On the afternoon of April 8, 1865, four supply trains awaited Lee’s army at Appomattox Station. The news reached Federal Major General George A. Custer and he rapidly pushed his division forward with the 2nd New York Cavalry in the lead. These trains are loaded with supplies—clothes, blankets, equipment, ordnance, medical supplies, and most importantly—FOOD. After moving along the wagon road beside the railroad, Custer’s men approach Appomattox Station from the southeast. The Station was made up of a few houses. There a squad of Confederate Cavalry guarded the trains. Fred Blodgett (of the 2nd New York Cavalry) rode up to an engineer calling out, “Hands up,” while leveling his carbine. A call for engineers among Custer’s men went out to get the cars away as a large Confederate force was believed to be in the area, and shells began to rain down in the area of the Station.
These shells were coming from Confederate Brigadier General Rueben Lindsay Walker’s Reserve Artillery that in order not to impede the movement of the Army of Northern Virginia was advanced to the head of Lee’s column. With Walker were approximately 100 cannon, 200 baggage wagons, and the army hospital wagons—all in camp little expecting to encounter Federal forces. Walker’s men had gone into camp and were preparing for super, and Walker himself was seated on a stump being shaved by one of his men, when the cry went up “Yankees” “Sheridan” and a short way off a mounted man crying “The Yankees are coming.”
A fourth train that had just arrived, started back for Lynchburg—starting in such a rush that it broke some of the couplings and left most of its cars behind. Walker drew his men into a semi-circle and was supported by the only troops in the vicinity Talcott’s Engineers (acting as infantry), General Martin Gary’s Cavalry Brigade (7th South Carolina, 7th Georgia, 24th Virginia), and 75-100 artillerymen acting as infantry. Encounters developed as Federal skirmishers pushed northeast from the Station.
The ground was not good for fighting a battle, mainly thick shrubbery and dense forest (with some trail leading through it) and an unusual fight it would be—artillery against mounted cavalry. The Confederates were hampered be the unexpectedness of the attack, lack of organization, no central command—resulting in mass confusion. Custer’s men were not sure what lied ahead and were ordered by the General to charge, but the advances became disjointed probes and pushes through the unfriendly terrain. Almer Montague of the 1st Vermont Cavalry commented “we found on entering the woods that the underbrush and vines were too thick for us to march through and keep our organization and we were soon advancing “every man for himself.” Shells crashing through trees overhead.—But now and then our men were in their rear and up to the mouth of their guns, they poured out such a volley of grape and canister that it was impossible to resist and we were obliged to fall back. Again we rallied and advanced and again were repulsed by grape and canister.”
Martin’s battery fought aggressively on the Confederate left, continuously firing while boldly moving forward. Custer’s men made two or three probing assaults, none too anxious to get too close the walls of iron being thrown at them by the discharges of canister. All the while, the Confederate batteries that were not engaged did their best to get away west towards Lynchburg and some north towards Oakville. As darkness was coming on, a final concerted charge was made. A member of the 2nd New York Cavalry recalled that they made a charge down a narrow lane that led to an open field to where the Confederate artillery was posted, and coming out of the woods, “A tornado of canister-shot swept over our heads, the next instant we were in the battery.” Montague of the 1st Vermont recalled, “Every man was fighting for himself and fighting like tigers.” He was hit by spent canister, paralyzing his leg for a time.
Some discharges of canister found their mark, taking down horses and men, one of them being a future Governor of Vermont, Charles J. Bell, with an iron ball lodged in the back of his hand. In the swirl of fighting, the color bearer of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans, William Davis, “A splendid soldier,” was killed staining the flag with his life blood. The flag was taken by Barney Sheilds of the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry. Also killed was Major Sesch Howe of the 1st West Virginia Cavalry. He was the fifth of five family members to die in the war.
Custer’s men captured 25. As far as casualties from this fight goes, there are no Confederate reports, so the exact total will never be know—perhaps 100 men killed and wounded in some manner, but there were nearly 1,000 Confederate soldiers captured, including Brigadier General Young Moody, and also about 100 wagons. Federal casualties were similar, but their surgeons commented that they “had never treated so many extreme cases in so short a fight. The wounds were chiefly made by artillery, and were serious; many patients being badly mangled.”
As the fighting at Appomattox Station subsided, elements of the 15th New York Cavalry and other units under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Root leapt the fence gaining the Lynchburg-Richmond Stage Road and charged into the village of Appomattox Court House, capturing wagons and teamsters along the way. Jesse Hutchins of the 5th Alabama Battalion was killed in front of the Courthouse building. The cavalry circumvented the Courthouse galloping towards the George Peers’ house, and while passing the Rosser shops a Confederate soldier put a bullet through Root’s neck, unhorsing him and killing him instantly, those following were met by a volley a line of troops formed in the vicinity of the Peers home.
The New Yorkers retreated back along the stage road, gathering prisoners and shooting mules as they went, thus concluding the engagements on April 8.
The Battle of Appomattox Station commenced shortly after 4 pm and lasted until dusk with varying intensity, although more fighting continued in the direction of Appomattox Court House until probably 9 pm. The success of Custer’s troopers on the evening of April 8, dispersing and capturing Walker’s artillery and securing the Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road were vital—the Federals now held the high ground west of Appomattox Court House, squarely across Lee’s line of march. With Lee’s line of retreat blocked, his only options on April 9, 1865, was to attack or surrender. Lee elected to attack. He held a Council of War the night of April 8, and it was determined that an assault would be made to open the road, believing it only to be Federal cavalry blocking the way. However, during the night parts of three Federal Corps had made a forced march and were close at hand to support the Federal cavalry in the morning.
