med Amelia Court House as a meeting point. His escape was narrow; the soldiers could see Richmond bur as they made their way across the James River and to the west. Grant had finally broke through and Richmond and Petersburg were finished on the second day of April.The Chase BeginsLee's forces were pushing west toward Amelia and the Federals would be hot on their tails. Before leaving Richmond, Lee had asked the Commissary Department of the Confederacy to store food in Amelia and the troops rushed there in anticipation. What they found when they got there however was very disappointing. While there was an abundance of ammunition and ordinance, there was not a single morsel of food. Lee could not afford to give up his lead over the advancing Federals so he had to move his nearly staving troops out immediately in search of food. They continued westward, still hoping to join with Johnston eventually, and headed for Farmville, where Lee had been informed, there was an abundance of bacon and cornmeal. Several skirmishes took place along the way as some Federal regiments would catch up and attack, but the Confederate force reached Farmville. However, the men had no more that started to eat their own bacon and cornmeal when Union General Sheridan arrived and started a fight. Luckily, it was nearly night, and the Confederate force snuck out under cover of the dark. But not before General Lee received General Grants first request for surrender.The Final BattleAt daybreak the Confederate battle line was formed to the west of Appomattox. The Union soldier's were in position in front of the line with cannons. When the Federal cannons started to fire, the Confederate signal for attack was sounded and the troops charged. One solider said, "It was my fortune to witness several charges during the war, but never one so magnificently executed as this one". This Confederate advance only lasted two hours, from 7am to 9am, at which time the Re...
