High Bridge, VA

[High Bridge over the Appomattox River - Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Date(s): April 6-7, 1865

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: Col. T. Read  and Maj. Gen. A. A. Humphreys

• Confederate: Maj. Gen. Thomas Rosser and Maj. Gen. William Mahone

Principal Forces: 

• Union: 123rd Ohio Infantry and the 54th Pennsylvania Infantry and three companies (80 troopers) of the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry (900)

• Confederate: Cavalry (1,200)

Description:

• On April 6, the Confederate cavalry fought stubbornly to secure the Appomattox River bridges. 

• On April 7, elements of the II Corps came up against Longstreet’s rear guard attempting to fire the High Bridge and wagon bridge.

• Union forces were able to save the wagon bridge over which the II Corps crossed in pursuit of Lee’s army.

• Failure to destroy this bridge enabled Union forces to catch up with the Confederates at Farmville.

Photo Gallery:²

High Bridge

 

Slide Presentation³: Appomattox Campaign

Classification⁴: C

Casualties⁵:

• Union: 847

• Confederate: 100

Results: Inconclusive

Battlefield Website:

• Battle of High Bridge - Wikipedia

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 02/26/2009