 As the site of the Battle of High Bridge in April 1865, the bridge played a pivotal role in Lee's retreat in the final days of the American Civil War – and ultimately the war's outcome.Rebuilt after the Civil War to its former dimensions, the 21-span structure was long at a maximum height of above the Appomattox River Valley – though is currently unusable for traffic.By 2005 its then-owner, Norfolk Southern, had abandoned the corridor, subsequently giving 33 miles of the line to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).