Five Forks Continued
April 1, 1865
Five Forks Crossroads
This is a picture of the crossroads held Confederate artillery under Col. Pegram from the Federal side. Pegram was mortally wounded in the battle. The picture below is of a painting of Pegram's battery at their actual location. On the picture above, Federal cavalry were pressuring the crossroads from behind the cameraman. To the right, Warren's corps was pushing down the road toward the crossroads. Men of Steuart's brigade pulled out of line and faced to the right of the picture to face Warren's corps. The road that disappears into the distance led to Pickett's shadbake. When he heard the firing, he rushed to join his troops, but Crawford's division of V Corps had blocked the road and were now advancing on the crossroads towards the cameraman. Mayo's brigade pulled out of line and faced these troops, but was not able to stop the Federals. Soon, the Federals overran the crossroads and moved west, off the picture to the left and continued rolling up the Rebel line.
Gilliam's Field
This is a picture looking further toward the Confederate right or western flank. The Confederates held a fortified line along the road facing to the left of the picture, and as the battle began, Custer's cavalry charged across this field into the Rebel line. Down the road beyond the curve in the distance, more of his cavalrymen attacked the Confederate cavalry protecting the right flank. The Federals were unable to cut off the Confederate retreat, but the battle had been a great victory.
Pickett had started the battle with 9,200 men. They suffered 605 killed and wounded and 2,400 captured versus 803 Union casualties. The whole Confederate army was in danger in being cut off from escape. Grant figured that Lee had weakened his troops to defend his flank, so he ordered a general attack on Petersburg the next morning.
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