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Meanwhile,
Grant had taken possession of
Petersburg, and his army was moving in vigorous pursuit.
Sheridan, with his cavalry and the Fifth Corps, were far in advance, and on the afternoon of the 4th
he struck the
Danville road at
Jetersville, seven miles southwest of
Amelia Court-House, when some of his cavalry swept along its course almost to Burkesville Station, at the junction of that road with the South Side railway.
Sheridan was now squarely across
Lee's pathway of retreat, with his infantry intrenched, and ample cavalry to support them.
Lee's only important avenue of supply from
Lynchburg and
Danville was now cut off, and he was compelled to choose between the perilous business of falling with his whole force upon
Sheridan's isolated troops, before support could arrive, or attempting to escape to
Lynchburg and the mountains beyond, by taking a westerly course at the left of
Jetersville, and recrossing the
Appomattox at
Farmville, thirty-five miles from
Amelia Court-House, where the South Side railway touched that stream.
Lee hesitated; and on the evening of the 5th
an attack on
Sheridan was out of the question, for
General Meade had joined the latter at
Jetersville, with the Second and Sixth Corps of the Army of the Potomac, late that afternoon.
Then it was too late for
Lee to indulge much hope of escape by way of
Farmville, for
Sheridan was operating in the direction of the
Appomattox, yet he attempted it.
Sheridan sent out
General Davies, toward evening, with his cavalry, on a reconnoissance to the left and front of
Jetersville.
He found a part of
Lee's army moving westward from
Amelia Court-House, his cavalry escorting a train of one hundred and eighty wagons in front of his infantry.
Upon them
Davies fell, at Fame's Cross-Roads, destroyed the wagons and captured many men and five guns.
Lee's foot-soldiers tried to envelop and crush
Davies's isolated cavalry force, but by the timely arrival of re-enforcements, under
Generals Gregg and
Smith, he extricated himself after some heavy fighting, and fell back to
Jetersville.
On the morning of the 6th
nearly the whole of the Army of the Potomac was at
Jetersville, and was moved upon
Amelia Court-House to attack
Lee.
Sheridan had returned the Fifth Corps to
Meade, and now operated with the cavalry alone.
He soon discovered that
Lee, during the night, had left
Amelia Court-House, had passed the left flank of of the
Union army, and was moving rapidly westward towards Deatonsville.
The latter made as rapid a pursuit, in three columns; one directly in
Lee's rear on the Deatonsville road, another parallel with it on the north, and another parallel with it on the south.
In the mean time, the main body of the Army of the James, under
Ord, which had been pressing along the line of the South Side railway, toward Burkesville Station, had reached that point; and on the morning of the 6th,
Ord was directed to move quickly on
Farmville.
He sent forward a column of infantry and cavalry, under
General Theodore Read, to destroy the bridges near
Farmville.
These troops met the van of
Lee's army there, and attacked it, so as to arrest its march until the main body might come up. The odds was too great.
Read was repulsed with heavy loss, in a sharp conflict that ensued, in which he was killed.
The Confederates saved the bridges, but
Read's attack had caused them the loss of precious time, during which
Ord arrived with his main body.
