Battle of Lewis's Farm

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Battle of Lewis's Farm
Part of the American Civil War
Date March 29, 1865 Location Dinwiddie County, Virginia Result Union victory
Combatants
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders
Gouvenor K. Warren Joshua L. Chamberlain	Bushrod R. Johnson
Strength
?	?
Casualties
380	370

Appomattox Campaign
Lewis's Farm – White Oak Road – Dinwiddie Court House – Five Forks – 3rd Petersburg – Sutherland's Station – Namozine Church – Amelia Springs – Sayler's Creek – Rice's Station – High Bridge – Cumberland Church – Appomattox Station – Appomattox Courthouse

The Battle of Lewis's Farm (also known as Quaker Road, Military Road, or Gravelly Road) was a one-day battle of the American Civil War in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. It was the opening of the Appomattox Campaign in which Robert E. Lee's army was dislodged from their besieged lines around Petersburg, Virginia, and began a retreat that would lead them to surrender at Appomattox Court House.

On March 29, in the opening moves of General Ulysses S. Grant’s spring offensive, General Philip Sheridan marched with the army’s cavalry followed by the V Corps toward Dinwiddie Court House to turn the right flank of General Robert E. Lee’s Petersburg defenses. The Union V Corps under Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren crossed Rowanty Creek, moved up the Quaker Road toward the Boydton Plank Road intersection, and encountered Bushrod Johnson's Confederate Army brigades. A sharp firefight forced the Confederates back to their entrenchments on the White Oak Road.

The brigade of Brigadier General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was conspicuous in the engagement, leading the main advance. Lt. Gen. Richard H. Anderson ordered two brigades that had dug in to move forward to intercept Chamberlain, who, although wounded, rallied his troops with the help of a four-gun battery. Reinforced, Chamberlain counterattacked and captured the enemy's earthworks.