Summer of 1865. The second new york advancing on the station first. There is a young fella right here named Fred Blodgett who was 16 years old but the veteran of a dozen bottles and writes out and pulls out his serve all over pulls out his revolver and you know what he said . Hands up. The trains are captured. They will not leave the train right there. They will try to get him down the track. It is a volunteer army. They have previous occupations before joining the army. Some of them have worked on the railroad and start to move the trains out of the area. Send some artillery shells start to fall on the area of the station. Where are they coming from . Coming from the command of this guy here, rubin Lyndsay Walker from virginia. He commands the reserve artillery. He also let the distinction of having the best mustache and goatee in the can direct army. Wouldnt you agree . That is just dandy. So nice he likes to keep it in good order. He actually is sitting on a stump and having his men give him a shame that morning with the news comes in there is federal federal calvary approaching appomattox nation. Walker had with him about somewhere around 100 artillery pieces. Following behind him is the federal hospital change. What happens during the campaign when we concentrate army at an merely a courthouse they separate from the least effective artillery and send it on the northern route so it does not p the progress, the march of the rest of the army. It just happens on april 8, the artillery comes back and a little advance of the armies. So a writerider comes in calling a sheridan, the yankees are coming. Kind of like paul revere and the british are coming. Apparently this guy wanted to get out of the station pretty fast. He jumped on the mule backward in road into the federal artillery camp and the men are eating. What is volcker walker going to do . He does have infantry support other than artillery support. He starts to get his men into a rough time i and starts running towards appomattox station. Just about that time, a fourth train comes in, pushing more supplies from lynchburg. This is actually pushing it, the trains into the station. When its either federal cavalry there, they throw the engine into reverse and it breaks the couplings, so it leaves the cars and the supplies, but the engine makes it back to lynchburg and escapes. This is a very unusual battle. It is confederate artillery against federal mounted cavalry. I tried to find another battle like this in the civil war, and you cant do it. There is not a battle like this anywhere else in the american civil war. Mounted calvary attacking unsupported artillery. So the battle starts off at about 4 00 here at and what happens is custer cents april grade sends a brigade forward. But it is not a good area for fighting a battle. It is mainly shrubbery and dense forest. Some trails leading through the woods. So it is very difficult for the federal cavalry to mount an attack. The confederate side is hampered because this is really unexpected. They had no idea federal cavalry were going to set upon them. There was a lack of organization. It is hard for Central Command to command all these guns. And they walker tries to get the rest of the artillery away as fast as possible. He gets about 30 guns into action, and the rest of the men are trying to head off towards lynchburg. The bulk of them go north to a place called oak hill. About an hour later, he could take little help from general garys calvary. Some of his men arrived and i believe they are dismounted at the time. So they come up to lend support about an hour into the fight. Here is a charge of the first new york calvary. The lincoln cavalry. You can see the are charging into the woods. And here is the caption, the death of lieutenant walter. Well, lieutenant walter was mortally wounded. He didnt die until a few days later, but this is one of the few illustrations of the battle of appomattox station. These are custer upon brigade commanders. Alexander pennington, and william wells. Going into this battle, one of the men under wells is montague. We found upon entering the woods that the underbrush and fight for toothache for us to march there and keep our organization. And we were soon advancing every man for himself. Shells came crashing through the trees overhead, but now and then, our men were up to the mouths of the gun and they put out such a volume of raping canister it was impossible to exist. And we were obliged to fall back. We advance, and we were again repulsed. These guys are mounted on horses, charging this artillery that is firing canisters. These canons are acting as big shotguns. This is a Real Advantage to the confederate artillery because you dont necessarily have to take the calvary men out, you just have to take his horse out, right to go and they right . And they are inflicting casualties on the federals. This is one of the casualties, willard. Like i said earlier, every time a brigade comes up, they advance and get repulsed. The sun sets a little after 6 00, so much of the fighting is going on after dark. Custer is personally leading many of these charges. But at about 8 00 that evening he gets all his men together as a division and makes a final fourth charge. And they advance against the confederate artillery. The confederate artillery has been pulling out. But a member of the second new york calvary says this. As they come out of the woods. There is a flash of six bright lights. Six cannons firing at them. And a tornado of canister shots swept over our heads. In the next instant, we were fighting in the battery. Everyman was fighting for himself, and fighting like tigers. He asked a gets hit with a canister ball, but it numbs his like for a time. One of the casualties here is willard farrington. This fellow here is a graduate of Dartmouth College and was in the first vermont. Here, he is writing forward. He gets his horse his courts horse and him gets hit with a canister. When he recovers himself on the ground, he looks at his hand and he says, my fingers were completely knocked out and hanging over the backside of my hand, held on by a little shred of skin. So he suffered a rather severe casualty, as did his comment charles bell. Charles bell becomes a future governor of vermont. He