At the end of March 1865, the 
Confederate lines covering 
Petersburg, VA, were stretched 
extremely thin.  As a result of 
Union troop movements, Lee was 
forced to send 19,000 soldiers -
nearly a third of his force - to 
Five Forks.  Two days of rain 
and Confederate attacks would 
delay the Union attack until 
April.

Union General Custer's two 
cavalry divisions started the 
fight on April 1st, pushing 
into the wooded terrain 
dismounted.  Here they drove 
the Confederate skirmishers 
back into the main line.  

Union General Warren was to 
have been driving into the gap 
in the Confederate line.  
Unfortunately Warren 
miscalculated the length of the 
Confederate line and attacked 
into nothing. His left flank 
soon found itself caught in a 
crossfire.  General Ayres, 
commanding this flank, quickly 
adjusted and drove into the 
woods crushing the Confederate 
left.  

At the same time 2 divisions of 
the V Corps smashed into the 
Confederate rear.  Their lines 
shattered, the Confederates 
surrendered.