Five Forks Battlefield
By the spring of 1865, the last remaining supply line into Petersburg was the South Side Railroad. On March 29, 1865, General Grant sent his forces on a westward movement to cut this major artery, knowing Richmond. Countering this move, Lee sent 10,000 troops to an important road junction called Five Forks, which protected the railroad. On April 1, 1865, 22,000 Union troops attacked and defeated the Confederates at Five Forks. The fall of Petersburg and Richmond was assured.
