On April 6, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved through Amelia County hoping to reach supplies at Farmville. At Sailor's Creek, Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant cut off the retreat and attacked the rear guard. The result was an overwhelming Union victory, capturing wagons, artillery, approximately 7,700 combatants and eight Confederate generals, and 72 hours later Lee surrendered. The park preserves the battlefield.