The Battle of Rice's Station was a minor engagement in Appomattox Campaign of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

that was fought at the same time as the

Battle of Sailor's Creek A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

on April 6, 1865. In the early morning of April 6,

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Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

James Longstreet's command reached Rice's Station, Virginia (now Rice, Virginia) on the South Side Railroad. As Longstreet's corps was the first to reach Rice's Station after Lee moved his army west from Amelia Springs, Virginia, they awaited the remainder of the army, most of which ended up being delayed at the Battle of Sailor's Creek.* Humphreys, Andrew A.
''The Virginia Campaign of 1864 and 1865: The Army of the Potomac and the Army of the James''.
New York:

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, 1883. . Retrieved March 5, 2015. p. 377. The XXIV Corps commanded by Major General

John Gibbon John Gibbon (April 20, 1827 – February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Early life Gibbon was born in the Holmesburg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Holmesburg section ...

of Major General Edward Ord's

Army of the James The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia. History The Union Department ...

had occupied Burkeville Junction, Virginia, a junction of the South Side Railroad and

Richmond and Danville Railroad The Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) Company was a railroad that operated independently from 1847 until 1894, first in the U.S. state of Virginia, and later on of track in nine states. Chartered on March 9, 1847, the railroad completed its ...

to the southeast of Rice's Station, on the night of April 5.Calkins, Chris. ''The Appomattox Campaign, March 29 – April 9, 1865''. Conshohocken, PA: Combined Books, 1997. . p. 115. When Longstreet arrived at Rice's Station, he learned that Ord's troops were at Burkeville Junction. Longstreet ordered his men to dig in along the tracks and routes from Burkeville in case the XXIV Corps advanced toward them. During the morning of April 6, after being warned that Lee's Army was on the march, Ord and Gibbon had moved cautiously up the railroad and found Longstreet's force digging in near Rice's Station.Marvel, William. ''Lee's Last Retreat: The Flight to Appomattox''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. . p. 88. Gibbon's skirmishers slowly formed for an attack and had a minor confrontation with the entrenched Confederates. As darkness approached and being unsure of the size of the Confederate force, Ord decided to wait for Sheridan and Meade to come up from behind. The Union force suffered 66 casualties before going into bivouac as darkness approached. Exact Confederate casualties are unknown. With the Union Army nearby after the disastrous Confederate defeat at Sailor's Creek, under General Lee's order, Longstreet withdrew during the night towards

Farmville, Virginia Farmville is a town in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Prince Edward and Cumberland County, Virginia, Cumberland counties in the U.S. state, Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County, Virginia, Prince Edward County. ...

where rations were waiting.Calkins, 1997, p. 116.

Footnotes

Notes

References

* Calkins, Chris. ''The Appomattox Campaign, March 29 – April 9, 1865''. Conshohocken, PA: Combined Books, 1997. . * Humphreys, Andrew A.
''The Virginia Campaign of 1864 and 1865: The Army of the Potomac and the Army of the James''.
New York:

, 1883. . Retrieved March 5, 2015. * Marvel, William. ''Lee's Last Retreat: The Flight to Appomattox''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. . * Salmon, John S., ''The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide'', Stackpole Books, 2001, . {{DEFAULTSORT:Rices Station, Battle Of Appomattox campaign Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War Prince Edward County, Virginia Union victories of the American Civil War Rice's Station 1865 in the American Civil War 1865 in Virginia April 1865