takes a canister ball in the back of his hand. And as later able to draw a pension on that wound. This is barney shields the second West Virginia cavalry. He received the medal of honor for his actions at the battle of appomattox station. He captures the flag of the famed washington artillery of new orleans. And he takes the flag from the soldier here, or your babies. Williams kong comrade said he was an excellent soldier. I think this is an amazing photograph here. This is walter jones. He carried a bible in his breast pocket. Check that out. One of those holes was made in the Shenandoah Valley in the fall of 1864, the second hole was made at the battle of appomattox station. So that bible literally saved his life on two occasions. There are confederate casualties in this fight, too. This is captain myles makin. He is one of the men that is buried in the confederate cemetery at appomattox. As is oscar, of the louisiana artillery. And there is a casualty. This is members of the first West Virginia cavalry. They call them the red neckties because they would wear these red neckties under the uniform. By this time, the commander of the first West Virginia is this fellow over here. I love that image. He must have had light blue eyes. But he is struck down in this final charge on the confederate batteries. And he is later interred outside of Liberty Church near appomattox station. He is later disinterred and taken to a cemetery at petersburg. Another one of the casualties in those West Virginia boys is martin sutherland. Look where he takes the canister shot. Right in the foot. A rather nasty, nasty looking wont there. Wound there. They then hit the confederate hospital trains. In those hospital trains is confederate general young moody who was captured. Elements of custard command most prominently members of the 15th new york calvary, several squadrons, actually hit the stage road and start the charge towards the video of appomattox courthouse. In doing so, they nearly round up this fellow here. Is that general lee . No. That is his double, pendleton. The most gets captured by the 15th new york calvary. He left his horse over a fence and ended up falling up and landed in some sassafras bushes. They charge over the ridge west of town, they charge into the village, they go around both sides of the courthouse. There are way can trains all along the roads. The teamsters are trying to defend the wagon and they run into the men of the fifth alabama battalion. The men of the 15th new york cut down jesse hutch and hutchson. Jesse enlisted april 15 18 1861. Served throughout the war. And was cut down on the evening of april 18. He had served in the army, if i remember correctly 1444 days. Only to lose his life on the evening of april 8. The men of the fifth alabama battalion have their revenge. There is one of the soldiers hiding behind a tree near the shops. And puts a bullet right through the neck of colonel killing him instantly. He is knockoff of his horse. The charge kind of suspends itself right in front of the home of george pierce. By one account, there are north carolinians under ransom in the yard that repost this charge. Confederate troops had gone into camp behind the house. They hear this fighting. An account is given by isaac bradwell of the 31st your jet. He says, that they received provisions that came from somewhere. So with the county earlier, there were supplies taken from appomattox and brought back tolees to lees army. They are cooking these reactions he says when fighting of a severe character started in the village nearby. We were called to much to that point. Before we reached the scene of engagement, it was over with. And when we got into the little town, we saw a number of artillery pieces standing silently without anyone near. Going back to the rations a little bit. Confederates were hungry on this campaign, not because there werent rations, but that they couldnt get the rations. That was grants doing. He understood that if you want to defeat an army, you have to take away their rations. There supplies. The things that are going to make them fight. He also understands that he has to not fall behind to lee, he has to get to where lee wants to go. As the charge peters out in the village, the men start to fall back. They had towards the ridge west of town. Of all the dead forces in appomattox, and never understood why there are so many dead horses at appomattox, and then i found an account of a guy that said as they rode out of town, they pulled out their rollovers and shot all the horses his to the wagon. Thus, creating a roadblock. And they getting the use of those wagons any further by the confederate army. Private Williams Smith of the second or how calvary gets up on the ridge. He said, we lay down on the road that night without unsettling, waiting for bizz. Some civil war slang for you there. The success of custers troops on april 8, destroying and dispersing what walkers artillery is important. The capture of those supplies was even more important, but perhaps the most important thing undoubtedly, the most important thing was that the federal county now held lees line of retreat. They blocked it west of appomattox courthouse. Now, he is going to have to fight his way out. Federal surgeons working on the wounded, did they have never treated had never treated so many severe cases in such a short fight. They were made chiefly by artillery and remaining serious. You can imagine that. If you are going to get hit with a canister, youre probably not going to get hit with just one canister ball. This is an illustration by william shepherd, who is a confederate shoulder soldier, showing their carriages. They bury some of their artillery pieces. During the night lee holds his last council of war. The president john b gordon, pete long street, he wants to know, should he surrender . France artie asked him to surrender a day earlier on april 7. This is april 8. Osha they continue fighting . The generals believe that it is only federal cavalry that could be to the west, and they can fight through that calvary and continue the march to link forces in North Carolina. That night, general gordon general lee orders general gordon to advance. He is going to be supported by the cavalry. And the artillery. And they