Battle of Sailor's Creek Facts

April 6, 1865

Battle of Sailor's Creek facts, including dates, location, casualties, leaders, who won, and more interesting facts you might not know. This fact sheet provides a quick overview of the battle and is for kids doing research and students preparing for the AP U.S. History (APUSH) exam.

Robert E Lee, 1864, Portrait

As Lieutenant General Robert E. Lee watched the Federals rout his army at the Battle of Sailer’s Creek he exclaimed, “My God! Has the army been dissolved?” Image Source: Wikipedia.

Also Known As

  • Battle of Sayler’s Creek
  • Battle of Hillsman Farm
  • Battle of Lockett Farm

Date and Location

  • April 6, 1865
  • Prince Edward and Nottoway Counties, Virginia

Campaign

Principal Union Commanders

Principal Confederate Commanders

  • Major General Richard Anderson
  • Lieutenant General Richard Ewell
  • Major General John B. Gordon
  • Major General Custis Lee
  • Major General Joseph B. Kershaw

Union Forces Engaged

  • 2nd Corps (Army of the Potomac)
  • 6th Corps (Army of the Potomac)

Confederate Forces Engaged

  • Army of Northern Virginia

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

  • Roughly 25,000–26,000

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

  • Roughly 18,500

Estimated Union Casualties

  • 1,148 soldiers (killed, wounded, and captured/missing)

Estimated Confederate Casualties

  • 7,700 soldiers (killed, wounded, and captured/missing)

Results of the Battle of Sailor’s Creek

  • The outcome of the Battle of Sailor’s Creek was a Union victory.
  • Most of the Confederate casualties were captives.
  • As Lieutenant General Robert E. Lee watched the Federals rout his army at the Battle of Sailer’s Creek he exclaimed, “My God! Has the army been dissolved?”

Timeline of the Battle of Sailor’s Creek

These are the main battles and events of the Appomattox Campaign in order.

Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Article Title Battle of Sailor's Creek Facts
  • Date April 6, 1865
  • Author
  • Keywords battle of sailor's creek, battle of sayler's creek, battle of hillsman farm, battle of lockett farm, american civil war, appomattox campaign, philip sheridan, george custer, charles smith, wesley merritt, horatio wright, richard anderson, richard ewell, john b. gordon
  • Website Name American History Central
  • Access Date October 3, 2023
  • Publisher R.Squared Communications, LLC
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update October 16, 2022

Battle of Sailor's Creek Facts is Part of the Following on AHC