Battle of Five Forks, April 1, 1865
The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia around Five Forks, Dinwidde County.
The battle pitted Union General Philip Sheridan against Confederate General George Pickett. Pickett's loss at Five Forks triggered Lee's decision to abandon his entrenchments around Petersburg and begin the retreat that led to his surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9.
The loss of Five Forks threatened Lee's best escape route, the South Side Railroad. The next morning, Sunday, April 2, Lee informed Confederate President Jefferson Davis that Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, must be evacuated.
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