are going to move out and drive that federal cavalry off the ridge. Now, during the night, custers men are removed from the ridge and a brigade from general george crooks Division Takes position holding the road. It is on the command of this fellow here, colonel charles smith, formerly of the first main calvary maine cavalry. And they are the ones are going to hold the road. The men of the first maine calvary have some spencer carbines that can shoot seven shots. Henrys rifles can shoot six shots. But the rest of the brigade, six and her teeth ohio, have shards carbines. Sharps carbines. They have two guns of artillery support under this guy lieutenant james. West point image. And what the confederates are going to do, they come to the village i think at about 2 00 in the morning, this is gordons infantry. And out here is lees cavalry. They are going to do a left wheel and drive the federal cavalry off that ridge. The end of advancing about about quarter to 8 00 that morning. There is john gordon for you, if you dont know who he is. He is a very dashing confederate colonel. Here is general lees nephew. Commanding the cavalry in this attack. And there is long, in charge of the artillery. As that confederate line advances, on the left is clement evanss division. In the center is james walker. And on the right is brian grimes, north carolinians. And then in reserve, they have william wallace. But he doesnt look anything like mel gibson, does he . So, the confederates to this left wheel at attack the ridge. And there is really just too many confederates. If you count them all up, you have about 9000 confederates in this attack. Smith has maybe about 1200 cavalry. So they are not able to hold off the confederates very long. In fact, one soldier with the first maine cavalry named frank yates says, we were on foot and the enemy drove us nearly a mile. My cw gary was wounded in the retreat and i helped him off the field a short distance, but then i had to drop him and run. The enemy was so close. I was struck in the leg with a spent ball, so he got hit by a bullet that did not penetrate his skin, but made his leg go numb. He said, it hurt me a good deal that he couldnt walk very well so i seized the tale of the horse. And he pulled me along until we got within our lines. That is a desperate man trying to get away. Federals the confederate cavalry takes the lords gun is led by this guy. The youngest general in the confederate army. 23 years old. They are under general lees son rooney lee. Roberts is under him. And they do that wheel and drive the federals off that ridge. The federals they met up on that ridge, including this fellow here. A young sergeant rose, who takes a pistol ball in the groin. He was with the second new york mounted rifles. They leave behind Sergeant Mcintyre of the first maine cavalry, who was killed, as is captain Edward Cooper of the circuit or how calvary. And there are many others left up on the ridge. These other men i was able to find photos of your under one that came to us this year is this fellow. During the advance on the ridge he is 24 years old john of the fourth virginia infantry. He is struck down during this advance. When i look at it and think about it i say, my god, what this man went through. Looking at his service record. He enlisted in the rockbridge artillery in 1861. He gets transferred to the fourth virginia infantry. He is captured at the battle of second mednax. He is exchanged. He is wounded. He is wounded again at courthouse. He has a finger shot off there. And then he is killed, april 9, 1865, at appomattox courthouse. Rooney lees menace they were the wheel with the infantry men stay with the wheel with the infantry. The income to other calvary coming up. Samuel young, rooney lees men and gauge them. This confederate general formerly of the ninth virginia cavalry, is wounded in the fighting. As is this fellow, joseph mcnamara. He is the color bearer for general mckenzie. And he gets a bullet right there. There is the bullet hole. Suffered on the morning of april 9. The confederate right flank brigade is under william cox. And they are the furthest to the west for the confederate forces. And they end up running into these fellows. Not these fellows, specifically but this guys army. We saw this picture last night with mike. This is general edward ward. And he has with him to divisions of the 24th core, white troops, and two brigades of the 25th core, the United States color troops. These men and this is image of john peck. I didnt article about him in the last civil war times issue. They marched for 20 hours straight. They cover, depending on where they are in the line of march, between 30 and 35 miles. That is an incredible feat of marching. And when the confederate see this federal infantry approach, lee, who commands the cavalry is aware that with the federal infantry approaching, their plan to get through the federal cavalry is probably going to be moot. He does not like the idea of having his men surrounded and having to surrender. Possibly go to prison camp and lose their horses. So he apparently spoke with his uncle and got permission to escape with what calvary he could. As he turns to ride away, that federal infantry starts firing upon them. And a bullet strikes a young staff member of his staff lieutenant charles , from richmond, his father is the episcopal minister at st. Pauls church. That is where Jefferson Davis attends church. That is where robert d lee attends church after the surrender e lee attends church after the surrender. He has been knocked off his horse. He disgusted dispatches his servicemen to examine. They say he is a gone are. So they can a note on him to contact his father and let him know where his son is has died. Being a staff officer, he has paper, pencil with him. And he starts writing a death letter to his mother. I find it very moving. He says, my darling mother, i am dying. But i have followed where i expected to fall. Our cause is defeated, but i do not live to see the end of it did i suffer agonies and look to god, i could die always. But in all things, im a see his will be done. My greatest regret in leaving this world is to leave you and the rest of the dear ones. The younger children will be more comforting to you then i have be