Appomattox River

The High Bridge spans the Appomattox River, just outside of Farmville, Virginia. Completed in 1852, the bridge is 125 feet high and 2529 feet long. C.O. Stanford, chief engineer of the project said, “there have been higher bridges not so long, and longer bridges not so high, but taking the length and height together, this is, perhaps the largest bridge in the world.” As originally constructed, the bridge was two-tiered, with a smaller “wagon bridge” beneath the railroad bridge. The bridge was destined to play a dramatic role in the closing days of the Civil War.

In early April 1865, during his desperate attempt to escape the pursuing Federals, General Lee planned to cross the bridge to the north side of the river then destroy it behind him, thus giving his men some breathing room and a chance to find food.

Aware of the importance of the bridge, the Federals sent two regiments of infantry and three companies of cavalry (about 900 men in all) to destroy it and thus deny the Confederates their escape route. Upon learning of the threat, about 1,200 Confederate cavalry were sent to intercept the Federal force and protect the bridge.

The Federals arrived first, on the morning of April 6, 1865, and began preparing to burn the bridge. After an all-night march the Confederates arrived not long afterwards. In the frantic, often hand-to-hand combat that followed, the entire Federal force was captured, and the bridge was saved. During the melee, Confederate General James Dearing and Federal Colonel Theodore Read personally dueled with pistols on horseback. Both men were shot, Read being killed instantly, and Dearing being mortally wounded. When he died 16 days later, Dearing became the last Confederate general to die in the war.

The following day the retreating Confederate army made its way over the bridge. But in the confusion of the retreat General Billy Mahone delayed giving the order to fire the bridge. Federal troops arrived at the bridge early on the morning of April 7. By then the upper portion of the High Bridge was in flames and three trestles soon collapsed. But the fire intended to destroy the underlying wagon bridge had been more difficult to start and had not yet consumed the bridge. The 19th Maine Infantry under General Francis Barlow, charged and, while under fire, were able to extinguish the fire using their canteens and blankets. The Federal army would use this bridge to cross the river, denying the Confederates their escape. Two days later, on April 9, Lee would surrender his army.

The Battle of High Bridge concluded on April 7, 1865.

The painting by Edward Beyer is from 1857.