changed through the years. In some places there are three of four generations of markers that all represent the view of these events from the perspective of their time. In talking with the ranger I learned that the Parks Service is deemphasizing the role of J.L. Chamberlain because so many visitors did not want to hear about anyone else, and he wasn’t the only officer on the field that day.
Tour Stop 2: A shot of the union side of White Oak Road. These woods were there when the battle was fought allowing the Union to move up through the trees undetected by the Confederates.
The attack on the Bloody Angle was launched about 4pm. Warren was suppose to lead his troops around the Angle and mount a flank attack on the end of the Confederate line where it had beened refused. Warren put Gen. Crawford in command of the sweep and sent him off, but somehow Crawford missed the line entirely and marched his troop clean around behind the Confederate position to Fords Road about a mile north of the center of the line. One of Warren’s other commanders, General Chamberlain, realized something was wrong and led his troops back to hit the Confederate flank right as the rest of the Union force hit the front of the Angle. The whole position collapsed and the Confederates fell back toward Five Points driven by a relentless Union advance. Warren also realized something was wrong and rode off after Crawford to get him turned around but in his hurry he didn't get word to Sheridan where he was going.
Chamberlain led his attack from the front instead of the rear exposing himself so openly that during a lull in the fighting the Confederate gave him three cheers. Sheridan saw Chamberlain’s actions and shouted, “That’s what I like to see, a general officer at the front!” Sheridan didn't see Warren anywhere so he rode up to Chamberlain in the middle of the fighting and gave him command of the assault down White Oak Road.
Chaimberlain
Tour Stop 5: Information Sign.
Tour Stop 5: Crawford broke out of the woods to find himself behind the Confederates on an unexpected and unknown road (Fords Road). This shot is looking toward Petersburg. Here Warren caught up with a very confused Crwford and got him turned around.
Tour Stop 5: Looking toward Five Forks the new direction of Warren's attack. Warren, now leading the attack himself, hit the rear of the Confederate position collapsing the line.
Tour Stop 3: This is a shot From Five Forks Intersection looking up White Oak Road toward the Bloody Angle. The retreating Confederates came spilling out of the field, which is now a woods, on the left behine the Park Service building (now removed).
Tour Stop 3: They spilled into this area here at the intersection where the cannon is. Carol is watching the confusion of the retreat.
Down the road to Carol’s left, a mile or so at Tour Stop 5, Warren attacked unopposed up Fords Road into the center of the Confederate position hitting the intersection at the same time as Chamberlain moving up from the Bloody Angle and the Union cavalry coming in from the south.
Tour Stop 3: This is barn near the intersection it has no historical significance that I know of but it make a nice picture. The Union cavalry attacked the center of the Confederate line from the far trees, charging across the field.
Here, in the middle of the line, was a three cannon Confederate battery that had been firing across White Oak Road at Union cavalry which had mounted diversionary attacks while the infantry was at work at the Bloody Angle and discovering Fords Road behind them. The cavalry troops they were firing at were the same troopers that charged across the field in the above picture of the barn.
Tour Stop 3: The cannons were under the command of Colonel Pegram who was killed at the beginning of the battle. The shad bake was in the woods behind and to the right of the cannon. This area was heavily wooded at the time of the battle (like now) which helps explain why Pickett and his staff did not realize there was a battle underway.
The Confederate center found itself under attack from three sides and collapsed entirely. Many of the Confederate soldiers from the center ran into the woods and formed the mob that crashed the shad bake and tipped off their commanders that something had gone desperately wrong.
Tour Stop 3: The Union cavalry attacks came down these roads, Court House Road is on the left and Scott’s or Wheeler’s Pond Road is on the right.
Tour Stop 3: Scott’s Road, then known as Wheeler’s Pond Road. The Union cavalry mounted their attack down this road, deployed in line across the field. The barn is to the right just out of frame.
Tour Stop 3&4: This fence line marks the right end of the Confederate center position. The next unit in line was dug in on the other side of White Oak Road. The center position collapsed when Warren realizing his mistake attacked south down Court House Road, effectively surrounding the intersection.
Unfortunately for Warren, who was having what he considered his greatest day ever, Sheridan had been looking for hime earlier in the battle and couldn’t find him, so believing that Warren had run off, Sheridan relieved Warren of his command and turned it over to Chamberlain. When Warren showed up flush with victory Sheridan declared that “ you haven’t been in it”, and told him to get lost.
Tour Stop 4: The view from the east end, or extream right of the Confederate line looking back down White Oak Road toward Five Forks. The west end of the line is know as the “Final Stand” because Rooney Lee was able to get back to his cavalry and hold off the Union cavalry while the surviving, not yet captured, Confederates retreated from the field.
Related Sites off the Five Forks Battlefield
Church Road: Looking south toward Five Forks. While the Confederates were scattered by the suddeness of the collapse at Five Forks, those that stayed organized fell back to Church and Cox roads. Many ended up fighting in the battle of Sutherland Station. After the fall of Sutherland Station they retreated through here to Namozine Church.
Tour Stop 4: This picture was taken at the “Final Stand” on a stormy day much like the day of the battle at about the same time. Thunder boomed like cannons, lightening crashed everywhere, it rained so hard we couldn’t drive until it let up. It was easy to see how the Confederate Generals didn’t know a battle was on.
The final battle of Five Forks was fought in a military Court of Inquiry. After being relieved of his command Warren returned to Grant as ordered and was shuffled out of the army altogether. Feeling wronged, Warren filed a grievance which resulted in the Court of Inquiry.
The verdict, handed down shortly after Warren died, exonerated him completely.