cking forces may not be denominated a general
battle, yet it was a bloody one. Other severe fighting took place
in front of Petersburg the same day.

Five Forks, Virginia, fought by General Sheridan's cavalry and the
Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac, April 1, 1865, was fought outside
of fortifications by cavalry, infantry, and artillery combined,
and there were charges and counter-charges, lasting several hours,
the losses being heavy in killed and wounded. Many prisoners were
there taken by Sheridan's command. Five Forks was a general field
engagement.

The assaults and conflicts on, over, and around the ramparts of
the forts and fortifications (incomparably bloody) in front of
Petersburg, Virginia, April 2, 1865, which tore open the strong
lines of defence held by General Lee's army, forced it to flight,
and lost Petersburg and Richmond to the Confederacy, may not be
entitled to be classed as general field battles.

Sailor's Creek came next in order, fought April 6, 1865.

The assault and capture of Fort Blakely, near Mobile, Alabama, took
place April 9, 1865. If Blakely can be called a general battle it
was the last one of the war. It was, however, mainly an assault
by the Union forces under General E. R. S. Canby on fortifications,
though rich in results. The killed and wounded at Blakely in both
armies aggregated about 2000 men. Canby's forces captured 3423
men, 40 pieces of artillery, 16 battle flags, etc. The prize fought
for and won was Mobile, its surrounding forts and the Confederate
Navy in the harbor of Mobile.

At Palmetto Ranche, Texas, on May 13, 1865, near the battle-field
of General Zachary Taylor at Palo Alto (May 8, 1846), the first of
the Mexican War, and about two thousand miles from Big Bethel, the
scene, June 10, 1861, of the first considerable battle of the
Rebellion, a lively engagement took place, hardly, however, rising
above the dignity of a skirmish or an _affair_, though it was by
no means bloodless. (The magnitude of the battles of the Rebellion
dwarfed to _affairs_ or skirmishes what were formerly in this and
other countries called battles.)

Colonel Theodore H. Barrett commanded the Union forces at Palmetto
Ranche, and General J. E. Slaughter the Confederates.

The 62d United States Colored Infantry, in this fight, probably
fired the last angry volley of the war, and Sergeant Crocket of
that regiment (three days after Jefferson Davis' capture) received
the last wound f